NHL Carolina Hurricanes: Previewing the Upcoming Season

It was down to Game 82. If they won, the Carolina Hurricanes would be making the playoffs. If they lost, they would be watching from their living rooms.

Well, they lost and the New York Rangers finished in eighth. Being that close should make them optimistic going into next season. The Hurricanes should be right back in the thick of things next April, right?

Let’s preview the Hurricane team as it stands going into next season.

Forwards

The Carolina offense is led by centre Eric Staal. The All-Star captain and former 100-point player should provide at least a point per game production next season.

Emerging star Jeff Skinner will take some pressure off of Staal. The Calder Trophy winner had a fantastic season last year with 31 goals. If the Hurricanes are going to make the playoffs, they need him to avoid the dreaded sophomore slump.

Jussi Jokinen is now a legitimate threat to score 30 goals. The 28-year-old had a bit of a down year goal-wise, but has still solidified himself as a top six forward in the NHL. Tuomo Ruutu will likely play on the first line with Staal and should be able to replicate the 57 points he had last season.

Newly acquired Anthony Stewart does not have the skill to offset the departure of winger Erik Cole, but will provide some toughness to Carolina’s forward group. Brandon Sutter brings some two-way skill to the table.

Alexei Ponikarovsky and Tim Brent were signed to bolster the bottom two lines of the forward group, although Ponikarovsky may get a chance to play on one of the top two lines. Brent is a hardworking forward that can kill penalties.

Carolina has the star power up front that’s needed to compete for the cup. What they still lack, however, are the depth players that are crucial to a cup run.

Defense

Leading the defense will be Joni Pitkanen. He is somewhat injury prone, but when healthy he eats up big minutes on the Carolina blue line.

Newly acquired defenseman Tomas Kaberle is coming off a down season in Boston despite helping the team win the Stanley Cup. That may seem odd, but the truth is that Kaberle did not play his best hockey after being traded to the Bruins from Toronto in February. He is still a good player, however, and should help Carolina’s powerplay. Kaberle is known for not shooting enough, but he is a fantastic passer and moves the puck well.

Tim Gleason isn’t an offensive defenseman by any stretch, but he is a quality shutdown defenseman for the ‘Canes. Jamie McBain is quite the opposite. He has loads of offensive potential and should improve on the 30 points he put up last year.

Defense is not Carolina’s strength, so they will have to rely heavily on goaltender Cam Ward.

Goaltending

Carolina has no issues in goal with Cam Ward. He is one of the top goalies in the game and he is just entering his prime. Ward won 37 games for the Hurricanes last season.

If Carolina is to succeed in the playoffs, they may need to give Ward some more breaks during the season. As good as he is, 74 games is a lot even for the best goalies. Newly signed Brian Boucher should have no problem stepping in for a few games to ease the load.

Carolina definitely improved their team in the offseason. The trouble is that a lot of other teams in the East also improved. Still, if Jeff Skinner improves and Cam Ward continues to be a rock in goal, the Hurricanes definitely have a shot at the playoffs this season.