Early Season Look In: Carolina Hurricanes Surge To Strong Start
Does any NHL team have more fun than the Carolina Hurricanes? On and off the ice, the organization, for the most part, is at the forefront of fun in the NHL.
Whether it be a high-scoring offense led by Rod Brind’Amour, a former Cup-winning captain in Carolina, or their off-ice marketing and communications staff who run one of the best Twitter accounts in the game: the Hurricanes are fun.
And to top it all off, they’re one of the only teams still 5-0 with wins over the Islanders, Predators, Canadiens, Blue Jackets and the Maple Leafs.
What’s happened so far in 2021-22…
Despite losing star defenseman Dougie Hamilton in free agency, the Hurricanes haven’t lost a step. Their dominant start has seen them score the sixth-most goals and allow just eight goals against in five games — the least amount in the league.
This is a Hurricanes team being led by a dynamic offensive attack. Andrei Svechnikov (5-4—9), Sebastian Aho (4-3—7), Tuevo Teravainen (2-4—6) and Vincent Trocheck (2-3—5) have provided potent punches in the top-six. On the back end, Jaccob Slavin (0-5—5) as well as newcomers Anthony DeAngelo (0-4—4) and Ethan Bear (0-2—2) have played well on the backend.
In net, another newcomer in Frederik Andersen (5-0, .946 save percentage, 5.4 GSAA) has been an absolute star for the team and is bouncing back from a tumultuous time in Toronto.
These are the key players that Carolina will look for in a deep playoff run after being dispatched in the second round last year. The Canes have a deep enough club to make a serious run and that has to be the expectation moving forward.
Players to watch…
Svechnikov is not only one of the top players to watch on this team, but across the whole league. The 21-year-old appears to be on the precipice of a major breakout season already leading the team in goals and points. With nine points in five games, he’s tied for fourth in league scoring ahead of Tuesday night’s games.
Slavin has quietly been one of the strongest defensive defensemen in the league in recent years but may be in line for a offensive breakout this season. With five assists in five games, his point total is already a third of what it was last season. If his offensive game can pick up, that would be a huge boost to this Canes club.
The biggest piece in this entire pie may just be Freddie Andersen. He joined the Leafs after a rough departure from the Maple Leafs has is looking to exact revenge on those who doubted him. His numbers are tremendous to start the year, and he could very well be a player in Vezina contention this season.
What did they do in the offseason?
Notable Additions: Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Ethan Bear, Anthony DeAngelo, Antti Raanta
Notable Subtractions: Dougie Hamilton, Alex Nedeljkovic, Warren Foegele
The Canes had a busy offseason, losing Hamilton to free agency and Warren Foegele in a trade with the Edmonton Oilers. Despite that, Bear has been a great addition to the Canes backend and DeAngelo hasn’t looked out of place either.
In net, Andersen is an upgrade over a promising goalie in Nedeljkovic.
This upcoming offseason, however, the Canes may have a new look to their team. They’ll have $24-million in cap space, according to PuckPedia, but have plenty of deals to dish out.
UFAs include Nino Niederreiter, Vincent Trocheck, Ian Cole and Brendan Smith, while RFAs include Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Martin Necas, Ethan Bear and Anthony DeAngelo.
One bold prediction…
The Canes make a big push in the playoffs and reach the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 2018-19.
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