The Carolina Hurricanes' hopes of qualifying for the Stanley Cup Playoffs ended almost before last season had begun. An 0-6-2 October under new coach Bill Peters proved to be too deep of a hole, and Carolina finished 27 points out of the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes haven't made a lot of changes this offseason, but they're hopeful the ones they have made will help them generate enough offense, especially at even strength, to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2009. However, the biggest offseason move by general manager Ron Francis removed a player who was expected to generate offense. The Hurricanes bought out the final three years of forward Alexander Semin's five-year, $35 million contract after he had NHL career lows of six goals and 19 points last season and spent parts of the second half as a healthy scratch. Semin's struggles were part of an overall offensive malaise; Carolina scored 183 goals, 27th in the League. Eric Staal's 23 goals and 54 points led the Hurricanes, but they were his lowest offensive numbers since 2002-03, his rookie season.
Aside from a revival by Staal and improvement by younger brother Jordan Staal, much of the Hurricanes' hopes for more scoring rest with improvement by some of the young forwards. Elias Lindholm scored 17 goals and showed the potential that made him the No. 5 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft. But even more important is a return to form by 23-year-old Jeff Skinner, a two-time 30-goal scorer who had 18 goals and 31 points last season after he had 33 goals and 54 points in 2013-14.
Most of the Hurricanes' offseason moves came on defense. Carolina should get a boost from 2015 first-round pick Noah Hanifin, who fell to No. 5 and was quickly picked by Francis. Hanifin, who excelled in his freshman season at Boston College, is expected to be the linchpin of a solid defense that includes 2014 U.S. Olympian Justin Faulk and could include Haydn Fleury, the No. 7 pick in 2014.
The power play should get a boost from the arrival of veteran defenseman James Wisniewski, who was acquired in a trade that sent goaltender Anton Khudobin to the Anaheim Ducks.
The other major change is in goal, where longtime starter Cam Ward will compete with Eddie Lack, a draft-day acquisition from the Vancouver Canucks. Ward cut his goals-against average to a career-best 2.40 last season and improved his save percentage to .910 from .898 during an injury-plagued 2013-14 season. Lack was 18-13-4 with a 2.45 GAA and .921 save percentage and helped the Canucks reach the playoffs after Ryan Miller was injured in late February. At a minimum, Lack is expected to be a better backup than Khudobin; at best, he could challenge for the starting job.
It's Year Two for the tandem of Francis, the most celebrated player in Hartford Whalers/Hurricanes history, and Peters, who said having a full NHL season behind him will make a difference.
The Hurricanes have a big hill to climb if they hope to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2009. The Hurricanes are coming off a season when they finished last in the Metropolitan Division, 14th in the Eastern Conference and 26th in the NHL. They were among the League's lowest-scoring teams, and their playoff hopes were essentially gone before the first month of the season ended after a 0-6-2 start in October. It was a nightmarish first season for general manager Ron Francis and coach Bill Peters, and with several teams in the conference making major improvements this offseason, avoiding a seventh consecutive non-playoff season won't be easy.
The Hurricanes scored fewer goals in 2014-15 (183) than all but three teams despite being among the top 10 in 5-on-5 shot attempts. Eric Staal was Carolina's only forward to finish with more than 40 points (54; defenseman Justin Faulk was second with 49). Carolina made no major additions up front and bought out Alexander Semin, a seven-time 20-goal scorer who had six goals and 19 points last season. For the Hurricanes to improve, Skinner has to return to the form that made him a two-time 30-goal scorer before his 22nd birthday. He dropped from 33 goals and 54 points in 2013-14 to 18 and 31 last season.
Peters said going winless in October essentially doomed Carolina's playoff hopes before Thanksgiving. A repeat performance will almost certainly yield the same result, and the schedule is more difficult this season. The Hurricanes played six of their eight games in October 2014 on the road; this season, it's eight of 11, including a seven-game trip that includes two visits to the Detroit Red Wings and three games in four nights against the Colorado Avalanche, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks.
Eric Staal, who turns 31 in October, led the Hurricanes in goals (23) and points last season. But those were his worst full-season numbers since 2003-04, when he was a 19-year-old rookie. Staal, who has been a center for most of his NHL career but played wing for part of last season on a line centered by younger brother Jordan Staal, is entering the final season of a seven-year contract. Francis said in late June that he wants to sign Eric to an extension, though he didn't put a time frame on a new deal. Staal has been the face of the Hurricanes and their top offensive player for the better part of a decade. But for Carolina to end its playoff drought, he has to revert to being a genuine franchise player, not just the Hurricanes' top scorer.
The Hurricanes are one of two teams that have not made the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the 2010s. Carolina has advanced to the postseason twice in the past 10 seasons; 2006, when the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup (defeating the Edmonton Oilers in their last playoff appearance), and 2009, when it reached the Eastern Conference Final. Carolina finished last in the Metropolitan Division in 2014-15 with 71 points; the Hurricanes' playoff hopes were largely doomed by an 0-6-2 start. Most of their problems came on offense: The Hurricanes were 27th in the NHL with 183 goals; center Eric Staal was the only Carolina player to score more than 20 goals and finish with more than 50 points (23, 54).
