In defense of Wardo

I haven't been following the pre-season all that closely, which is why I'm surprised to learn that people are already debating the value of Cam Ward versus Michael Leighton. Bubba at Canes Country provides his usual great analysis as well as neatly summarizes the Canes' past rivalries in net.

Bubba makes an excellent point about the load that's been settled on Wardo's shoulders for the past two seasons. Between the absolute lack of support from Johnny Grahame and our non-existent defense, I think Cam has held up okay.

My thought is that if Leighton is on a hot streak, he perhaps should start on opening night and then stay in net for as long as his streak holds. Let's see how he holds up.

Other teams, though, have "The Guy," like Brodeur is for the Devils. Can Ward fulfill that kind of a role for us, provided he's got adequate backup? I think he can. I think looking back over his career proves he's not a fluke, and that he's got many good years left in him.