Movin’ On - What if LaRose Doesn’t Sign?

A good General Manager always has a plan B if the best laid plans don’t work out. If Chad LaRose gets a huge payout in arbitration that the Canes refuse to match and he moves on down the road, who else might be on Jim Rutherford’s radar screen that probably would meet the GM’s salary criteria and who has had similar stats and skills?

Here are a couple of players still available who might fit in the 4rth line and would probably sign for 4rth line money.

• Kevyn Adams
• Randy Robitaille

Each of these players brings something unique and would be a nice addition if Rosie isn’t available.

Jim Rutherford has admitted that LaRose is asking for 3rd line money, and might just deserve it. Regardless, the Canes don’t have it in their budget and already have their top three lines intact. It’s been reported that the Canes budget for 2008-09 is about where it started out like last year, 45-46 million.

Some fans might be asking themselves where the 10% increase charged for season tickets during the coming season will be going. It would seem to make sense that the budget would be increased by a similar percentage, which would put salary totals closer to 50 million.

Instead, the Canes seem satisfied with keeping the budget closer to the league minimum of 40.6 million.

Chad LaRose is an extremely popular player and losing him as well as Erik Cole in the same season probably won’t help to sell more of those higher priced tickets.

But winning will cure all ills.

Quick look around the NHL-

The Tampa Bay Lightning continue to make moves and signed Mark Recchi to a contract last night. Those new guys continue to shake and bake and are anything but boring and predictable.

While the Dan Boyle trade was something of a fiasco because of the way they finagled their way out of the defenseman’s no trade clause, I think the trade was a benefit to the Lightning and the team will be tougher next season because of it.

After signing Gary Roberts, Ryan Malone, Radim Vrbata, and Vaclav Prospal to contracts previously, Recchi will fit in as another question mark who is just as likely to have a great year as lay an egg. Whether good or bad, one can only wonder what the Tampa owners will do next.

After the first Winter Classic on January 1st, I posted an article discussing the dream of holding a classic in Raleigh, (although apparently it would be a nightmare for some). I also hypothesized about future Winter Classics in other venues.

It seems like at least one of my crazy suggested locations will come to fruition. It’s been reported that the next classic will be played between the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Blackhawks at Wrigley Field.

No doubt it will be a sell-out and it should be a highly rated affair on television as well. Let’s just hope the NHL bigwigs don’t figure out a way to mess this “Winter Classic” thing up.

The war of words between feuding GM’s Kevin Lowe and Brian Burke has certainly been highly amusing and entertaining. Burke blames Lowe for escalating salaries, especially related to RFA’s, while Lowe has called Burke a media whore as well as a moron.

Is it possible for both of them to be right?

Gary Bettman recently stepped in to put an end to the nonsense.

Skating shadow Todd Bertuzzi just found a new home. After being bought out and kicked to the curb by best buddy Brian Burke, Calgary GM Darryl Sutter is taking a chance on the unpopular forward.

How unpopular is he? Puck Daddy has a nicely researched article with at least one Calgary site denouncing the addition.

Will Bertuzzi be booed by the home team ?

Next up is the Hurricanes prospect camp preview.

Bad Company