Wallin assisting Canes

Defenseman's play a large part of Carolina's fast start

RALEIGH -- Niclas Wallin has been a big part of the Carolina Hurricanes' offense this season and hasn't scored a goal.

All Wallin has done is unload his big shot from outside and let others do the collecting.

In the Canes' 3-1-1 start, the veteran defenseman is tied with forward Ray Whitney with a team-high five assists. He's plus-6 in the plus/minus rating -- tied with center Eric Staal for the team lead -- after finishing a team-worst minus-18 last season, with just six assists and eight points.

Wallin also is moving well defensively. He's throwing his body around, making the right pass, blocking shots, often checking the other team's best forwards.

"He's been great," Canes coach Peter Laviolette said Tuesday. "He's a little bit lighter, he's skating hard, he's moving the puck hard, he's playing physical.

"That's what we need him to do back there."

Wallin has a ready explanation for the impressive start to his eighth season with the Hurricanes. In short, he feels good and he's having fun.

"When you're 220 pounds and skating around the ice, you need to be healthy," said Wallin, who is 6-feet-3.

Wallin, a member of the Canes' 2006 Stanley Cup champions, said coming off shoulder surgery and then suffering groin-muscle pulls affected his play last season, when the Canes missed the playoffs. But missing the playoffs probably helped Wallin.

He had extra time to work on his conditioning, to shed a few pounds. To let his groin injury fully heal. To rejuvenate.

"It's obviously a huge difference, to be able to skate back, forward, left and right again," he said. "And to have fun. I'm 33 years old. You have to have some fun in your life, too.

"Hockey is supposed to be fun. It's a business, but it's nice to go out there and stay loose and have fun and play."

Last season was anything but fun for Wallin, who had signed a four-year, $6.9 million contract after the 2006 Cup run. The Canes tried to trade him in June 2007, but Wallin exercised the no-trade clause that had been inserted into that contract to nix it.

Slowed by the injuries, Wallin wasn't as effective as he needed to be last season. There was much Hurricanes message-board chatter about him hurting the team, and it grew even louder when Wallin missed time in training camp last month -- that after a concussion.

Even before this year's opener, against the Florida Panthers, there were a few scattered boos when his name was announced.

Not that he heard any of it.

"The people I know and the people I talk to always treat me good," he said. "There are some people out there ... it's part of the game.

"I am who I am. I try to come and work hard every day and do my thing. I've never been a point guy, everybody knows that."

But he has been a "point guy" in the first five games.

On Friday, against the Los Angeles Kings, Wallin blasted a long shot -- the puck deflecting off forward Ryan Bayda for a goal.

A few minutes later, another big blast. This time, forward Dan LaCouture got a piece of the puck and redirected it into the net.

Against the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday, Wallin assisted on Rod Brind'Amour's winning goal in a 3-1 victory. His big shot ... well, to be honest, Wallin basically misfired, sending the puck crazily skidding toward Brind'Amour, who back-handed it for a goal.

"What I want to do is be out there against the other team's top guys, be in their face, be in their way," Wallin said. "I'm a big guy who can skate. Be in their way.

"Be in their way, make them work hard every night and hopefully not give them so many chances and hopefully be on the plus side every night."

So far, Wallin has done just that.

"It is what it is. I just want to keep it rolling," he said.

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