At this point, the Carolina Hurricanes are going nowhere this season. Their play has been terrible, their lineup has been taken out by injuries, and their depth has been questioned. What this team needs more than anything is a new era, and that’s exactly what they’ve started this week.

They are beginning a new era with a new captain. Rod Brind’Amour has been demoted from Captain, to Alternate Captain, and Eric Staal has taken his place. Brind’Amour hasn’t been having a great year. He only has four goals and seven assists.

However, that’s not the reason this change was made. According to Carolina’s President and General Manager, Jim Rutherford, the move was to give Eric Staal experience as a captain that he can use in the future. To them, this is another crucial step in the rebuilding process.

Eventually, they are going to try to create a solid team with an experienced captain that can lead them to another Stanley Cup. They obviously feel that Staal is going to be the leader of that team.

Unfortunately, this team needs more than an experienced captain to be successful. Captains do a lot more off the ice than they do on the ice, and “on the ice” is where the ‘Canes need the most help.

Offensively, defensively, between the pipes, and on special teams, they need help everywhere. Although naming a new captain is a step in the right direction, it’s clear that more has to be done.

One of the biggest things that the ‘Canes fans have debated this season, is how effective the rookies are. Although I don’t think the rookies that have been called up from Albany have played terribly, I don’t think that they’re the players that the ‘Canes need in the future.

If this team wants to be competitive, they’re going to have to make some big moves during the off-season. They simply need to get more talent on their team. That really isn’t as true for offense as it is for defense. They have to get better defenders that can do a better job of keeping the puck away from the net.

Cam Ward also needs to improve. He’s currently 22nd in save percentage, and pretty close to last in GAA. However, he’s still a very young goalie and I have no concerns about his future.

They’ll also have to make smarter off-season moves. Allowing Babchuck to go to the KHL (again), and giving Seidenburg to Florida were both mistakes, although they didn’t look like bad decisions at the time they were made.

If you ask me, I would say that the front office has done a terrible job managing this team this year. I put the blame completely on them for the ‘Canes playing this badly.

They have to do a better job of keeping crucial players in Carolina, and a better job of getting other good players to Carolina. However, they have made a positive step in getting an experienced captain. Although it isn’t the biggest concern they have, it’s still a necessity. If anything, this move should show you how serious the front office is about changing the team’s fortune in the future.

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