The biggest question mark of the Carolina Hurricanes' early off-season is the status of head coach Peter Laviolette.  Canes General Manager Jim Rutherford would not answer definitively when asked if Laviolette's job was safe.

"Everything is under review...  I'm just irritated by that 30-35 games in the first half of the season.  I don't think it needed to happen," said Rutherford.

Rutherford is not one to mince words. These last couple of days have been no different.  Rutherford had a lot more to say Wednesday and Thursday about why his team missed out on the post-season.

Rutherford was a guest on 99.9 FM The Fan Wednesday morning. He sternly stated that it was not the final games of the season that cost the Canes, but rather November and December that did them in. Rutherford said there were "several games in that two month period that were games we should have won and didn't. In my opinion, that was our season."

The Canes GM added Thursday in a news conference that he thought Carolina played "undisciplined, lackluster, inconsistent and with poor work ethic" during November and December, and it "cost us the playoffs."

Rutherford echoed the sentiments of many Canes players, saying that the season's premature ending was especially painful because he felt good about the team's chances in the playoffs. "We viewed ourselves as one of the top contenders," he said.

Rutherford moved on to address some pressing issues for next season's team.  With several players coming into free agency, Rutherford made it clear which free agent he wanted to keep around the most.

"Our main priority is signing Samsonov," he said. "He's a true pro, a hard worker... I'm pretty confident that he's going to end up staying here. He really likes it here, and he's a respectful guy and a loyal guy."