Charlotte has four blue liners slated to be free agents this offseason. Two of them, Rasmus Rissanen and Michal Jordan, spent significant time in the NHL and could be there for good. The other two, Austin Levi and Beau Schmitz, were in and out of the lineup all year, with the former spending the majority of his campaign in the ECHL. That doesn't seem to leave the same tough decisions that the forwards situation created, especially looking at how solid the returning players are.
Under contract for the Checkers are four of their top defensemen from last year. Danny Biega and Keegan Lowe took on veteran roles last season despite being early in their career and will look to build off that, while Trevor Carrick emerged as arguably the most talented of the group and Dennis Robertson showed incredible strides. The Checkers will obviously need to make some moves to shore up the blue line, whether that includes re-signing Levi or Schmitz or bringing in new blood, but their defensive corps looks to be their most promising area heading into the summer.
Below, we will take a player-by-player look at the skaters making up the Checkers' blueline. They have been split into three groups: free agents, under contract and incoming.
RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
Michal Jordan
2014-15 stats: 30 GP, 2g-9a-11pts
He may have been named captain prior to the start of the season, but Jordan didn’t spend much time in Charlotte. Instability on the Carolina blue line led to the recall of the fifth-year pro. After spending the majority of his campaign up there, it’s tough to envision Jordan rejoining the Checkers next year, but with the ever changing NHL roster, nothing is certain. Should he be back in a Charlotte sweater, the Checkers’ defensive corps is immediately shored up with a top AHL defenseman.
Austin Levi
2014-15 stats: 15 GP, 0g-1a-1pts
With his entry-level deal expiring, Levi has yet to consistently crack the Checkers’ lineup. The 6-foot-4 defenseman has appeared in just 25 AHL games during his tenure with the team spending the majority of his time in the ECHL. Levi showed some offensive flair in the ECHL this season, with his five goals ranking third among Stockton Thunder blue liners, but he hasn’t yet shown that he can translate that to the next level, with just two career AHL points (1g, 1a). With a strong contingent of young defensemen making waves early in their careers, the Checkers, Levi could find himself the odd man out.
Rasmus Rissanen
2014-15 stats: 52 GP, 1g-10a-11pts
With an extremely young group of defensemen, Rissanen had emerged this season as one of the team’s top blue liners before earning his first NHL recall in the latter stages of the season. Like Jordan, it would be tough to imagine a scenario where Rissanen doesn’t at least start in the NHL next season, if his increased playing time during his stint was any indication.
Beau Schmitz
2014-15 stats: 38 GP, 0g-7a-7pts
For the first time in his three pro seasons, Schmitz spent the entire year in the AHL. Granted, he spent a lot of that time as a healthy extra or injured, only getting into 38 games, but the experience of a full AHL season is a positive thing. The undrafted Michigan native finds himself in a similar situation to that of Austin Levi, as his entry-level deal is expiring and he has yet to clinch a consistent roster spot. Schmitz has been considerably more productive than Levi has, but with lots of young talent popping up on the blue line, his future with the team remains unknown.
UNDER CONTRACT
Ryan Murphy
2014-15 stats: 25 GP, 0g-17a-17pts
Like Jordan and Rissanen, Murphy spent most of this season in the NHL. In his 25 games stint with the Checkers, he was a lethal playmaker, racking up 17 assists, leading the team in scoring for a considerable amount of time, even after being recalled. It is unlikely that we will see Murphy in a Charlotte jersey next season, as the young puck-moving defenseman seems to be fully engrained in the NHL, but since he is still on his entry-level deal, the Hurricanes have the flexibility of sending him down for stints if need be.
Danny Biega
2014-15 stats: 69 GP, 2g-12a-14pts
Biega faced a tough task this season. In just his second pro year, he was essentially thrust into a veteran role on one of the youngest blue lines in the league, and he stepped up to the challenge. While his offensive numbers dipped slightly, Biega turned in a solid, well-rounded effort and emerged as one of the top defensemen on the team. His late-season recall is a good sign for his future in the NHL, but should he return to the Checkers next season, Biega should be able to pick up where he left off and continue to grow.
Trevor Carrick
2014-15 stats: 76 GP, 7g-25a-32pts
Carrick turned in one of the most impressive rookie campaigns by a defenseman in franchise history, setting records for goals, assists and points. The 20-year-old did not play like a rookie, stepping up and taking on greater and greater roles as the Checkers’ blue line went through more and more change. The offensive firepower that Carrick showed in junior gradually translated to this level, culminating with him finishing third on the team in scoring. Heading into next season, Carrick has firmly established himself as one of the most exciting prospects currently in the Carolina system and next season could see him take an even bigger step.
Keegan Lowe
2014-15 stats: 58 GP, 2g-9a-11pts
Lowe made quite the impression with his NHL debut late in the season, but the second-year defenseman spent the rest of his campaign taking on a big role with Charlotte. Like Biega, Lowe was essentially relied on like a veteran on Charlotte’s extremely young blue line, and he filled that role admirably.
Dennis Robertson
2014-15 stats: 57 GP, 3g-14a-17pts
The rookie defenseman began his season struggling to consistently find his way into the lineup, finding himself as a healthy extra more often than not. But as Charlotte’s blue line took more and more hits, Robertson started getting more ice time and made the most of it, finishing the season tied for second among team defensemen in scoring. Robertson faced the tough task of making the jump from the college ranks to the pros, but seemed to really come into his own as his rookie season progressed and came away as one of the team’s most productive blue liners.
Incoming
Brett Pesce
2014-15 stats with the University of New Hampshire: 31 GP, 3g-13a-16pts
Pesce was one of a handful of players who joined the Checkers late in the season on an ATO to get a taste of the pro game. Unlike those other players, however, Pesce is eligible to play in the AHL next season and most likely will. The 20-year-old got the most ice time of any of the newcomers, appearing in four games and recording one assist. Pesce was thrown right into the pro game, playing in all situations and seeing action on both the power play and penalty kill units.
Tyler Ganly
2014-15 stats with OHL's Sault Ste. Marie: 38 GP, 2g-14a-16pts
Despite missing a large chunk of the season due to injury, Ganly is a highly important piece for Sault Ste. Marie as they make their run through the OHL playoffs. The 20-year-old was named an assistant captain and when he has been healthy, Ganly has been a force on the Greyhounds’ blue line alongside highly-touted Edmonton prospect Darnell Nurse. If the scouting reports are any indication, Ganly has shown steady improvement throughout his junior career, working his way up past several other skaters on the roster.
