An Open Letter To Peter Karmanos

[fromRaleigh]

Are you a STH?

Yes.

[top-shelf-1]

I disagree with the letter. JR is great, most of his questionable moves work out in the end(babchuck). I like Maurice and Francis behind the bench.

Babchuk has "worked out"?? Puhleeze. And if you like Maurice behind the bench, explain his boneheaded move Saturday in pulling Ward while we were down 3. He tried to mimic the brilliant move Sutter made against us a while back, with one notable exception: They were down 2 goals at the time and there was still enough game left for their goal to matter! Maurice shows his cluelessness a little more each night, and if he's "grooming" Ronny for the job, well, that'd be kind of like Johnny Grahame "teaching" Cam Ward goaltending!!

I won't argue with the others here who have pointed out that JRs hands are tied by PK's "thrift," but I will add that if he had the kind of money he did to spend on Staal and Brindy, a lot of it could have been better spent by shortening their deals and tying their pay more strongly to their performance. You've got a guy near the end of his career and one at the beginning. If you don't give them an incentive to perform they will (as they have shown) gladly collect their checks and avoid dishing out any of their own.

[jandc40]

When the NHL salary cap flattens or even goes down, JR will look like a genius because he won't be in the pickle other teams will be in, where only a handful of guys or less take up half of their cap.

Babchuk has "worked out"?? Puhleeze. And if you like Maurice behind the bench, explain his boneheaded move Saturday in pulling Ward while we were down 3. He tried to mimic the brilliant move Sutter made against us a while back, with one notable exception: They were down 2 goals at the time and there was still enough game left for their goal to matter! Maurice shows his cluelessness a little more each night, and if he's "grooming" Ronny for the job, well, that'd be kind of like Johnny Grahame "teaching" Cam Ward goaltending!!

I won't argue with the others here who have pointed out that JRs hands are tied by PK's "thrift," but I will add that if he had the kind of money he did to spend on Staal and Brindy, a lot of it could have been better spent by shortening their deals and tying their pay more strongly to their performance. You've got a guy near the end of his career and one at the beginning. If you don't give them an incentive to perform they will (as they have shown) gladly collect their checks and avoid dishing out any of their own.

[caniac-97]

I am willing to pay higher ticket prices for a team that makes the playoffs. Since 05/06 we had a raise in ticket prices, but no playoff appearances :angry:

those were not sizable increases. Those increases allowed us to keep what we have. I am talking double, the kind of prices you pay in Detroit or Toronto.

[cane-addict-1]

When the NHL salary cap flattens or even goes down, JR will look like a genius because he won't be in the pickle other teams will be in, where only a handful of guys or less take up half of their cap.

I made a post on this before... If the cap goes down and the Canes keep spending the same amount, it could be a great opportunity for us. BUT if we drop our own self imposed cap, we are back to square one.

[Canes06cup17]

I believe JR does a very good job especially considering our limited budget. Of course not every trade is going to work out for the best but thats hockey. I support you JR and appreciate the job you do.

[RealRitzcracker]

Rutherford is the man he got us so many good players pikanen, corov, samsonov, ruutu, *edit* he might be the best gm in the nhl.

It's somewhat karmanos is fault he won't give rutherford the money.

And it's actually the fans fault if more of us came to the game then karmanos would have more money.

It's also partly the teams fault if they played better more fans would come.

So if you look at it it's a little bit of everyones fault.

We have a stanley cup cailiber team minus 5 *edit* players (Kaberle, Wallin, Brind'Amour, etc)

[caniac-97]

Rutherford is the man he got us so many good players pikanen, corov, samsonov, ruutu, *edit* he might be the best gm in the nhl.

It's somewhat karmanos is fault he won't give rutherford the money.

And it's actually the fans fault if more of us came to the game then karmanos would have more money.

It's also partly the teams fault if they played better more fans would come.

So if you look at it it's a little bit of everyones fault.

