RALEIGH — For many, the Carolina Hurricanes have been underachievers. Although many have picked them as Stanley Cup favorites the past few years, the team has been unable to reach those heights, losing in the Eastern Conference final twice in the last six years since Rod Brind’Amour took over as coach.
Last season was perhaps Carolina’s best chance. Star center Sebastian Aho had his best statistical regular season, finishing with 89 points. Seth Jarvis emerged as a two-way threat and 30-goal scorer. The Hurricanes’ defense was loaded from top to bottom. The front office even went all-in, landing Jake Guentzel — the best player on the market — at the trade deadline.
Carolina’s season, however, ended in the second round with a loss to the New York Rangers, and so began the team’s most challenging offseason perhaps ever.
First, Don Waddell, the team’s president and general manager, left to take over hockey operations with the Blue Jackets. Assistant GM Eric Tulsky was elevated but left with a stacked inbox. When the dust settled, the Hurricanes were unable to retain Jake Guentzel and lost longtime players Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei and Teuvo Teravainen, but the team had rebuilt its defense and added depth pieces with the hopes of remaining a contender.
So … are they? Here are three things that need to happen for Carolina to battle for a division title and again be considered one of the top teams come playoff time.
In-their-prime players enter prime-time
The moments are there: Andrei Svechnikov’s thunderous hits, laser wrist shots and lacrosse goals; Martin Necas’ electric 3-on-3 goals, unmatched speed and untapped one-timer; Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s size, skill and pedigree.
So when, exactly, will these three live up to expectations, and can they do it playing together?
Necas and Svechnikov have already proven they can be game-changing players. Both have, at times, had stretches of play where they not only looked like the best players on the team but also among the best in the NHL.
Now, Svechnikov and Necas need to be those players consistently — and there are no excuses.
Necas’ contract situation, which looked like it would end with an offseason change of address, was resolved with a two-year contract with a permanent resolution — he’ll be a free agent in two summers and will control where he plays, and the amount he makes will be contingent on how much he produces.
Svechnikov has no contract concerns, but the knee injury that kept him out at the beginning of last season is in the rear-view mirror. Despite being the prototypical power forward, he has hit 30 goals just once in six NHL seasons and never reached 70 points.
Kotkaniemi, meanwhile, will likely never live up to being the third overall pick, one spot behind Svechnikov in the 2018 draft. He’s also probably on his final chance to establish himself as a second-line center, an opportunity he’s been unable to capitalize on in the past.
Carolina will have nothing to worry about if even two of the trio can live up to their potential. If two or all three struggle to take the next step, the Hurricanes will probably be hard-pressed to score.
Defense holds down the fort
It’s a tall task to replace Pesce and Skjei, but the Hurricanes hope they have done it with Sean Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere.
Neither addition is going to replace the defensive stoutness of the two players they replaced — that responsibility will shift for Jaccob Slavin, Brent Burns, Dmitry Orlov and Jalen Chatfield — but Walker and Gostisbehere should boost Carolina’s puck-moving and point production from the blue line.
Slavin will have to continue to be the best defensive defenseman in hockey, Burns will need to defy the sands of time for another year, and Orlov and Chatfield will need to shoulder more of a workload.
The Hurricanes will be smaller but quicker on the back end, and — if it works — it could result in a different-looking attack that features more rush chances. The next wave is also on the way, with Scott Morrow in his first professional season but looking not far from the NHL and prized prospect Alexander Nikishin poised to come over from Russia as early as this spring.
Kochetkov takes over
Frederik Andersen has been good — really good — for most of his time with the Hurricanes. Injuries and last year’s Game 6 meltdown against the Rangers swung the No. 1 goalie door wide open for Pyotr Kochetkov, and it’s time for the Russian netminder to storm through.
Andersen will still have a role to play — a 25- to 30-game workload should keep the big Dane fresher and provide an option should his partner struggle. But Carolina’s best path forward is with Kochetkov, whose athleticism, fiery personality and ability to get red-hot for long stretches gives the Hurricanes their best chance to win.
