Fresh out of the Canes practice!

Luke DeCock of the News and Observer is joining us now on the Adam Gold Show. I know you've been busy.

Rod Brindamore spoke after practice today. Let's start there. And we obviously don't know, I already read your tweet, we don't know anything, we won't know anything until Monday. Where's your head at with Max Pacioretti's injury and where the canes are at right now?

You know, it's kind of what I tweeted last night. There's ways you can, there's tests you can do that you can tell if someone's Achilles tendon is not functioning. I've had them done myself to me when I tore my calf.

So I've been, I know, I know what that's like. I've been through it, certainly Max Pacioretti does. So my suspicion is, without any actual evidence, is the reason everybody's so glum is because there are indications that he definitely retore that Achilles. Now they won't know for sure until Monday. That's as I, as I tweeted earlier, that MRIs been pushed back to Monday. They want to let the, I guess, swelling or whatever kind of calm down and settle down.

So that's gonna, gonna wait a few days. But I also don't think quite honestly, there's a ton of urgency because they all kind of know what's coming, including Max. I mean, Rod Brindamore said today, you know, he's, he's pretty beat up and, you know, where everybody's kind of operating under the same assumption here, hoping for some good news.

But I think it's safe to say nobody's expecting it. The other issue that, that they have Jacob Slavin did not practice today. He may have been injured on his last shift last night. There was kind of an awkward hit up against the boards with Joel Eriksson and he didn't play after that. He didn't practice today.

He is going to make the trip with the team. So this feels more like a rest or recovery day than something, you know, an injury that's going to be an issue, but you never know. It's just, you know, everybody else practiced today. So it wasn't like there were a lot of, a lot of rest days or maintenance day.

This was a full practice minus that you're already enslaved. And Andre Chafé, who's, who's, who's MIA again. So that's a little bit of a concern, but based on Brindamore's comments, it's, I think it's less of a concern, obviously, than Patrick Reddy, which, you know, everyone is still sort of fearing that worst case scenario. All right, real, real quick to Slavin. They were on the power play the last minute or so, so not unusual for Slavin to not play, but if he wasn't a practice today, there might be, there might be an issue there. Hopefully nothing, nothing will, will keep Jacob Slavin from the lineup.

All right. So even without Max Pacioretti's injury, here's where my head was at. I'm curious, your thoughts. I still think they need a number two center. I still think they need another option at, on the third defensive pair on the left side next to Jalen Chatfield.

Do you share that and do you think it's more acute now? I definitely share your concerns about the third pairing. In fact, until Brady Shea scored last night, I was, I was busy formulating a column about how after those first three incredibly bad power plays, well, the first one wasn't bad, but after the first power plays and you know, the wild scoring on their first power play, it was kind of an object lesson in special teams in Bolton, which ironically the hurricane spent the rest of the game performing their own object lesson in special teams in goaltending. But I was saying my plan was to write that it's, it's time to stop screwing around and not wait for the trade deadline and go and get a third parent defense man who has some offensive ability who can play with Jalen Chatfield and make the most of Chatfield's abilities and help out on that second power play.

That was sort of obviated by events. To me, that's been their first priority. I do think with patch already going down, you know, we said all year long, they're going to need to add a forward patch already is going to be that forward.

It's not the way it was planned, but it's the way it's working out. Now. I think they're going to have to go get somebody. And the question is, you know, will they bite the bullet and get a rental or are they going to try to wait and maneuver and try to get somebody either with term or somebody that they can, you know, trade either sign and trade or trade and then sign. Um, so they're not giving up assets for a rental.

I don't know that that's going to be possible in this market that they're going to want to give up the kinds of, of assets, um, that, uh, you know, that, that, that, that it would take to get some of these rentals that are going to be out there. Uh, that said, I think it's something they need to look at and something that they need to do because they're there, you could see it in the first half and you could see it when patch already came back, they were a forward short when passionate, it was there, everything flooded in this place. So yes, I think they're going to have to use the cat space.

That's freed up by patch. You're ready, uh, to, to add not just the third pairing defenseman, but a forward. So yeah, I wasn't necessarily on the same page with you before I am now. I think, I think they've got to do both those things. And quite honestly, given how long it can take for guys to fit in and, and a team to gel, especially a team with, you know, the ambitions that this one has, I think there's a, there's an imperative to get both of those things done quickly. I don't think that's changed.

