Tweetmail No. 178: Atmosphere, Making Moves & Competition

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Tweetmail is a weekly feature on CarolinaHurricanes.com in which I take your Twitter questions about the Carolina Hurricanes or other assorted topics and answer them in mailbag form. Hopefully the final product is insightful to some degree, and maybe we have some fun along the way.
Let's get to it.

Frustrated might be the most apt descriptor at the moment, but I don't mean to dwell on the negative connotation of that word. It's not a room that has given up on the season or is letting complacency set in. Rather, it's a room that's not satisfied with the status quo, a room that wants to find the answers within to work out of this now six-game slide (0-4-2). Frustration sets in when there are good elements in the team's game that ultimately don't breed results.
Tuesday's game against Boston is an interesting match in that sense. The Hurricanes had one of their best first periods in recent memory; they potted three goals, including two on the power play, and took a lead to the locker room. But - the fact that there is a "but" to this leads to the frustration in the locker room - a couple of breakdowns defensively led to the Bruins scoring twice, so the Canes' lead was just one instead of two or three. The team got a point in Boston, but it's not enough at this time of year.
"We're sitting here and got one point. That's not good enough. We know we need two right now," Justin Faulk said after the game. "We need to string together some wins."
"It was a good battle. Lots of good things. But it doesn't matter," Sebastian Aho echoed. "We need wins. It's always tough when you lose a tight game."
Just to clear the air and get this train back on the tracks, the Canes need a win in any fashion they can get it.
"I really don't care if it's a [bad] game or really good. We just need to find ways to get two points right now," Faulk said. "We've gone from inside a playoff position to four points out right now. … Just got to find a way to get two points."

It was late April 2014 when Ron Francis was named Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Hurricanes. He's since overseen four trade deadlines, four drafts and four free agency periods. I'm not sure if I'd characterize the team's actions around the trade deadline and free agency as "conservative" since he's taken over; rather, the team has been thoughtful in building for the future.
From a trade deadline perspective, the Hurricanes have yet to be in a position to be buyers under Francis. Instead, he's been able to move out certain pieces for future assets, and he's not shied away from doing so. Look no further than 2016, when the Canes moved Eric Staal, Kris Versteeg and John-Michael Liles in deadline deals.
This season, I think the Hurricanes were in deadline purgatory in a sense that they weren't prepared to be buyers but also not completely out of the playoff race to be sellers. And, still committed to not mortgaging the future, Francis saw fit not to jump in the action.
"We explored all things. Certainly we looked at a lot of pieces we could add to our lineup. I think the prices were pretty steep this time around in our eyes. I don't think we're at a point where we can give up first-round picks and A prospects to try to get something that we have for a month or two and hope to get into the playoffs with that rental," Francis explained in his deadline day press conference. "We didn't think the prices they were asking for those pieces fit with where we are right now as an organization. We looked at trying to make hockey trades. We looked at trying to move pieces out for assets, too. We explored all different avenues, but at the end of the day there wasn't anything we felt was best for us now and going forward."

Looking toward the summer, I again don't think "conservative" is the right descriptor. A July 1 splash hasn't been the team's modus operandi, but the signing of Justin Williams as free agency opened this past summer was a big move. Francis has also been able to acquire key pieces through trades around the draft and with teams looking to clear cap space (see: Chicago).
All of the above is part of the process in rebuilding an organization, and in the coming years, I think you'll see the front office become more aggressive at pursuing moves both in the summer and at the deadline with the team firmly in buying mode rather than floating somewhere in between.

I think there is a chance that, in the last 19 games of the season, you may see some movement between Raleigh and Charlotte, but it's not going to be a free-for-all for a number of reasons. One is that the Hurricanes are in the thick of a playoff race, and Francis wants to give the group in the locker room a chance to prove itself. Another reason is that each NHL club is limited to four non-emergency recalls after the trade deadline. So, while the 23-man roster limit is extinguished with the passing of the deadline, teams are somewhat restricted in how many players they can recall from their farm system when injuries aren't a factor.
In his deadline day press conference, Francis was asked about the possibility of getting a look at some Checkers.
"I think there will be an opportunity to look at some of these guys," he said. "We've got a few young players down there having pretty good seasons."
Valentin Zykov and Warren Foegele are likely among those Francis is referencing. Zykov leads the AHL in goals (25) and power-play goals (14), and Foegele paces AHL rookies and is tied for third overall in goals (23).
Tweet from @Tiberious_Nero: What is more important this off-season? Adding defense or adding offense. Either through trading, drafting, calling up, or free agency. #Redvolution #RedvolutionRampage #tweetmail
Without a doubt, the Hurricanes are going to need to find a way to supplement their offense. It's been a largely inconsistent part of the team's game this season, and it could use an infusion of talent.
The best way to immediately improve the offense is going to be either through a trade or free agency. The Hurricanes, regardless of whether they make the playoffs, don't figure to have a top draft pick this season; the player that the team will draft likely won't yet be ready to make the type of impact the Hurricanes are searching for. It's the same concept with a call-up. Is there talent in Charlotte? Certainly, but I'm not sure if there's one piece that's going to drastically improve the big club's offense. There are players who can take steps next season for sure, but Francis is going to be able to make more of a splash either through a trade or free agency.

I think the Florida Panthers are certainly a threat, and they've legitimately worked themselves into the now four-team fight for the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference.
For much of the season, the bottom five teams in the Atlantic Division haven't posed much of a challenge in the playoff race, but it was only a matter of time before one team got hot and surged. That's exactly what the Panthers have done. They're 7-3-0 in their last 10 games and have been creeping closer into the race while bubble teams, like the Hurricanes, have stumbled in the last couple of weeks.
The Panthers are currently in the midst of a six-game homestand, and they've defeated Washington, Pittsburgh and Toronto - all teams firmly cemented in playoff position - to begin that stretch. With 64 points in 60 games, the Panthers are just five points out, and the kicker is that they have three games in hand on each of Carolina, New York and Columbus.
The Hurricanes have just one meeting remaining with the Panthers this season, and it will happen in the final week of the regular season. That could be a big match-up, especially if the Panthers continue to push. Keep an eye on them, for sure.
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