2009-10 Season Preview: The Defensemen and Goaltenders

By Brian LeBlanc
NCSportsTalk.com - Puck Drops
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Where the forward corps stayed mostly the same in the offseason, Canes GM Jim Rutherford saw his team get pushed around a bit too much for his liking, and so the defensive corps for the new season will see its biggest upheaval in one offseason since the lockout.  Gone are the likes of Frank Kaberle (buyout), Dennis Seidenberg (free agency, Florida) and Anton Babchuk (parts unknown, but probably Russia).  In come a bunch of new faces: Andrew Alberts, Jay Harrison and a new face who looks strangely familiar, Aaron Ward.

Just looking at the names that came and went, it's obvious that Rutherford accomplished what he set out to do.  Now, will adding that extra bulk pay off for a team that's always been undersized on the blue line?  And behind the defensemen, can Cam Ward repeat last season's performance that carried the team for long stretches?

The defensemen are grouped in the pairings that they will probably play in to start the season.

#6 Tim Gleason: The only remaining piece of the trade that sent Jack Johnson to Los Angeles in 2006, Gleason begins his fourth season in Raleigh as the go-to shutdown defenseman.  For the first time in his Canes career, though, Gleason isn't the only defense-first defenseman on the roster, and the arrival of Aaron Ward should take some of the pressure off the Gleason-Corvo pairing, allowing both to play their game without trying too hard to be everything to everyone.  Gleason's game will never wow anyone, but he's the type of minutes-eater that every team needs to have, and his numbers should be comparable to what he's put up in the previous three seasons.  Projected totals: 2 goals, 15 assists, 17 points

#77 Joe Corvo: Of the 45 goals scored by Canes' defensemen last season, only Babchuk's 16 were more than the 14 that Corvo scored.  With Babchuk gone to parts unknown, the offensive chores of the defense will fall squarely on the shoulders of Corvo and Joni Pitkanen.  For his part, Corvo will have the most opportunity to make up the difference.  He started training camp playing the point on the power play, and his position seems secure on the first unit opposite Matt Cullen.  While he doesn't have the booming shot of Babchuk, Corvo's wrist shot will light the lamp on at least a few occasions from way outside, and his playmaking ability should make him the most dangerous Canes defenseman on offense.  Projected totals: 17 goals, 27 assists, 44 points

#25 Joni Pitkanen: Probably the most frustrating guy on the Canes roster to project, Pitkanen can go long stretches looking like the second coming of Ray Bourque, then just as quickly turn around and serve up six or seven stinkers in a row with no apparent reason for the comings and goings.  His inconsistency has already run him out of two NHL towns, but last season he looked like he might finally be turning the corner toward being a solid all-around defenseman.  Pitkanen was unfairly pigeonholed as a pure offensive defenseman earlier in his career, and while he still has the capability to make plays his niche seems to be as a puck-mover who makes smart but under-the-radar decisions both with and without the puck.  He won't make many highlight reels, but he'll again be an indispensable cog in the Canes' defensive machine.  Also, playing with a stay-at-home partner may increase the chances he's able to take this season, as he can afford to be a little more involved in the offense since he has a fallback plan to cover his offensive exploits.  Projected totals: 10 goals, 27 assists, 37 points

#4 Aaron Ward:  After leaving the Canes for greener pastures following the Stanley Cup victory in 2006, Ward returned in the offseason via trade to fill a hole on the Canes' blue line that was last filled by....um, Aaron Ward.  Since he left, the Canes have attempted to fill the hole by committee, but no one player was able to turn into the minutes-eating, hard-hitting crease clearer that Ward was three years ago.  In the same way that Stephane Yelle buys the Canes some time to develop Brandon Sutter, Ward will allow youngsters like Jamie McBain and Casey Borer to further develop in the minor leagues.  Similar to the reacquisition of Erik Cole, Ward is a known commodity, and his stay-at-home ability will mesh well with Pitkanen's offensive exploits and allow the top two defensive pairings to balance each other out.  Projected totals: 4 goals, 18 assists, 22 points

#41 Andrew Alberts: Like Ward, Alberts fills a hole that the Canes have sorely lacked for years, and he looks to be a prototypical third-pairing guy who will throw the body around with reckless abandon and make the Canes generally unpleasant to play against.  Having played in Philadelphia and Boston in the past two seasons, Alberts very obviously has been well educated in the school of hard knocks, and he comes to a Canes team that has gone for long stretches without a physical third pairing; the likes of Sean Hill and Bob Boughner come to mind, and neither of those players have suited up for the Canes since the lockout.  Alberts is another in the long list of unheralded Rutherford signings, and he'll give Paul Maurice the freedom to roll all six defensemen without causing him to hold his breath for twelve minutes a game.  Projected totals: 3 goals, 13 assists, 16 points

