-- This could be the year the 6-foot-1, 195-pound Dalpe earns a full-time slot on the Carolina roster. In his first professional season in 2010-11, the former Ohio State Buckeye produced 23 goals and 57 points in 61 games with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League. He recorded 13 points in 17 regular-season and playoff games late in the season and even played 15 games with the Hurricanes (3 goals, 4 points). He could be a reliable third or fourth-line center for coach Paul Maurice The former 2003 first-round draft pick could be a significant piece to the offensive puzzle in Carolina this season, particularly after coming off a career year in which he scored 14 goals and 39 points in 80 games with the Atlanta Thrashers . After Winnipeg opted not to submit a qualifying offer for the 26-year-old, the Hurricanes swooped in and, in the process, may have landed their future second-line right wing alongside Jeff Skinner and Brandon Sutter -- The addition of the puck-moving defender on the same day the club lost Joe Corvo could turn out to be an even exchange. That, of course, depends on how well Kaberle can make the adjustment, something he seemed to struggle with in Boston last season. Kaberle ranked fifth in the League with 25 assists on the power-play and his 43 assists for the season ranked fifth among NHL defensemen.