Mailbag: Nine On The Tenth

EDMONTON, AB. -Be honest, did you make it until the end of the game last night?
If no, why not?
If yes, are you excited about doing the same on back-to-back nights this weekend? And how tired are you today?
I only kid at the crowd who did not, but wow, did Sebastian Aho ever make it worth it for those who did.
The train keeps rolling with two more games in the immediate future against two teams with some serious juice. Edmonton's stars need no introduction and the shakeup in Vancouver has woken up that team. A well-deserved rest day for the guys allows us to tackle our weekly mailbag, so as the song goes, let's get down, let's get down to business.

Are you surprised by the complimentary statements about the Canes from the Canadian coaches? - @GoldenCaniac
I'll be honest, yes.
For those who have not seen, feel free to watch Flames Head Coach Darryl Sutter's

.
Being called a serious Stanley Cup contender by coach like Sutter, who is not going to provide lip service like that just for the sake of it, is quite the compliment indeed. Plus, it's not as if he's a coach who is just speaking blindly, he's won the ultimate prize twice in his coaching career.
It would have been really easy for him to say that his team just didn't get the breaks last night. Had it not been for Teuvo Teravainen, Jaccob Slavin, Aho and the posts on each side of Frederik Andersen, the Flames may not have only been in the lead, but they could've been up by a couple. Dare I say, I think a good amount of coaches would've just chalked up last night as the bounces not going their way. And they wouldn't be an incorrect assessment. However, that's what makes Sutter's comments extra special.
Who has been the MVP of the Canes so far this season? And will the Canes add at the trade deadline? - @pdowney88
Can I be up front with you and let you know I'm about to give you an indirect answer to the first half of the question? Awesome, thanks.
My view when it comes to a Most Valuable Player award is if you took that player completely off the team, how would they function?
If you took #20 off the team, the offense would be facing some issues, especially over the course of the last month. Over the last 13 games he has 17 points, far and away leading the club. The next closest is Nino Niederreiter with nine points in 12 games. Eight of those nine for Nino have come within the last two weeks, which could also be associated with him playing on a different line. Who centers that line? You guessed it. Aho.
On the back end, the defense, especially over the last ten days, would be in much different shape without Jaccob Slavin. It's impossible to state how much he means. Last night he played over half of the game. There are so few players in the league that can do that. In fact, he played more when the Canes were shorthanded than a few forwards (either team) played in all situations of the 64+ minute tilt. He's fantastic. No other way to put it. Plus, I'm a little biased toward showing love for defensemen. A lot of folks get so caught up in looking at points as a benchmark for MVP stats. After all, a defenseman's number one job isn't to put up points. Someone might want to remind Norris Trophy voters of that too, but that's a whole different discussion.
But then, of course, would the team be 18-6-1 if Frederik Andersen hadn't had the start to the season that he did? At the moment he is in the top ten in wins (13), save percentage (.929), goals against average (1.98). The only counterargument, and it's a positive one, is that Antti Raanta has been very good when his number has been called upon this year too.
Any way you slice it, you could make an argument for any of the three. Great inquiry.
Do you think Chatfield stays or goes when TDA or Pesce come back? - @SGybat
I'm grateful I don't have to make that decision, I'll say that.
Rod Brind'Amour has even said himself that both he and Lajoie have been "better than expected" since their recalls. Let's be honest, a lot of times teams just hope for a player in that position to come up and just be manageable, don't look out of place. Chatfield has exceeded that, for sure.
Since his first game on November 30, the right-handed defenseman ranks in the top half of the team in time on ice, and that ranking (9) is only continuing to improve. He's second among all Carolina skaters in hits during that timeframe. The trust appears to be growing between he and Tim Gleason, and also between he and his defensive partner, Brady Skjei.
The only real issue standing in his way in remaining with the club is the talent ahead of him. Not an ounce of his effort has warranted the thought, "he can't play here".
It remains to be seen what will happen, but it's certainly another exciting little wrinkle.
How has being in this role with the Canes been? - @DrewResler
If there's anyone reading this wondering why I always answer it, well, it's because it gives me a chance to give some shine to some people behind the scenes here.
Yes, the roster is great, and that's what most people follow the team for. Everything is better when you're winning - but there is more to it than that, at least from my perspective. The Carolina Hurricanes are a business after all.
There's things that go on that people don't get to see, but I wish they could. There's a strong desire by a lot of people to continuously get better every day. We hear about culture from the team side often and I can say that that is evident on the front office side as well.
For example, how about our social team taking another step forward and

? Did they have to? No. Are they to enhance the experience for everyone? Yes. How many other teams are doing that?
How many times do Vice Presidents of a company reach out directly to set up one-on-one meetings with employees to gather honest feedback on their time to start with a company? And to make sure they're good away from the rink too?

has been doing that.
Wait until you see some of the cool things being planned for next season. It's going to be incredible.
Before I took the job here my boss in Portland told me it felt like the Hurricanes organization was rapidly rising on the business spectrum among all NHL teams. I wasn't aware of how right he was until I got here.
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Thanks to all who took the time to submit a question. I appreciate you! Rest up, another big one on deck late tomorrow night.
Not a member of Twitter? We're always happy to take questions at [email protected] as well!
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