We have a stanley cup cailiber team minus 5 *edit* players (Kaberle, Wallin, Brind'Amour, etc)

if every game was a sellout we still couldn't spend to the cap based on current revenue!!

[cane-addict-1]

if every game was a sellout we still couldn't spend to the cap based on current revenue!!

Washington's owner is on record as saying even if they go to the finals and each round of the playoffs go to 7 games he'd still be in the hole. So thats a common theme in hockey.

[caniac-97]

Washington's owner is on record as saying even if they go to the finals and each round of the playoffs go to 7 games he'd still be in the hole. So thats a common theme in hockey.

Yep, yet there are those out there that think you can still spend to the cap limit even though you don't have the revenue to cover it. Maybe they think this is the KHL (see Emery story on TSN.ca where his "club" uses a "mysterious" conversion rate to essentially pay him 60 cents on the dollar).

[fromRaleigh]

I don't think the Hurricanes have to necessarily spend right up to the cap. There are plenty of successful teams in the league whose payrolls are way below the cap, just like there are teams who spend right up to the cap with no results to show.

My problem with JR is that he's actually overpaying certain players who are way past their prime and/or seem to be lacking motivation. If I were him, I'd go for rebuilding, and that, I believe, would be even cheaper than the current model, at least for a few years.

[acaniac]

I think I will be saving my play-off money to go on a island vacation this year!

[hag65]

Count me out.

Although I don't agree with some of JR's moves, most notably more recent moves, I still think he has generally made the most of the limited budget. PK should not be in pro sports if he can't take the inevitable losses that will happen when trying to build a fan base and from the down years. That is why pro sports are a game for the ultra-rich, not just the rich. If you can't consider it a toy, it is not for you.

PK is largely responsible for putting together a cup-winning team in a small-market, no easy feat. We compete against much deeper pockets. If you want someone to blame, it is the guy who has the shallow pockets. He should take on some co-owners to mitigate his risk if it really is an issue. Then we can spend enough to put a more competitive team out there.

Way too many stories about the ex-Canes who are elsewhere now and doing great cause we couldn't manage an extra mil. Those are the issues that make the difference.

Also, you can't expect JR to be perfect. Come up with a percentage of good moves vs. bad moves you think a GM should make, and be fair. Realize that if your percentage is too high, no GM in the league will hit it. Find one who meets your criteria and I bet their fan-base would disagree with you. It's perspective.

[canesfan93420]

We should get Mark Cuban to be our owner. He is not afraid to spend some $.

[caniac-97]

We should get Mark Cuban to be our owner. He is not afraid to spend some $.

Even he wouldn't do it, YOU DON'T spend what you don't have. Mark Cuban and PK didn't become millionaires by throwing good money after bad just to satisfy the few fans that want super star players. You can have a cap like ours and put a winning team on the ice if you choose the right players. We are hosed right now with too many long term contracts. JR should have stuck by his guns and only signed three year deals with the exception of Staal. Had he done that then Kaberle would be on the final year of his contract and easier to unload, same with Brindy.

[cjslumber]

We should get Mark Cuban to be our owner. He is not afraid to spend some $.

Yea we should go get him . Because the Mavericks have accomplished so much. If PK is ever sitting in the stands heckling the refs I'll have to pick a new team to pull for. Cuban is a joke.

[canesfan93420]

Yea we should go get him . Because the Mavericks have accomplished so much. If PK is ever sitting in the stands heckling the refs I'll have to pick a new team to pull for. Cuban is a joke.

I would rather have an owner that actually cares about his team I wouldnt have a problem with Mark Cuban if he was heckling the ref or messing with the other teams players while they were in the penalty box. I would also rather have an owner that is willing to spend some money.

[Arventresca]

Rutherford has put together a great team full of talent. That is if you consider a team of undersized third liners as a great team. Oh and the fact that this team has not had a real number one defensman is ages is another great sign of an awesome GM.