#7 Niclas Wallin: Quick, who's the longest-tenured Canes defenseman?  If you had been told in 2000 that someone would ask that question nine years later, you'd probably never have guessed that it's Wallin who holds the title of resident elder.  Only Rod Brind'Amour has been with the Canes longer than Wallin's eight seasons, and this would be his tenth anniversary season with the club if not for the lockout.  His postseason overtime exploits aside, Wallin has been an unspectacular yet steady performer, never really inspiring much confidence yet usually finding a way to be in the right place at the right time.  Even though he's "only" 34, younger than Ward and way younger than Brind'Amour, Wallin has aged considerably in the past three seasons, to the point that it wouldn't surprise anyone if he finds himself in the press box on a fairly regular basis.  Projected totals: 4 goals, 11 assists, 15 points

#44 Jay Harrison and #38 Tim Conboy: These two will be the first players in the lineup in case of injury or some other unexpected event.  Conboy, the team's resident enforcer, can play both forward and defense, so he could be slotted in for just about anyone and will probably see 30 or so games of action depending on the amount of injuries.  Harrison is the prototypical seventh defenseman, who can manage third-pairing time and has impressed the coaching staff with his play in training camp.  Both players are likely to make the team, but they will likely see significant time in the press box and will only play as needed.

#30 Cam Ward: Aside from Eric Staal, Ward is the keystone to the success of the Hurricanes.  Following his Conn Smythe Trophy performance in the 2006 playoffs, Ward reverted to form for a couple of seasons, playing much the same way as you would expect a young goaltender to perform: more good nights than bad, but inconsistent and still a bit raw.  Ward took a giant step forward late last season, playing the final 30 games of the year while compiling a 2.44 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage, both career highs.  His stellar play continued into the playoffs, where he merited legitimate Conn Smythe buzz again before bowing out in the conference final.  Entering his fourth full season as the undisputed starter, Ward and Staal together drive the Canes' bus, and if both players can continue this season the way they finished last season, they will carry the rest of the team on their backs.  Ward is at worst the second-most consistent goaltender in the division behind Florida's Tomas Vokoun, and is capable of stealing games on off nights for the rest of the team.  As if Ward needed more motivation, not only is he a dark horse for a spot on the Canadian Olympic team but he will be a restricted free agent in the 2010 offseason.  He will be an Olympian with a Brinks truck in his driveway if his trajectory continues the way it has gone for the last three seasons.  Projected totals: 37-22-7, 2.39 GAA, .921 SV%

#49 Michael Leighton: Ward's backup is a rare breed in the long and mostly-undistinguished line of Canes' backup goaltenders.  Whereas most backups have either gone on to take the starting job in their own right (Arturs Irbe, Trevor Kidd, Kevin Weekes) or have flopped in spectacular fashion (Jamie Storr, Eric Fichaud, Tyler Moss), Leighton seems content to play second fiddle somewhere in between the two extremes.  He thrives on consistent work, so it will be important for the Canes to spell Ward at least once every few games lest Leighton get thrown into an important game while ice cold.  While not nearly as nimble in the crease as Ward, Leighton is technically solid and can easily handle a semi-regular workload.  The Canes don't need him to be a miracle worker, but they do need him to give Paul Maurice enough confidence that he can play a game here and there to give Ward's sometimes-wonky back a rest.  Projected totals: 8-5-3, 2.55 GAA, .902 SV%

In the pipeline: Aside from McBain, Borer and Brett Carson, there isn't much there.  The Canes have some defensemen that will need a lengthy training spell in Albany (Kyle Lawson, Brett Bellemore, Michal Jordan) before they will be anywhere near ready for NHL duty.  In fact, Borer is still recovering from injuries suffered in Albany's February bus crash, so while he played a handful of games with the Canes last year it is doubtful he will see any NHL ice this season.  Bryan Rodney is the next player in line to come up from Albany, but his ceiling is somewhat limited and he has very little chance of progressing beyond an occasional fill-in at the NHL level.  As for goaltenders, Justin Peters was somewhat underwhelming in camp, clearly outplayed by Mike Murphy who will be Peters' counterpart in Albany.  In the event of an injury to Ward or Leighton, Peters will likely be the replacement benchwarmer as Murphy is clearly the future in goal and will play the vast majority of the season getting acclimated to professional hockey after four years in juniors.  It would take a catastrophic injury to either Ward or Leighton for either AHL goalie to see NHL action.

Back with a preview of the Southeast Division later this week, then an NHL one-liner preview early next week.  Only ten days until the start of the regular season!