2009-2010 NHL Complete Season Previews: Carolina Hurricanes

"The thunder rolls, and the lightning flashes. Dark, menacing storm clouds lurk overhead...a torrential downpour of rain begins to pour from the sky.

Nearby, Penguins screech, Bruins call out in pain, Panthers fall to the earth, and even the Devil goes back to the underworld."

Nice one, Hurricanes advertisement! Way to make our games sound like a Katrina, and not a family-friendly night out!

Still, back to reality. The Hurricanes do have the most confidence in years, and Carolina seems ready for a top-five playoff finish, as well. However, it's not all set in stone.

In this complete season preview, I'll cover about everything there is to now leading up to the 2009-2010 NHL season. First, I will start with the offseason changes, and then move on to the depth chart, roster, and lines. Next, I break down the schedule month by month. Following that, I submit my final prediction for the 09-10 Carolina Hurricanes season.

Part I - Offseason Changes

Additions: LW Tom Kostopoulos (FA-Montreal), C Stephane Yelle (FA-Boston), RD Aaron Ward (Trade-Boston), RD Andrew Alberts (FA-Philadelphia), LD Jay Harrison (FA-Toronto), LW Stephen Goertzen (FA-Phoenix), RD Zach Fitzgerald (FA-Vancouver)

The Hurricanes did exactly what they needed to do this offseason: Add depth and grit. They also worked over the more-northerly Eastern Conference teams, picking up big names from elite teams such as Boston, Philadelphia, and Montreal.

The two main offensive additions were LW Tom Kostopoulos from Montreal and center Stephane Yelle from Boston.

Kostopoulus is a great fit for the team because of his physicality, and he will also provide needed help on the lower level lines, where the 'Canes management hope he can improve on his 22 points from a year ago.

Stephane Yelle is another fourth-line veteran player that the Hurricanes were looking for. Last year as a center for Boston, Yelle had 18 points (7 G, 11 A) and was a disciplined force at the bottom of the lineup.

Also added on the scoring side is prospect Stephen Goertzen from Phoenix.

On the other side of the puck, the Hurricanes signed four needed defensemen. Aaron Ward was re-acquired from Boston after playing with the Hurricanes in their 2006 Stanley Cup win, and Andrew Alberts from Philly will fill a hole in the third defensive pairing.

Ward was a +16 defenseman in Boston's second pairing who also had a hard-hitting aspect of him at 6'2", 210 lbs., and he also notched 10 points as well.

Also added to the defense is Jay Harrison from Toronto, who had limited playing time with the Maple Leafs in 08-09 and will likely be an extra-man dressed for the 'Canes this season.

Losses: LW Patrick Eaves (trade-Boston), RW Ryan Bayda (FA-Cut), RD Dennis Seidenburg (FA-Florida), RD Frantisek Kaberle (FA-Buyout), LD Anton Babchuk (FA-Asking for too much), C Dwight Helminen (FA-San Jose)

The Hurricanes actually finished out even in terms of players signed/players lost, but many of the losses were intentional.

Patrick Eaves was traded to Boston with a draft pick for Aaron Ward after two disappointing seasons with the 'Canes.

Ryan Bayda, who played about 30 games for the Hurricanes last year, was let go, as well.

Defenseman Frantisek Kaberle was great for Carolina in the 2006 Cup season, but has never made an impact since and had his contract bought out.

Dennis Seidenburg will be missed, after making a scoring impact in both the regular season and playoffs for the Canes, and providing a consistent defensive effort. Seidenburg was signed by the Panthers earlier this week.

Dwight Helminen, the Canes top minor-league player, was also lost to the San Jose Sharks.

Re-signings: LW Tuomo Ruutu, RW Eric Cole, RW Chad LaRose, C Jussi Jokinen

The Hurricanes did very well in this category, managing to hold on to their top four players with expiring contracts.

Tuomo Ruutu has been great for the Hurricanes after leaving his inconsistency behind in Chicago several years ago, and he notched 26 goals and 28 assists last season for the team.

Eric Cole was re-acquired at the deadline from a shaky year with Edmonton, and turned out to be a smart move despite suffering through a playoff drought.

