The Carolina Hurricanes have brought back veteran blue liner Joe Corvo after a brief foray with the Washington Capitals. The deal will see Corvo make $4.5 million over the next two seasons with the Hurricanes. Corvo will make $2 million the first season and $2.5 million the second.
Why the Hurricanes brought him back
Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford traded Corvo to the Capitals at last year’s trade deadline for defensemen Oskar Osala and Brian Pothier.
The two year $4.5 million dollar contract sees Corvo reprise his role on the Hurricanes defense. For Rutherford Corvo comes as a cost efficient offensive defenseman. Operating in a small market the Hurricanes have to be careful to manage their money and get the most for their money.
The Hurricanes defense is weak at best and they severely lack depth. Rutherford will need to make some more moves to shore up the back end before the season kicks off, but for now the Corvo signing looks to be a good one. Corvo should fit nicely back into the lineup as the second offensive option next to Joni Pitkanen. In addition Corvo is a power play specialist with a cannon from the point, he and Pitkanen should be the starting defensemen on next year’s power play unit.
It is no surprise that the organization is thrilled with the signing as GM Jim Rutherford notes “Joe has been a really good player for us over the last three seasons, and we feel that he solidifies our defense.”
Why Corvo Went Back
Corvo enjoyed modest success during his short stint in Washington last season, but he made it no secret that he planned on coming back to the Hurricanes at the end of the year.
The 33 year old defenseman is coming to the end of his career and it seems as though he has built a strong relationship with those in the Hurricanes organization. Nevertheless, Corvo must also realize that he will still be trade bait come deadline day and he could be shipped off once more. The thought of a move may not bother Corvo if it is likely that he will be traded to a team like Washington that is in need of some defensive depth for a playoff run. This type of trade may result in a Stanley Cup appearance for the veteran.
Corvo managed to nab a pretty good contract off of the frugal Rutherford. Two years at $4.5 million is a nice contract for a player that has lost the vast majority of his career to injury.
With that said, Corvo’s desire to stay in Carolina seemed to be genuine, after the trade was finalized Rutherford stated, “We appreciate him working with us to get this deal done. He said he really wanted to stay in Carolina and this commitment confirms that.”
Joe Corvo was drafted into the National Hockey League by the Los Angeles Kings in the 1997 NHL entry draft. He played three seasons with the Kings before moving to Ottawa in 2006. Corvo then played two seasons in Ottawa before ending up in Carolina. After playing three years with the Hurricanes, Corvo was dealt to the Capitals at the trade deadline, only to have just resigned with his former club. Last season Corvo managed only 18 points between the two squads tallying 6 goals, 12 assists and posting a minus-10 during an injury plagued season, in which he only appeared in 52 games. Corvo has 218 points in 486 NHL games, and stands at a plus-39.
Bringing Joe Corvo back to Carolina was a smart move for both sides. The Hurricanes get an offensively mined defenseman that can play with Pitkanen on the power play, while Corvo gets a solid two year deal that keeps the journeyman in the same city for four seasons for the first time in his career.
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