Tweet from @GottSomeJohn: Do you see the Canes going after any free agents this summer or are the changes mostly going to be through trade? Also, who do you like in the Belmont on Saturday?
I think the most likely avenue for significant change is through trades, but I don't think the Hurricanes will sleep on free agency, either.
Why would trades yield the most advantageous return? The Hurricanes have valuable assets that they're willing to at least shop around. Recall majority owner Tom Dundon in his end-of-season news conference: "There's none of them I'm not trying to replace. I want a better player than every one of them. That's our job. … We're not finding better players than Sebastian Aho. We're just not. We're not finding harder workers or more committed hockey players." Trading value is going to yield value in return, so that's where I think the greatest changes could be made.
Free agency is going to be more of a gamble, considering there could be 31 teams vying for the services of a single player. The Hurricanes will be able to make a compelling pitch - helping a team take that next step with a new head coach in a desirable market to live in - but will they be competitive in dollar amount and term to seal the deal and potentially land a more marquee name? That's the biggest unknown.
So, I'd look to trades to be the harbinger of change, but don't completely discount July 1, either.
As far as horse racing goes, I admit I saw neither the Kentucky Derby nor the Preakness this year. And I wouldn't really know much beyond that anyway. But I'll certainly root for Justify to take home the Triple Crown.
Tweet from @DaneFrazier: Will there be a main captain before the next season starts?
Yes, I think it's extremely safe to say that the Hurricanes will have a singular captain prior to the start of the season.
Head coach Rod Brind'Amour, a former captain of the team himself, touched on leadership in the room during his
introductory news conference
:
"We get hung up on letters and A's, but we need lots of leaders in that room. I keep going back - a lot of people don't want to talk about the past and this and that, but that's where I'm drawing all of my experience from. When we were good here, he had a bunch of guys who would lead. It didn't matter who was wearing a C or an A. Everyone has to be a leader in that room."
While the Hurricanes will be looking to draw on the leadership from a collection of players in the room, I do expect the more traditional captaincy arrangement this season, something that will be likely sorted out in training camp.
