Payroll: $49.9 million Record: 43-33-6 (92 points, 16th) Cost per point: $542k GFA: 3.05 (5th) GAA: 3.00(25th) GDIF: +0.05 (15th) Two seasons removed from winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, Carolina found themselves out of the playoffs in 2008 due to a crucial loss to Florida at home on April 4th. If the Canes would have won that game, they would have clinched the Southeast Division. But, with the loss and the Capitals' subsequent win against those same Panthers, it was Alexander Ovechkin and the upstart Caps in the playoffs. Click here for more information about the IIC and the Reina Value Player - IIC - Rank - Reina Value - Joseph Corvo: 47th, 123, +115% Corvo did most of his damage in Ottawa, but was far more effective when he landed in Carolina, recording 21 points in 23 games. His 12.5 shot percentage with the Hurricanes is an aberration that shouldn't be counted upon since his career average is just 6.4. His post-trade impact was as significant as Brian Campbell in San Jose. Corvo even had his first career hattrick against his former mates and is signed for two more seasons as an extremely affordable clip. - Cam Ward: 60th, 110, +138% Ward started off the season well but trailed off as the season progressed. His 2.75 GAA and .904 SV% were both career bests, but those only put him 32nd and 31st in the NHL respectively. He has yet to really repeat that Conn Smythe Trophy performance as a rookie in the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs. Ward would really benefit by having a serviceable backup so he can be better preserved next season. - Eric Staal: 66th, 106, +0% Staal 'deserved' to make every penny of his $4.5 million contract for 07-08 but not a penny more with his rare +05% RV. Staal led the Canes in goals (38) and assists (44), and he had 12 more points than he did a season ago but was 18 points away from the 100 he had in that 05-06 season. - Rod Brind'Amour: 117th, 80, -13% Brind'Amour had 50 or more points for the 13th time in his career despite being limited to 59 games. He had 19 goals and 32 assists and an even +/-. - Ray Whitney: 121st, 79, -1% Whitney had 61 points in 66 games, which nearly duplicated his 06-07 production. He unfortunately had a -6, the second straight season he had a negative +/-. - Matt Cullen: 169th, 60, -4% The center had 49 points and eight of his 13 goals were on power plays. He battled concussions for a good part of the season but overall had a nice season. - Sergei Samsonov: 179th, 57, -29% The former Calder Memorial Trophy winner was put on waiver by Chicago, and the Hurricanes quickly claimed him. He responded by scoring 14 goals (an excellent 19.7 shot percentage) and assisting on 18 more in 38 games. Carolina responded in kind by signing Samsonov to a three-year contract soon after the season. - Erik Cole: 202nd, 50, -40% Cole had 50 or more points for the third consecutive season, and the right winger was one of the only Canes to finish with a positive +/- of 5. - Scott Walker: 294th, 32, -12% Walker had a really nice season for Carolina, scoring 14 goals and assiting with 18. He also had two short handed goal, an area of weakness for the Canes. - Bret Hedican: 334th, 26, -50% Hedican's +/- of 17 was easily the best on the club as the defenseman assisted on 15 goals. This is an example of how the Reina Value can be unfair to certain non-goal scorers but is the price paid for an objective statistical measurement. - Frantisek Kaberle: 342nd, 25, -72% Kaberle didn't score a single goal, but he did assist on 22 of them. - Justin Williams: 351st, 24, -66% The right winger had 9 goals and 31 assists and a +/- of two. - Tuomo Ruutu: 352nd, 24, -48% Ruutu had 11 points in 17 games with Carolina and just 21 points in 60 while with the Blackhawks. - Chad LaRose: 365th, 22, +115% LaRose had the best season of his career, notching 11 goals and 12 assists and a +/- of 6. - Dennis Seidenberg: 377th, 20, +18% Seidenberg did most of his damage on the power play, assisting on seven of his 15 in such situations. He had a +/- of six. - Tim Gleason: 442nd, 12, -25% Gleason had a great season and was probably their best player on the blue line. He had 19 points and two short handed assists while giving the Canes some much-needed toughness. - Trevor Letowski: 461st, 10, +6% Letwoski filled in at center very admirably, finishing with nine goals and nine assists. He had a 13.4 shot percentage, which was a huge improvement on his 2.9 a season ago. - Christopher Reina is the executive editor of RealGM and the creator of the NHL Reina Value.