News out of Lethbridge today has the Hurricanes sending a pair of 19 year old forwards - Sam McKechnie and Jaimen Yakubowski - home to await trades. Apparently both players had requested trades and it looks like the team intends to oblige them.
Yakubowski and McKechnie were the team's two leading goalscorers last year, Yakubowski with 32 goals and McKechnie with 26, and were 2nd and 3rd respectively in team overall points. This year though, the two each had only one goal - Yakubowski with 1g, 0a in 11 games and McKechnie with 1g, 2a in 9 games.
It's unusual to see that kind of regression in points, especially from 19 year olds. It also makes you wonder what the Hurricanes might be able to get in return for these guys. The most likely culprit for the drop-off in these players' production is that the team has a new coach this year and perhaps these players are being used differently than they were last year....that would also explain the trade requests too obviously, if the players were clashing with coach Drake Berehowsky. Any team acquiring these players would need to keep these things in mind.
All this only further underscores the mess that the Hurricanes organization has become though....they are 1-9-1, have an offence that is generating a league 2nd-worst 2.0 goals per game on average (only Vancouver's 1.9 is worse), been outscored 56-22 in 11 games, and are giving up an average of 41.8 shots against per game.
The organization has missed the playoffs for four straight years (although past coach/GM Rich Preston was at the helm for all four years, never once making the playoffs) and have gotten the high draft picks that come with that, but are apparently still no closer to returning to the playoffs than they were four years ago. It's early yet of course but a 1-9-1 record and that 40+ shots per game suggests there's a significant mountain to be climbed if they are to turn things around and make the playoffs this year.
Anyways, given that Berehowsky has (I'm assuming) already alienated two of his teams' best veterans and doesn't have better results than last year to prove that his approach is a better way, how long before it's fair to question the wisdom of his hiring? At the time he was hired this summer, many pointed out that Berehowsky's coaching resume was a little thin - only one year as a head coach, last year in the ECHL (his team missed the playoffs) and five years as an assistant, only two at the junior level (in the OHL).
It's a mess.
11 comments:
what happen if the league would step in and force the sale of the canes..if they remain in town would the contracts of drake and robson go null and void to the new onwers...again if they would remain in town
I realize how much the rest of the league likes to dump upon the franchise in lethbridge, but I have to respect how the team and their fans responded tonight. It would have been easy not to show up, but they did anything but that.
McK and Yak gone no problem. See what happens when the whiners and complainers gone. Team placed with speed and purpose. Systems worked boys who want to play played well keep it ! Great effort!
If the Canes can continue to win while these players are at home it puts the ball more in the GM hands and they can wait longer for a trade. But if its 1 win and back to the same old same old then the GM is forced to move them quicker & maybe not get the best deal possible.
After the terrible trade he made on draft day for Boes with his 1st rd pick this could be a time where he could possibly redeem himself abit.... but im not thinking that is going to happen. Do the Red Hot Regina Pats put a bid in for 1 of these guys? They could use alittle added scoring touch in there lineup especially on there 2nd line
Was it really such a great game for the Canes last night? They almost blew a 7-0 40 minute lead to a team playing its 3rd game in 3 nights. Some positives but some negatives too, to be sure.
Today against the Hitmen in Calgary will be a better test.
After watching the Hurricanes/Hitmen yesterday afternoon, there might be some reason to be positive if you're a Hurricanes fan. Yes, they gave up 40+ shots again and 6 goals again but they weren't quitters, they worked hard for 60 minutes and there is some talent on the team.
Lots of work needed on the defensive side of the game though. If not for Corbin Boes this game is a laugher because Boes stopped several breakaways and near-breakaways. Lethbridge's defencemen were beaten wide repeatedly....I lost count of the number of times a Hitmen forward came down the wing, beat the defenceman wide and cut in on the net. Same with odd-man rushes and that's a team thing, forwards not coming back to help out defencemen who get caught, etc.
And Chris Tai was horrible in net. His career numbers suggest that's not the first time. Do the Canes have a plan for a successor in net to Boes next season? I know Skinner is in the pipeline but he's not going to be the starter next year. It would be nice if they had a backup this year who could be the starter next year, be a bridge for a year or two until Skinner is ready to start. I don't think Tai is that guy. Something to address this year?
I guess Merks was an issue for last year's coach. The real problem is this... Players have to adopt and adapt and stop listening to the over achieving parents who never played the game. Players and kids today are spoon feed, soft and have difficulty taking negative feedback.
The story of Lethbridge can be told in two games this week. Whereas they almost (key word, almost) came from behind against the defending champion Portland Winterhawks, they blew a 3-0 lead heading into the third period against an average Moose Jaw team and lost in overtime. It's one thing to lose to the best team in the league from last year, but no matter how good or bad your team is, blowing a 3-0 lead going into the third period is inexcusable. That's not even taking into account the fact that the Hurricanes are the worst team on defense, giving up 74 goals in 15 games, a full 20 goals more than the next worst team (Saskatoon).
Pity that Chris Tai's WHL career isn't panning out. I saw him play twice as a midget age player (once in Tier 1 and once in BCMML) and the guy was a total monster. I was looking forward to seeing him around the junior ranks for a long time. Ah well.
Alan ....
Come back !!!
Alan:
It is been over a month.... Are you ok? or still upset about not receiving a WHL media guide
Brian
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