You know, obviously the second unit, quote unquote, second unit looks better. Last night was Shay out there by himself and nobody was in a joking mood after the game, but we did joke with Shay that how much bread test she had apparently been holding him back on the power play, uh, when he was out there solo last night. But, uh, you know, I think there's an imperative to get all of that done, done quickly and get the team together that you're going to go into April and may and June with, get that together now and let everyone slot into place. And that means potentially parting with a player that people are fond of that may have to happen. Yeah. I don't think they're going to trade anybody off the roster.

I really don't. I think they're going to try to use asset future assets, maybe prospects. I don't think they're going to trade anybody off this roster, unless it's somebody that does have term, uh, that they believe can be a big part of this team going forward. Uh, other than the, I know the Brady Shay trade, which is interesting, right? The Shay trade was out of necessity because that was at a time where Brett Pesci and Dougie Hamilton were both out. They had to get somebody who could play. And I don't know if had Hamilton and Pesci not been hurt.

I don't know if they go and do that. Uh, but as it turns out, Brady Shay becomes part of their core. Now I think he's as important as almost anybody, uh, and the Vincent Trocheck trade. And I know you had it as part of one of your top trades, uh, in the 25 years of the, uh, of the hurricanes. And that's part of the anniversary podcast.

Go check that out wherever you get your podcasts. Um, but the last couple of years has been not impressive at the trade deadline. And it's, this is if, if you believe this team can win a Stanley cup, then this team has to be fortified to go and do that, especially since the teams around you are going to, and they are going to get better.

Let me ask you about the, um, first of all, Freddie Anderson was, I mean, Rod said it might've been the best game he played with the hurricanes in a hurricane uniform. Sure. I spectacular, spectacular. Yeah.

I don't know how he wasn't one of the three stars, but that's fine. Uh, it doesn't really matter. Uh, all right. NC state at North Carolina, bigger game for which team? Neither. I honestly feel like, I mean, it's a bigger game for state because of their miserable history in the Smith center. There's no question about that. A win in Chapel Hill is going to mean more to NC state than UNC, but I think in the big picture, a loss in this game doesn't hurt either team. I think they're both safely in the tournament picture. A win helps, but it's not, it's not in a, in a huge way. Um, I feel like the stakes in this game, other than pride are really the lowest that they've been in some time and neither team needs this win. Both teams would like it.

It's a, it's an interesting dynamic to me. It's been a long time, probably 2015 or so, maybe even 2012 where NC state didn't go in desperately needing to win this game. And obviously they haven't won many of them and not since 2018, but it's, it just strikes me as a weird place where both teams have done so much work to this point. And obviously Carolina is the team that we thought they would be in August or September or whatever.

Um, but they're fine from an NCAA tournament perspective. It's weird to me that there isn't that sort of, Oh my God, if they've got to win this game or if they win this game, it changes their season. It really doesn't for either team. I think it's almost refreshing in a way that this isn't the end all be all nuclear Armageddon of basketball games. It's just a rivalry game. And maybe that'll, maybe that'll take some of the pressure off NC state because obviously they do not have a tradition of playing well enough building, but here's the thing. I mean, with the back courts on these teams, either one can shoot the lights out and either one can shoot you right out of the game.

They're high volume, high variance, hot and cold. So, so I look at this game really is anything can happen. And I think the one big development that maybe changes things a little bit is, you know, NC state's been able to kind of do this, you know, power forward by committees thing with DJ Burns and Ernest Ross and Greg Gantt. They may have a chance to at least fight the battle with Armando. They got to a draw. I don't think there's any chance they win it, but there's a chance there to kind of hold their own. And maybe that gives their guards a chance to win the game. But I say all that, you know, an idiot would pick NC state to win in Chapel Hill, given the way that series has gone over the years. I believe Victoria, write it down.

Luke just called me an idiot. That's fine. I actually think this game means more in a big picture, not in a rivalry sense or, and maybe I look at North Carolina and not that NC state is a sure thing for the tournament either based on how much basketball we have left to play and needing to continue to play well. But I don't look at North Carolina's resume and see anything that is that impressive that they don't need this game. They're one and six against quad one opponents. This is a quad one game right now. And I think NC state will stay in, uh, in the top quad for the rest of the year. This is an important game for UNC.