Chad LaRose, a great penalty killer and gritty third-liner, and Jussi Jokinen, who was a playoff hero for the Hurricanes after being signed in March off the Lightning waiver wire, were also both given new contracts.

Part II - Depth Chart and Lines

Offensive Lines

Line One—LW Ray Whitney...C Eric Staal...RW Eric Cole

The top line for the Hurricanes is one of the most underrated groups in the NHL. On the left is aging but still very productive Ray Whitney, who led the 'Canes in points with 77 in 08-09 and also scored 24 goals.

In the center is young superstar Eric Staal, the core of the team. Staal blew away the rest of pack in the goals column last season, notching the second 40-goal season of his career and also getting 35 assists, and still even has the possibility of improving on both those numbers this year.

Finally, on the right is Eric Cole, who had terrific chemistry after his late-season return to the Hurricanes, and should begin to become more productive as he settles back in.

Line Two—LW Tuomo Ruutu...C Matt Cullen...RW Chad LaRose

Leading off the second line is left winger Tuomo Ruutu, who has the talent to be a first liner and may end up there soon. Ruutu had 54 points last season, and is a likely candidate to possibly near even 70 this season.

Next to him is the perfect combo of Matt Cullen and Chad LaRose, who teamed up for plenty of great plays in five on five, as well as scoring four combined shorthanded goals (three of which were assisted by the other)!

Cullen had 22 goals and 43 points by himself as well last year, and LaRose scored 19 times for 31 points. Together, it seems likely that they could notch well over 80 combined points this year.

Line Three—LW Sergei Samsanov...C Jussi Jokinen...RW Scott Walker

After years and years of disappointment by various teams over Sergei Samsanov, he's finally found his comfort zone in Carolina. Samsanov had 48 points last year, was a great team player and passer (32 assists), and now is the anchor of the third line.

In the middle is Jokinen, one of the best feel-good stories of the previous NHL season. Jokinen had been a disaster for Tampa Bay heading into the spring, and was plucked off waiver wires as for depth. However, Jokinen started pouring in the points immediately, and ended up getting six playoff goals to help the Canes make their magical run.

Next to him is Scott Walker, the sturdy veteran who provides the defensive side of the offense. Walker was also the hero in overtime of Game Seven against Boston in the Eastern Conference 2009 Semi-Finals.

Line Four—LW Tom Kostopoulus....C Rod Brind'Amour....RW Stephane Yelle

The final group for the Hurricanes is so balanced, it has the possibility to be the second. But there is also plenty of opportunity for regressing.

Let me explain. First of all, let's talk about Brind'Amour. He's entering the almost-certainly last season of his career, and still wears the captain mark. But Brind'Amour also had the second-worst +/- rating of any player in the league, finishing at the pathetic -23 (and was at -34 with a couple months to go).

Then, the two other players on both sides of him are new to the team. I have good feelings on Kostopoulos, but if he doesn't work out, the Hurricanes fourth line might plummet quickly.

Defense

Pairing One—LD Tim Gleason....RD Joe Corvo

The first pairing for the Hurricanes is made of two great players on the two opposite ends of their position.

Gleason is the tough, physical player...6'0", 217 lbs, 68 PM last season...and zero goals. Corvo is the scorer...14 goals, 24 assists...and not quite a fighter (just 18 penalty minutes).

Pairing Two—LD Joni Pitkanen....RD Aaron Ward

The second pairing has the potential to become one of the elite pairs in the league. Pitkanen can both defend and score, as he proved last season with 33 points, and Aaron Ward is a huge wall for attackers.

Together, watch for these two guys to excell at their spots and lead the Canes to several great wins.

Pairing Three—LD Niclas Wallin....RD Andrew Alberts

The final pairing doesn't have quite the outlook of pairing two.

Wallin has limited playing time usually, and only had ten points as well, despite working out fine as a low-level man. As a Flyer last year, Alberts had 13 points, but never really did much productive things on either side of the puck.

Goaltending

Cam Ward has got to be the best thing that ever happened to a professional sports team from North Carolina. Emerging to stardom in 2006, he led the 'Canes to a Stanley Cup win and a Conn Smythe trophy. Now, after two so-so years, Ward is back on the top of his game.

