Keeping up with the Metropolitans: Hurricanes Off-Season Edition

Carolina Hurricanes

36-31-15, 87 pts / 212GF(t-20th)/230GA(18th)

Cap room (Per CapFriendly as of 8/7/17): $17.2 million - 21/23 NHL contracts

Brought in/back:

• 8/1/17 Joe Brett Pesce - 6 yr / $24 mil
• 7/12/17 Jaccob Slavin - 7 yr / $37.1 mil
• 7/4/17 Marcus Kruger - Trade w/ VGK
• 7/1/17 Justin Williams - 2 yr / $9 mil
• 6/28/17 Brock McGinn - 2 yr / $1.775 mil
• 6/22/17 Trevor van Riemsdyk - Trade w/ VGK
• 7/1/17 Josh Jooris - 1 year / 775k
• 7/1/17 Dennis Robertson (D) - 1 yr / $650k
• 7/1/17 Jeremy Smith (G) - 1 yr / $750k
• 7/1/17 Brenden Kichton (D) - 1 yr / $700k
• 6/29/17 Philip Samuelsson (D, Ulf’s son) - 1 yr / 650k
• 6/27/17 Jake Chelios (D, Chris’s son) - 1 yr / $650k

Moved on:

• Eddie Lack - Trade w/ CAL
• Ryan Murphy (D) - MIN, 1 yr / $700k
• Ty Rattie - EDM, 1 yr / $700k
• Connor Brickley - Expansion Draft
• Jay McClement - UFA

Projected Line-Up:

Forward:

Sebastian Aho - Jordan Staal - Elias Lindholm

Jeff Skinner - Derek Ryan - Lee Stempniak

Teuvo Teravainen - Victor Rask - Justin Williams

Brock McGinn - Marcus Kruger - Josh Jooris

(Phil Di Guiseppe - Aleksi Saarela - Joakim Nordstrom)

Defense:

Jaccob Slavin - Brett Pesce

Noah Hanifin - Justin Faulk

Klas Dahlbeck - Trevor van Riemsdyk

(Haydn Fleury - Jake Bean)

Goalies:

Cam Ward

Scott Darling

Dark Horse:

The Canes have an entire crop of forwards who are now professional players, no longer junior players, that are young and capable to play at every position for the Canes. Whether they earn those minutes in camp, or via injury, there is a good chance some of the youth in Carolina will start making some names for themselves in the NHL this year. Aleksi Saarela, Nicolas Roy, and Julien Gauthier could fill in should injuries strike, and may just force the hand of coach Bill Peters with good play. Unfortunately for them, the Canes look to be very deep at forward this year, and GM Ron Francis may still go with the veterans and more established players before the kids can play.

The Canes also have two high draft picks waiting in he wings at defense, ready to crack the roster as well. Haydn Fleury just completed his first full professional season with Charlotte last year, and put up pretty respectable numbers. He’s looking to make that jump to the NHL for good this year. And Carolina’s other prized possession is Jake Bean, a right-handed defenseman who scored 109 points in 111 WHL games the last two years. He is still junior eligible, just turning 19, and will probably get sent back for one more year in the WHL.

Too Early Expectations:

The Hurricanes have seemed to be a team that’s kind of stuck in the middle the last few years. Whether it’s lack of scoring, or lack of consistent goaltending, Carolina always seem to lack one key quality and end up on the outside looking in. The Canes always seem to play their best once they no longer have a chance for the playoffs. Carolina went on a pretty impressive streak of 13 games in a row with a point to sniff the Wild Card picture, but seemingly each time, the Canes stumble at the end and make you think next year will be the year they put it together make the playoffs.

Well it’s next year now, and again the Canes look like they could possibly be a playoff team. They’re built as deep as anyone on the wings, but are still looking for that elite #1 center, no offense to Jordan Staal. It’s hard to believe, but Jeff Skinner just turned 25 at the end of last season and has played in nearly 500 games and already scored 180 goals. The Canes also brought back Justin Williams this year. While he may not be the player he was before in Carolina, he should add more goals and more importantly, a locker room presence that is needed in such a young clubhouse such as in Raleigh.

The main weakness that sticks out is that youth on the blue line. There is only one player on defense who is making more than $1 million this season - Justin Faulk. That list includes 3 ELCs to Hanifin, Pesce, and Slavin who are all going to be making much more next year, so it’s not a knock on them, but pointing out that there isn’t much experience on the blue line, which can result in problems. On the other hand, Carolina’s group of defenseman may be one of the most mobile, offensively talented groups in the NHL as a unit. That’s the way the NHL is trending, and Carolina has a few other good prospects on the way as well.

Will they finally make that leap into the playoffs, or will they have another mediocre year in the Carolinas?

Keep up with the rest of the Division:

• Penguins
• Capitals
• Blue Jackets
• Rangers
• Islanders
• Flyers
• Devils