Who's only quad one win, I think is Ohio state, which might not be a quad one win tomorrow. And they weren't the better team that night. I haven't seen North Carolina play well against a good team yet. You know, the thing about the Tar Heels, they're basically to me, and this has probably hurt them and taken them out of this position, but it's a hard position to get out of. Once you're in it mentally, they kind of went into the season, like the warriors having a really hard time to get up for Sacramento on a Tuesday night. And I think that that's bled later into the season. And, and, you know, Armando, Baycott talked around Christmas time about potentially team potentially having turned a corner against Ohio state at that time.

And then obviously there was some regression. I feel like this is a team because of the way they turned it on in February and March a year ago, uh, is playing that hand and just kind of biding their time to February and March. I, I look at the schedule they have left and the, the, the games that I think Carolina is going to be fine in terms of not being on the bubble. I don't, I mean, I think everybody do Carolina state is going to end up being a six, seven, eight feet. I don't think anybody's going to be in Greensboro unless they luck into it as the seven feet against second seat in Tennessee or something like, uh, you know, there, everybody's going to go to Albany and Sacramento and Des Moines and Orlando and scattered to the four wins. Well, Tennessee and Virginia are in Greensboro, but, um, I, I just don't see that, that NCA tournament crisis, uh, you know, it may make a difference of a seed line or two in the end, but, um, I think, I think the targets are going to be fine.

I have zero concern there. I think the only concern I have is I think wake forest still has a lot of work to do. Um, and I'd like to see four, all four of the big four get into the NCA tournament the same year, all four made a bowl game for the, for the first time, uh, in the same season. So, um, I think that would be cool to have that sort of season, uh, fun, but I don't think Carolina has got a lot of work to do. Wake has a lot of work to do, but I think the other three are fine. Uh, and interestingly enough, wake might be better than both of them.

I don't know. I mean, I love Steve Forbes and I think his team, uh, has a lot of potential real quick before we let Luke to cock go, uh, your thoughts on Miami at Duke. And it does look like Duke is going to be, I don't know, four point favorite, something like that.

Yeah. I mean, I'd probably would, would, would take Miami. I feel like it's going to be a close game. My look, Miami's really good. And I think Duke at home is really good.

If this game were in Miami, I think it's going to, it would be tough flooding from the blue devils who really have, haven't been able to turn that corner on the road that they have. I think they have at home. I think they play with confidence at home.

They have an identity at home. They've really struggled on the road, which, you know, as young teams tend to do, I still think there's a lot of upside for the Duke team obviously has been somewhat disappointing based on what, where they were in the preseason for obvious reasons. I mean, there's no, no illusions here when you're two, two of your three star freshmen are clearly not all the way back from the injury, whether that's physically or, you know, sort of in terms of game fitness, um, they're going to struggle. They don't have anyone who they can count on to score except Kyle Philip policy against teams that have nobody in the middle. Um, they don't have that guard who can create his own shot and that that three white heads supposed to be, they don't have the leader. As long as Jeremy Roach is out, they don't have a lot of leadership on that team without Jeremy Roach. So there's a lot of weaknesses on the suit team that said they found ways at various points to overcome those.

And they've also found ways at various points to be completely sunk by them. So I, you know, this is another really good test for Duke. They've got to win some of these games and win them resoundingly kind of like they did against Pitt, where they, the comeback at home, they've got to do a few of those things at home, and then they've got to do it on the road.

If this is going to be more than a one and out situation in March. So I think this is a really good test for Duke. Miami's really good. And NC States went over Miami in Raleigh was a really good win and their loss down there, given how, you know, the lead that they had at one point ended up being a bad loss emotionally, but it's not a bad loss in the scheme of things. Miami's good.

So, you know, this is an interesting, an interesting one for me. If Duke really did turn a corner against Pitt, this is a game that Duke should find a way to win. But the way they played on the road, you just still have questions about whether this team is ever going to be more than the sum of its parts.

I agree. I look, we don't know about Jeremy Roach. We don't know if he's going to play. We don't know what his health is, even if he does play.

It's hard for me to figure out how Duke's going to score unless they get 25 offensive rebounds, which maybe they can against Miami. Luke Tkach, appreciate your time. Good work on the Hurricanes front. I will talk to you later. See you, buddy.