The first round of our Canes Country Pick'em contest is in the books, and the leaderboard is already heating up. "Madbaximus" has taken the early lead with an impressive 24 points, setting a high bar for the competition. But don't count out the chasing pack just yet: "Canes n Bacon" and your humble narrator are both close behind with 21 points, while "formersaint," "KroCane," and "Ronnie Franchise" round out the top contenders with 20 and 19 points respectively.

With plenty of hockey still to play, there's a long road ahead. For those looking to track their progress, the full spreadsheet and tabulations are available—just give a shout if you spot any discrepancies. And remember, the Round 2 predictions had to be locked in before Carolina's game two puck drop, so make sure you're keeping up with the action.

In other Canes news, the team has locked in forward Mark Jankowski for another two seasons. The deal, which carries an average annual value of $1.85 million, is a smart move for depth. Jankowski, who was acquired from Nashville last March in exchange for a fifth-round draft pick, has proven to be a solid addition to the lineup. Two more years of Janko in a Canes sweater? We'll take it.