Carolina Hurricanes Can Use Lost Season to Clean Roster, Test Prospects

The Carolina Hurricanes' 2014-15 season is no longer about the Carolina Hurricanes' 2014-15 season.

It's about the future.

It's about getting the most trade value out of Cam Ward—before the longevity of his sudden career resurrection is determined—and impending unrestricted free agents Jiri Tlusty and Andrej Sekera.

It's about seeing what Victor Rask can do as a top-six center, about finally determining whether Zach Boychuk or Chris Terry has more NHL potential, about easing Justin Faulk into Sekera's soon-to-be-vacant role and Brett Bellemore into Tim Gleason's role and Michal Jordan into Ron Hainsey's role.

It's about the beginning of the real Ron Francis era of the Hurricanes franchise, once patience and sacrifice clean up former general manager Jim Rutherford's mess and his massive ensemble of cheap, old journeymen.

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In a season in which the Carolina Hurricanes rest last in the Eastern Conference with 10 wins in 37 games, 29 players have already suited up in the red and white for at least one night.

That number will only rise in the months ahead.

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Players like Rask and Terry have already benefited from the additional NHL experience they've received. They've each tallied nine points in 28 and 37 games, respectively, and rank highly with 53.0 and 52.6 Corsi percentages.

Best of all, they've both seemingly found their niche in the offense and begun to emulate two vital role players—Brandon Sutter and Jussi Jokinen—from the Hurricanes' most recent successful team in 2009.

Lower on the depth chart, a consistent cycle of upper-tier AHL producers has developed.

Player	Appearances	Points
Victor Rask	37	9
Chris Terry	28	9
Andrej Nestrasil	8	3
Patrick Brown	7	0
Brody Sutter	4	0
Justin Shugg	3	0
Brendan Woods	2	0

Patrick Brown made seven appearances early in the season but has just two points in 16 AHL games since. Brody Sutter then played in four games. Justin Shugg was up next, appearing in three contests. Then it was Brendan Woods' turn to be called up for a pair.

But the problem with the cycle is such: In 16 combined games between the four forwards, a total of zero points on the box score were produced.

None, with perhaps the slight exception of Brown, were given enough time to establish a regular routine at the NHL level nor enough time on ice per game—the foursome has averaged seven minutes and 34 seconds per game—to develop chemistry with linemates.

As the 2014-15 campaign squanders away further in time, it's likely that head coach Bill Peters will be more willing to slot his young prospects not with the likes of Brad Malone but rather with Jordan or Eric Staal, to perhaps sacrifice a bit of line stability and earn-your-way-up rigidity for the sake of the future.

After all, what does he have to lose? The 'Canes have scored one or zero actual goals in 11 of their past 13 games. Why not play Brown, Sutter, Shugg or Woods for 19 minutes and see what happens?

Player	Position	Age	Appearances	Points
Ryan Murphy	D	21	23	17
Chad LaRose	RW	32	31	17
Brendan Woods	LW	22	30	15
Greg Nemisz**	RW	24	21	14
Justin Shugg	RW	22	21	13
Brock McGinn	LW	20	31	13
Phil Di Giuseppe	LW	20	32	13
Jared Staal	RW	24	25	8
Trevor Carrick	D	23	32	8
Rasmus Rissanen	D	20	32	8

At some point, recent second-round draft picks Brock McGinn and Phil Di Giuseppe will also have to get their opportunities.

Neither has exactly lit up the AHL—they each have 13 points in 31 and 32 games, respectively—but they are arguably the two most promising forward prospects in Carolina's system. When they're playing with a Staal brother instead of Carter Sandlak, the possibilities are decidedly more exciting.

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Defensively, Francis and Co. must first clean out some of the current glut of barely-third-pairing-caliber rearguards before the youth invasion can begin.

Sekera is bound to draw a hefty return on the trade market. With all of the 'Canes players likely to be dealt, Francis will certainly enjoy negotiations surrounding this player the most.

Hainsey could garner something as well, but Gleason won't. Priority No. 1 should be retaining as little salary as possible when dealing those latter two veterans.

Only then can Faulk and a slew of kids have full rein on a Hurricanes defense that would undoubtedly be chaotic at first. No. 27 has sacrificed some defensive responsibility to become perhaps Carolina's most potent scorer on the ice, and despite their potential, Ryan Murphy and Michal Jordan will definitely struggle at first with 18-minute workloads.

Yet that's the brilliance of the rebuild.

While a makeshift back end scrambles to—unsuccessfully—hold the ship upright as the Hurricanes' 2-1 losses become 4-1 and 5-1 losses, the 'Canes sink closer to a top-two draft pick and slowly, messily, frustratingly, their youth learns how to survive and eventually thrive in the NHL.

Murphy—whose status as a former No. 12 overall selection seems to have been almost forgotten—needs far more NHL time than he's received in the past two seasons.

AHL blueliners Trevor Carrick and Rasmus Rissanen deserve a taste of 'Canes hockey, too. Carrick in particular could emerge as a dark horse for Carolina's 2015-16 opening-day lineup.

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As the 'Canes embark on a stretch from Jan. 4 to Jan. 30 in which they play 10 consecutive games against non-Metropolitan Division opponents, they'll get an opportunity to test variety against variety—a variety of players against a variety of less familiar opponents.

Even as the team presumably continues to occupy the East's basement, this month could be an interesting one of 'Canes news on and off the ice.

The calendar reads January 2015. For the Hurricanes, however, all that happens in this month will be relevant only to years ahead.

Contract information courtesy of CapGeek.com. Advanced statistics courtesy of Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com.

Mark Jones has covered the Carolina Hurricanes for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more, or follow him on Twitter.