Last season, Ward had a 91.8 save percentage, 2.44 GAA, and six shutouts, leading the Canes to 39 wins by himself. This year, Cam Ward seems poised to be one of the top three goalies in the league.

Behind Ward is backup Michael Leighton, who was decent in his scrappy playing time and managed to serve fine as backup. Behind him is underperforming minor league goalie Justin Peters.

Part III—Three Keys to Success

1. Powerplay: The Hurricanes finished 18th in the NHL last season in this stat, despite finishing first in powerplay opportunities. They were also 0-for-6 with the man advantage last night in the preseason loss to Nashville. Imagine what they could be if they finished in the top six or seven in that!?
2. Cam Ward: It's pretty nice when a key to success is your top-flight goaltender, which is exactly what Ward is. If he can emerge among the league's top, the Hurricanes should be able to focus their defenseman at what they do best; scoring, while still holding their opponents to very little points.
3. The Fourth Line: Whoever ends up there, it's key for the balanced 'Canes offense to get production from the fourth line. Brind'Amour also needs to improve his play majorly, too.

Part IV - Month-by-Month Schedule Breakdown

Now, we turn to the schedule. The Hurricanes longest road or home streak is four games, but the schedule still has plenty of surprises. Let's start with the first month, October.

October 2009

The Hurricanes season opener is not only at home, it's going to be a great game against the Flyers. This could really set the tone for the season.

The next night, the 'Canes also get the angry Bruins on the road in what's sure to be a crucial matchup.

Following that, they go on a three-game division run until hosting the Stanley Cup champion Penguins on the 14th. Carolina then has a four-game road streak (17th-24th), which starts a three-game stand against Western Conference teams (23rd-28th).

November 2009

The 'Canes open the second month of the season with an intriguing game hosting the San Jose Sharks on the first of the month.

From the 13th to the 21st, the Hurricanes cram in six games, five of which are at home, including their second game in three weeks against the Minnesota Wild.

On the 23rd and 25th, Carolina will travel to Anaheim and Dallas for two great games. The will then return home to host their first game of the season against divisional-foe Atlanta.

December 2009

The Hurricanes will open this month with another big game hosting Vancouver, following a six-day break in the schedule. They will then go on a four-game road streak with four games in six days.

On the days leading up to Christmas, the Hurricanes should get a good look at where they stand so far with four straight home games against conference contenders Florida, New York (Rangers), Montreal, and Philadelphia.

January 2010

In what is sure to be an exciting time in the new year, the Hurricanes have a balanced, testing January.

On the tenth, they will host the Senators, a team they should beat but struggled against last year. Then, three days later, the Hurricanes travel to Detroit to face the Red Wings.

After that, the 'Canes play three straight division games before a difficult stretch against the Flyers, Bruins, and Rangers from the 23rd to the 27th.

February 2010

The Hurricanes cram in seven games in thirteen days in February before a massive two-week All-Star break. They start the month with four away games, the first two against Canadiens fores Edmonton and Calgary.

They then switch over to a three-game homestand before their long stretch off.

March 2010

After a much-needed break, March is going to be hectic. With 16 games in the month, the highest total of any month, it's sure to be a big test heading into the playoff races.

They'll have an easy run at first with the Leafs, Sens, Panthers, and Thrashers, which will lead into a difficult four-game stretch at the RBC Center.

On the 16th and 18th, two huge games against Washington and Boston could set the tone for the final playoff run. The RBC Center will also see the Caps for the second time in nine days on the 25th, before the 'Canes head to a home-and-away series with the Thrashers.

April 2010

The final five games of the season will come in April, but none should be pushovers.

It starts on the first with a road duel with Ottawa, before coming home to host New Jersey two days later. They then head to Tampa before finishing with a home game against Montreal on the sixth and a road finale with Boston on the tenth.

Final 2009-2010 Season Prediction

The Hurricanes should feel good about their confidence. And they should feel good about their season.

The Hurricanes may jump out to a great Autumn, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them second or third in points for a while. However, a difficult January and March will catch up to them and slip the 'Canes down a few spots.

However, it should still be a great year for the Hurricanes, and they should go into the playoffs feeling perfectly fine.

Final Prediction:

Fifth Conference, Second Division: 99 Points