Fantasy Hurricanes

When Tuomo Ruutu was selected by the Chicago Blackhawks 9th overall back in 2001 draft, pundits expected Ruutu would be the next BIG THING in NHL Power Forwards.

Ruutu started off quite well, putting up and playing a very aggressive crash-and-bang "Canadian" style of game and putting up 23 goals in his rookie season. Ruutu loved to deliver hits, and looked like he'd develop into an effective 35-40 goal scorer for the Hawks for many seasons to come.

Alas, Ruutu ran into injury problems (and was mistaken for an armed robber!), and was never quite the same again. During the past two seasons, Ruutu has put up just 38 points in each campaign and hardly looks like he belongs on the top two lines of any club. The Canes, who gave up Andrew Ladd (another disappointing forward) to acquire Tuomo, are hoping that Ruutu can find his game in a new home, signed the young Finn to a simple 1-year deal that will pay him a cool $2.25M next season.

"We are happy he'll be back with our team and we hope that he can stay healthy and return to the 20-goal plateau that he reached during his rookie season," said Rutherford.

Is Tuomo simply a bigger version of his pesty and unproductive brother, Jarkko, or will he actually provide above-average offensive numbers? 20 goals is hardly much of an exciting target.

Another one of the NHL's longest serving players, Carolina's Glen Wesley, has called it quits after a career that has spanned 20 seasons, and over 1600 NHL games (Regular season and playoffs).

Given that Wesley is approaching the big 4-0, and has been rumored to be retiring for the past few years, today's announcement is no surprise.

Just like buddy Ron Francis, Wesley will remain with the Hurricanes in the role of "Director of Defensemen Development". Who comes up with these titles?

"There were a lot of memories, alot of great things that I can reflect on," said Wesley. "But I think for right now I'm going to enjoy time with the family and hopefully improve my golf game."

"It's [Director's role] a new role that the organization has given to me and I think it's something I'm going to enjoy in working with the younger defensemen," said Wesley. "Hopefully I'll be able to help them in different perspectives."

Besides being quite easy to notice with his fiery red hair, Wesley will always be remembered, by myself at least, for being part of the most lopsided deals of all time.

When the Chicago Blackhawks, a team that doesn't ooze offensive depth from its pores, put the enigmatic Sergei Samsonov on waivers in December, most of us thought that it was the end for the little Russian. He had his last chance, and blew it.
Sammy appeared to care little about doing much other than whining and pouting, despite the fact that given every opportunity to succeed during his brief tenure in the Windy City. Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Robert Lang had no problems scoring, but Samsonov certainly did.

Who would really want to take a chance on a whiny, me-first player who put up just 4 points in 23 games? The Carolina Hurricanes, apparently, who took Samsonov on waivers, and made a lot of fans scratch their heads.

Whatever magic tonic Peter Laviolette has been giving Sergei could make a mint on eBay. Somehow, some way, the Canes' head coach has coaxed 24 points and +11 in 27 games out of the little bugger.

Frankly, I am quite amazed and shocked. Even with Samsonov's skill set, there was nothing to suggest that there was something left in the tank. It's not just the production that has suddenly reappeared, but the passion for the game and the willingness to work hard. For whatever reason, Samsonov didn't care much about winning when he was with the Habs or Hawks, but is now working his buns off to backcheck, forecheck, hipcheck, bodycheck, cross-check, and produce offensively.

Just think ... it could very well be Sergei Samsonov, of all people, that turns out to be the best in-season transaction in the NHL for this campaign. With Justin Williams and Rod Brind'Amour lost to injury, Samsonov may very well be the reason why Canes win their division.

Although it's one year too late -- and what former NHL player is going to give up a fishing trip for this? -- the Florida Panthers will celebrate their Cinderella run to the 1996 Stanley Cup Finals this weekend. Panthers alumni like John Vanbiesbrouck, Ray Sheppard and Bill Lindsay will join the majority of the players (sans schedule-conflicted Rob Niedermayer and Robert Svehla) who led Florida to the Finals in only the third year of the franchise, before being swept away by the Colorado Avalanche. There's a golf tournament, player appearances and an exhibition game at BankAtlantic Center on Saturday that will give hockey fans something they've long dreamed about: another chance to witness the majestic skating of Terry Carkner on NHL ice.

The Panthers, who will unveil their new uniforms at Saturday's game, have dubbed the celebration "Weekend of the Rat" after the single most significant memory from the team's Stanley Cup run. The Sun Sentinel remembers the fun:

In 1995-96, they finished third in their division (41-31-10, 92 points) and fourth in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, then beat in the Bruins 4 games to 1 in a seven-game series, the Flyers 4-2 and the Penguins 4-3 before losing to the Avalanche in four games in the finals.

Right winger Scott Mellanby killed a rat in the dressing room with his stick minutes before the home opener that season, then scored two goals that night, prompting Vanbiesbrouck to declare Mellanby's feat a "Rat Trick." Throwing plastic rats on the ice after goals soon became a phenomenon.

"We accomplished some pretty lofty things with a group of guys who were considered mediocre players at the time," Lindsay said.

"Mediocre players at the time?" Has history been that kind to Johan Garpenlov and Jody Hull? Florida Panthers fans have every right to celebrate this unexpected season of meteoric success, lest they fall deeper into the depressing reality that their franchise is now known more for losing Roberto Luongo and failing to make the playoffs in the Southeast Division than plastic rodents. But for the rest of us, this weekend begs the question:

Are the Florida Panthers the most mediocre Stanley Cup finalist of the last 25 years?

Gritty winger Scott Walker decided to stay in Raleigh, rather than walker off *yuk yuk* to some other town, and signed the dotted line on a three-year deal.

Of course, being offered $7.5mil over three seasons would be enough to keep many players from going elsewhere. From the Canadian Press:

"Keeping Scott in Carolina was one of our top priorities this off-season," Hurricanes GM Jim Rutherford said in a statement.

"He brings skill and grit to our forward lines and he has become one of our team's leaders on and off the ice."

Is the deal a good one for the Hurricanes?

Walker is 34 years of age, and will be 37 by the time this contract is finished. One would have to believe that he'll be in decline from now until he retires.

His numbers? They are pretty solid.

YEAR  GP G A PTS PIM
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2003-04 75 25 42 67 94
2005-06 33  5 11 16 36
2006-07 81 21 30 51 45
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Walker is one of the harder working players in the NHL, and is probably good for at least 45 points per season if he stays healthy. Being a small player (5'9"), Walker tends to rack up a lot of bumps, bruises, and injuries. Last season's 81 games played was a career high from him and rather unexpected.

Verdict: Not a bad deal, albeit one season too long. Walker would have received this kind of dough from quite a few other teams. The Acid Queen gives the deal her thumbs up.