Brind’Amour Battles in Carolina
Many sports outlets are reporting that Rod Brind’Amour’s tenure with the Carolina Hurricanes could be coming to an end. He is currently a league-worst minus-19 and has a year remaining on his contract, but word around the campfire is that Canes GM Jim Rutherford could be looking to ship him off sooner than later.
Brind’Amour was scratched on Monday by coach Paul Maurice, too, leading to further speculation that the Canes captain was in some trouble with the club’s upper brass.
Rutherford told the News & Observer, a paper out of Raleigh, that Brind’Amour’s ice time would be decided on a game-by-game basis. That can’t be good news for a player that forms the core of the team and has the locker room essentially on his side.
“It was a surprise, but it’s something you just try and block out - try not to think about too much because, eventually, it happens to everybody,” Hurricanes forward Scott Walker told NHL.com. “It makes no difference if it happens down the road or now, but the thing is for a guy with his storied career, it was tough to see. But we put ourselves in this position and left ourselves open to management making changes. Whether that be in the form of trades or sitting guys out, we’re victims of our own problems here.”
Needless to say, should Carolina be in the mood to move Brind’Amour it’ll probably be one hell of a tough sell.
In Brind’Amour, a team will have to show interest in a player who is nearing the end of his career. While he certainly boasts an impressive one, the 39-year-old pivot will toss a $3.6 million cap hit on any team that wants to take him and has two full years left on his contract. With the abysmal plus-minus rating added into the mix, the Canes may just be stuck with him for the rest of his tenure.
“I have known Rod for a long time and have a lot of respect for him,” Rutherford said. “I do not know where this is going.”
Rutherford is certainly speaking for a lot of people with that comment, isn’t he?
Posted by Jordan Richardson.