[ThunderBall]

Karmanos is not letting us have money. I blame him more than JR. We didn't have to give up a 4th if it wasn't for money.

As I have said before, please go buy me a Benz and put it in my driveway since I like to drive them. Oh, you can not afford it !!!!! Ahhh, there goes the rub.

If you are a real canes fan and you want to see the team stay in Raleigh, you will not be preaching for PK to spend $57M. Raleigh/Carolina is not a $57M hcokey town. Not yet

BTW, I am waiting on that Benz and will write you a nasty letter telling you how much of a #### you are since you will not buy it for me.

[djharley]

Just seems to me for some reason this core of the team thats been here since 04-05 & 06 or so has just lost their edge. Kinda like, been there done that with the cup. I understand having a bad game but 3 bad years of not making the playoffs is unacceptable. Just look at the PENS,Cup finals last year,10th place this year,,,Coach gone!! We seems to hold on and on and on to that cup win and everyone is passing us by. Whether is ownership,managment or players and coaches something big needs to change. If we have to start over and rebuild,, so be it! At least that way there IS a light at the end of the tunnel. not just another door that we have been thru over and over.

[caniac-97]

Just seems to me for some reason this core of the team thats been here since 04-05 & 06 or so has just lost their edge. Kinda like, been there done that with the cup. I understand having a bad game but 3 bad years of not making the playoffs is unacceptable. Just look at the PENS,Cup finals last year,10th place this year,,,Coach gone!! We seems to hold on and on and on to that cup win and everyone is passing us by. Whether is ownership,managment or players and coaches something big needs to change. If we have to start over and rebuild,, so be it! At least that way there IS a light at the end of the tunnel. not just another door that we have been thru over and over.

I agree, we are in dire need of a big shakeup in a big way!! Something that gets the point across, hey I know - we bring back Laviolette (it keeps with the teams recycling theme)!! And while we are at it how about Big Joe!!

[crazycanesfan1017]

Despite unwavering fan support both long before and ever since the Hurricanes' Stanley Cup triumph, the vast majority of Mr. Rutherford's decisions regarding team personnel, from the coaching staff to the roster, have been questionable at best. Just a few examples are the rehiring of Paul Maurice,

See, that's your REAL beef isn't it? You're just still PO'd about Mo being hired back. Well with the way these guys were (and are) playing, Lavi couldn't have done anyyyy better. So why don't you just give Maurice a break, huh??

[caniac-97]

See, that's your REAL beef isn't it? You're just still PO'd about Mo being hired back. Well with the way these guys were (and are) playing, Lavi couldn't have done anyyyy better. So why don't you just give Maurice a break, huh??

Actually in my opinion Lavi would have done better!! We gave Mo a break for over 8 years!! He has brought back more of the old boring defensive hockey which at home doesn't seem to work to well, we gave up 15 goals while only scoring 2. do you ever figure that there was a reason we fired him and toronto fired him?? How many Cups has he won?

[crazycanesfan1017]

Actually in my opinion Lavi would have done better!! We gave Mo a break for over 8 years!! He has brought back more of the old boring defensive hockey which at home doesn't seem to work to well, we gave up 15 goals while only scoring 2. do you ever figure that there was a reason we fired him and toronto fired him?? How many Cups has he won?

Another hater....great.

The NHL has been a different game since '06. And believe me, the players he had in Toronto were awful, except for Kaberle.

[IceFrog999]

See, that's your REAL beef isn't it? You're just still PO'd about Mo being hired back. Well with the way these guys were (and are) playing, Lavi couldn't have done anyyyy better. So why don't you just give Maurice a break, huh??

Well, statistically speaking, Lavi did a lot better this year than Maurice did. And that was without some key players due to injury. However, if the rumors were true, and the players did tune out Lavi early in the season, chances are we wouldn't be in a much better position we are in now.

That being said, Forslund said in the post-game report on Tuesday that he believes some players have already tuned out Maurice, so...