Should The Carolina Hurricanes Extend Eric Robinson?

While the Carolina Hurricanes have been hot and cold so far this season, what's clear is that the players that Eric Tulsky and the front office brought in have been great pieces to supplement the team.

Jack Roslovic has 17 goals, William Carrier (when healthy) has been a physical, forechecking monster and the pairing of Sean Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere have done a good job replacing some of the value lost on the blueline.

Among them too was a player who many didn't even think was going to make the roster out of camp: Eric Robinson.

In 49 games this season, Robinson has 11 goals and 24 points, just a few shy of career highs for both. 

Even though he's shooting 17.5%, the way Robinson is getting his goals isn't just because of a shooting bender.

He's going to the net and finding rebounds, tips and deflections, something the Hurricanes could certainly use a bit more of.

He's also found some solid chemistry alongside Martin Necas and Jesperi Kotkaniemi and his skating, forechecking presence (fourth on the team in hits with 71) and willingness to go to the net front have been big boosts to the lineup.

The trio leads the team in 5v5 scoring, accounting for 19 goals when they're all on the ice together and they also do a good job of pushing play with a 59% CF and 57.63% xGF.

With a dynamic player like Necas, adding two bigger bodies like Kotkaniemi and Robinson who can play a direct, straight-line game allows them to create opportunities for the talented winger or even themselves.

There's a ton of value in players who can play up and down the lineup and Robinson has shown just that too whether it's playing in the top six, filling in on a checking line in the bottom-six or getting in the penalty kill rotation.

"We've used him all over," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "I think he's fit in real well, a good person and that makes it easy. Wherever we use him, he's just  willing to do it. If he gets a little more minutes, he's happy, if not he certainly doesn't become a drag on the team. He's just doing whatever he can to help the team out and you need guys like that."

Robinson is currently on a one-year, $950,000 and last year bounced between the NHL and AHL after getting traded to the Buffalo Sabres.

The veteran will be in line for a pay raise, but nothing major and it's one that the Canes should easily be willing to pay.

There have also some concerns voiced about Robinson potentially taking a roster spot from one of the Hurricanes up and coming prospects in the future, but none of them really can provide what he provides at this point.

The Canes lineup has a ton of skill, but not a lot of size. A good balanced team needs that size and physicality plus he's already proven he can consistently play at this level. 

And not only consistently playing in the NHL, but consistently showing an ability to play the fast-paced, forecheck heavy, grinding game of the Carolina Hurricanes. Robinson is a player built to play Hurricanes hockey and he should be playing it again next season.

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