Justin Faulk is one of the best players NHL fans don't hear much about. He had a breakout season in 2014-15 with 15 goals and 49 points, and at 23 his career is on the upswing. But Faulk may soon not even be the best defenseman on his own team; Carolina selected Noah Hanifin from Boston College with the fifth pick of the 2015 NHL Draft. Hanifin was regarded as the best defenseman available and is expected to blossom into a star. Also in the mix are 2014 first-round choice Haydn Fleury, who could make the Hurricanes this season and figures to be a top-four defenseman in the near future, and 2011 first-round pick Ryan Murphy. To avoid having to put too much pressure on his younger players, general manager Ron Francis acquired veteran James Wisniewski from the Anaheim Ducks on June 27.
Cam Ward is coming off a season when he had an NHL career-best 2.40 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage, his best since 2011-12. The 31-year-old is in the final season of his contract, and coach Bill Peters said Ward will enter training camp as the starter. But that could change; Francis acquired Eddie Lack from the Vancouver Canucks in June. Lack outplayed Ryan Miller for much of last season, was the Canucks starter for the final six weeks after Miller was injured, and helped Vancouver reach the playoffs. He should be an upgrade from backup Anton Khudobin (who was traded for Wisniewski) and will get a chance to win the starting job.
The best news from last season's disappointment is that some of Carolina's young forwards took significant strides. Elias Lindholm, the No. 5 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, finished third on the Hurricanes in goals (17) and points (39), up from nine goals and 21 points in his rookie season. Victor Rask had 11 goals and 22 points as a rookie. Each averaged more than 16 minutes of ice time and should continue his upward trend this season.
It was a trying first season for Francis and Peters. The Hurricanes failed to win in October and never recovered, finishing 27 points out of a playoff berth. It was a learning experience for them, but particularly for Peters, who was changing organizations as well as jobs after serving as an assistant with the Detroit Red Wings. Francis has shown he'll pull the trigger on moves when he needs to (the buyout of forward Alexander Semin is a prime example). Peters kept the Hurricanes playing hard through 82 games and is confident things will be better in his second season.
The Hurricanes' pool of young talent received a big boost at the 2015 NHL Draft.
General manager Ron Francis had the fifth pick in the first round and wound up with the consensus No. 1 defenseman, Noah Hanifin, who excelled in his freshman season at Boston College. Francis wasted little time getting Hanifan's signature on a contract during development camp last month. Hanifin joins a prospect pool that's already deep on defense but thinner in scoring punch. Most of the Hurricanes' top young players are defensemen, though 2015 second-round pick Sebastian Aho, a right wing, turned heads at development camp. The thought of having Hanifin and Justin Faulk as a first pair has to please coach Bill Peters. Though Hanifin didn't turn 18 until halfway through his freshman season at BC, he was a second-team all-star in Hockey East. Hanifin (6-foot-3, 206 pounds) has the size to play in the NHL. He's an excellent skater, has a high hockey IQ, and the poise of a veteran. Though Francis said Hanifin won't be rushed to the NHL, he has the kind of two-way game that is likely to keep him in Carolina and is the sort of defenseman franchises try to build around.
Haydn Fleury and Hanifin spent development camp as roommates, and it's not impossible they could do the same in Carolina this season. The Hurricanes envision them as cornerstones in the not-too-distant future. Fleury's offensive numbers were down last season; he said one reason was that he tried to emphasize being stronger in the corners and in front of his own net, something that's vital for a 6-foot-3, 207-pound defenseman. The trade that brought veteran James Wisniewski from the Anaheim Ducks might keep Fleury from making the Hurricanes this season, but at worst, the 19-year-old should be ready for a full-time NHL job after another season with Red Deer and Charlotte in the AHL.
Carolina signed Alex Nedeljkovic to a contract in March, following his third season with Plymouth in the OHL. At 6-foot, 190 pounds, he's not as big as a lot of NHL goaltenders but reads plays well and has a sound positional game.
Nedeljkovic won't turn 20 until January, meaning that if he doesn't make the Hurricanes, he'll return for a final season in junior hockey with Flint (after the Plymouth franchise was sold and relocated). With Cam Ward and Eddie Lack each one season away from NHL free agency, the path to the No. 1 job in Carolina could be wide-open by the time Nedeljkovic is ready.
Defenseman Jaccob Slavin, 21, signed with the Hurricanes on July 1 and will likely start his pro career with Charlotte in the American Hockey League. He was the NCHC rookie of the year in 2013-14 after getting 25 points in 32 games for Colorado College, and was first-team all-conference in 2014-15 playing on a last-place team. Slavin (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) is a smooth skater and puck-mover. With Hanifin and Haydn ahead of him on the depth chart, the Hurricanes can take their time and let Slavin get into the rotation when he's ready.
Trevor Carrick, 21, was tops among Charlotte defensemen and third on the Checkers with 32 points in 2014-15, his first pro season, after scoring 22 goals with 51 points in his final junior season. Carrick (6-foot-2, 186 pounds) will have to add strength to take the next step in his career. His big shot and offensive play are positives, although he'll be trying to earn a spot on a blue line that figures to be very competitive by the time he's ready.
Projected Lines
12 Eric Staal - Jordan Staal - 53 Jeff Skinner
14 Nathan Gerbe - 49 Victor Rask - 16 Elias Lindholm
25 Chris Terry - 20 Riley Nash - 15 Andrej Nestrasil
24 Brad Malone - 18 Jay McClement - 33 Brendan Woods
65 Ron Hainsey - 27 Justin Faulk
47 Michal Jordan - 7 Ryan Murphy
26 John-Michael Liles - 21 James Wisniewski
30 Cam Ward - 31 Eddie Lack
No comments:
Post a Comment