Tweetmail No. 246: Roster, Contracts & Trophies

Hello and welcome to Tweetmail, a regular feature on Hurricanes.com in which I answer your Twitter questions, which are mostly about the Carolina Hurricanes. It's a mailbag of tweets. It's Tweetmail. Maybe you learn something, and maybe we have some fun, too.
Let's get to it.

I think the Canes didn't carry a full roster (23) most of season last year because Rod wanted players playing. Does that change this year with everything going on? Any time you want to leak the Stadium Series Jerseys you are more than welcome to post them. Happy New Year. - @HHandorf
Happy New Year to you, Howie, and to all of you who support this team, visit this
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, interact with us on
social media
, read these words or listen to
our podcast
. Here's to a better, brighter 2021.
You'll have to wait a bit on the Stadium Series jerseys, unfortunately. There's still not even a logo or an opponent or even a date now. In time, though.
The Canes, certainly in recent memory, have not been a team to carry the maximum of 23 players on their active roster. One of the major reasons for this is because the organization, head coach Rod Brind'Amour included, doesn't want players sitting around as healthy extras for too long; you would rather those players see regular game action, whether in the NHL or AHL. That, like everything else this season, isn't necessarily going to be the case.
The active roster limit for 2020-21 will remain 23 players, but to help combat an emergency situation in which COVID-19 forces a number of players out of the lineup, teams will assemble a "taxi squad," a collection of 4-6 players who will practice and could travel with the team, as needed. Also among the roster stipulations for the upcoming season is carrying and traveling with a third goaltender, whether he is on the active roster or the taxi squad. In the Canes' case, this is likely to be Alex Nedeljkovic, who the team might as well carry on its active roster given Nedeljkovic's one-way salary and need for waivers in order to be assigned to the taxi squad or the AHL.
With Nedeljkovic in mind, you're looking at 21 players on the active roster. An extra forward and a seventh defenseman would equal 23, and I could see the team going this route. With the way the schedule is compacted this season, you're going to need contributions from everyone, and I wouldn't be surprised to see some form of regular rotation within the lineup.
As for how the Canes fill out their taxi squad, let's save that for next week. I've got some ideas.
Any update on Dougie/Svech? - @AndyElliott1999
The update on contract extensions for Andrei Svechnikov and/or Dougie Hamilton is that there is no update, for now.
Here's the latest from Canes President and General Manager Don Waddell: "We've spoken to the representation for both players and told them that obviously we have an interest," he said. "I do believe talks will continue here in the next little while, but no update. No negotiations have started as of yet."
Do you think the NHL will award the Campbell and Wales Trophies since there aren't Western and Eastern Conferences this year? - @gk10098
It's a great question, and we don't yet have clarification from the league on their plans for these playoff trophies.
Here's the conundrum. The Prince of Wales Trophy is awarded to the winner of the Eastern Conference Final, and the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl is awarded to the winner of the Western Conference Final. There is no discernable Eastern or Western Conference, though, with
temporary realignment
for the 2020-21 season; the North Division traverses Canada, and the
Central Division
, which the Canes will be a part of, includes a smattering of teams from both Conferences. The first two rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, in addition to the entirety of the 56-game regular season, will feature intradivisional play, so only one team from the geographic West is guaranteed to be represented amongst the final four in the postseason.
The simple answer is to, however random it might be, designate the trophies for the semifinal series, regardless of who could win what. Would it be weird to see the Carolina Hurricanes take a photo with the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl? Sure, but the 2020-21 season in itself is going to be weird and strange and unique, and what truly matters is the trophy at the end.
For kicks, TV's Mike Maniscalco and I broached this topic of discussion on the latest episode of
CanesCast
(37-minute mark). I say embrace the weird. Let's hand out some medals or something.
Do you think that any Caniacs will be able to be in the stands this year? - @Browntruck1980
It's my hope that we'll see some fans in the stands at PNC Arena if not by the end of the regular season, then perhaps in time for the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Whether we get to that point depends among many deciding factors. The status of the vaccine, the first doses of which are now being administered to the most at-risk populations, is among these factors. How many people will be vaccinated in the next 3-4 months? Will community spread be curbed, and will case numbers dip? All numbers to watch.
In the meantime, stay safe. Wear a mask. Stay physically distant. There's a light at the end of the tunnel, and we'll get there.
Ultimately, the question of fans at PNC Arena is probably one we'll have to circle back to in a few months, but for now, I'll be optimistic because we could all use a little hope.
Ad logos have been discussed, but from what I have seen they will be replacing team logos on the helmets. What happens to the new 3-D logo on the Canes' white helmet? - @flive22
The 2020-21 season is going to be different in many ways, including some emerging sponsorship opportunities. One of those is featuring a corporate partner on the sides of player helmets. And you're right, Bill. These decals replace team logos or wordmarks that are typically found in these spots, meaning that
3-D raised logo
introduced in the Canes'
white uniform set
is no more, for now.
Are you sure you checked Seth Jarvis' driver's license? He seems young. - @coryfogg
He's old enough.
Old enough for what?
To … party.
\\*
More questions and more answers coming your way in 2021!
If you have a question you'd like answered or if you, like McLovin, technically don't have a first name, you can find me on Twitter at
@MSmithCanes
, or you can
drop me an email
.