That horrible sound heard around the Triangle Wednesday was the sound of Carolina Hurricanes fans groaning at the thought what lies ahead next season.
Canes owner Peter Karmanos, Jr., and team general manager Jim Rutherford conducted separate interviews with local media. But both focused on the same thing -- the bottom line.
Karmanos, who is attempting to sell a minority share of the team, sat down with the News and Observer. Rutherford, currently out of the state, had a phone interview with 99.9FM The Fan.
They both said the Canes payroll for next season will be in the bottom 20 percent of the NHL. That, most likely, means good-bye to fan favorites Ray Whitney and Rod Brind'Amour.
The Canes will attempt to sign Whitney before their exclusive negotiating period with him ends on July 1. But what kind of serious effort can they make while, at the same time, attempting to trim $15 million from last season's $56 million payroll?
Brind'Amour, who'll turn 40 this summer, wants to play next season in the final year of the 5-year extension he signed after Carolina won the Stanley Cup in 2006. It would be a feel-good swansong for No. 17.
But, again, the Canes will have a hard time fitting his salary into their slimmed-down budget. Brind'Amour is due $3 million, but the team would owe him a $2 million buyout should it release him. Maybe the two sides can reach a compromise.
Either way, this will be tough to watch. It may get even tougher when the games on the ice begin this fall.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
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Much has been made of Rod Brind'Amour's contract, and that's understandable, but this really should come down to whether Brind'Amour can contribute in 2010-11. The buyout is so large - $2 million - that cutting him isn't easy. And given what he has done for the franchise, no one wants to see him treated without respect.
ReplyDeleteWhat the Canes should do is bring him in for camp and see where he fits in their plans. If he's their best fourth-line center, and he's willing to contribute in that way, then keep him. Having a 40-year-old player with the work ethic he does is a great example for the younger players.
But if Brind'Amour has lost the jump in his legs he needs, and he has clearly slowed down, then the Canes should make the hard decision. The worst scenario here would be having Brind'Amour on the roster at $3 million and being stuck with a player who can't contribute.