Noah Pedrazzoli continues his Metropolitan Division summer roundup with Islanders playoff nemesis the Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes had one tough offseason.
While they’re still a playoff contender in the division, the Hurricanes have proven they cannot escape the long arm of the law that is the salary cap. Just like the Vegas Golden Knights, the Hurricanes had to pay the cap piper and saw many of their prized players leave for other teams as they welcomed new pieces to their ranks.
Have they regressed?
The Hurricanes were cup favorites at the beginning of the 2023-2024 season alongside the Colorado Avalanche, the New York Rangers, the Dallas Stars, and the Florida Panthers. And the Canes managed to slither out of their summer losses through the restocking of their blue line and bottom-six, while also keeping some of their restricted free agent stars.
The re-signing of Jalen Chatfield will prove to be a success story for their development program, as the shutdown defenseman has been a thorn in the side of Metropolitan Division rivals.
Re-signing franchise defensemen Jacob Slavic is also a breath of fresh air for a Hurricanes fan base mourning the departure of two key pieces of their defense corp in Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei.
The addition of Shayne Gostisbehere, last year’s trade acquisition from the Arizona Coyotes (for a second-round pick), along with the signing of Sean Walker from the cap-crunched Colorado Avalanche (who acquired him from the Philadelphia Flyers for a first-round pick), will provide more than enough offensive firepower from the blue line.
And of course, locking up 22-year-old forward Seth Jarvis for the next eight years after a big 2023-24 campaign, is a huge step for the organization.
Jarvis signed an eight-year, $63.2 million extension with Carolina
“Freddie Anderson is a great goalie, but he is contending with Metropolitan titans such as Ilya Sorokin, Igor Shesterkin, and now Jakob Markstrom.”
The bottom-six has regressed but also bounced back some with the signing of Tyson Jost from the Buffalo Sabres, William Carrier from VGK, and Jack Roslovic who will most likely act as a middle-six player in desperate need of a “prove it” year. The struggling sniper was traded by the Columbus Blue Jackets to the New York Rangers in order to shed some essential cap space with a 2026 fourth round pick.
Roslovic then became a Rangers casualty after their defeat at the hands of the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers and was allowed to walk in free agency.
At the trade deadline, the Hurricanes made their big splash in acquiring frustrated star-winger Jake Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins. And at season’s end, many analysts were left scratching their heads as to how a top-six of Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas, Jake Guentzel, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi couldn’t produce more than a first-round victory over the New York Islanders.
Since their second-round loss to the New York Rangers in six games, the Hurricanes have traded Guentzel to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a third-round pick, lost defensemen Brett Pesce (to the Devils) and Brady Skjei (to the Predators), and bottom-six forwards Stefan Noesen (back to the Devils) and Tuevo “Turbo” Teravainen (back to the Blackhawks).
The new additions made during the offseason will need to step up to fill the holes left behind by key free-agent departures, however, it is also still up to the remaining core players to carry this Hurricanes team on their back.
Rod Brind’Amour is a phenomenal coach, but is there reason for doubt after another season falling short of expectations? He received a vote of confidence from Hurricanes brass after signing a fresh contract extension back in May.
So he isn’t on the hot seat yet, emphasis on yet.
Hurricanes Division Outlook: 3rd-4th Place
Former General Manager Don Waddell provided Brind’Amour with one of the deepest teams in Hurricanes history last year but they didn’t address a key issue: Goaltending.
Freddie Anderson is a great goalie, but he is contending with Metropolitan titans such as Ilya Sorokin, Igor Shesterkin, and now Jakob Markstrom.
Fans from both New York teams can agree that a franchise goalie can carry a team to the gates of the Stanley Cup but eventually, it’s up to the team itself to perform. Carolina had the opposite issue last year when Freddie Anderson needed to step up in crucial moments and unfortunately didn’t make the cut.
Newly appointed general manager Eric Tulsky has restocked Carolina’s defense and the bottom-six. But if the Hurricanes don’t get a huge year out of Andersen, they may need to eventually address their goaltending by the trade deadline.
Catch the latest episode of HNiNY as the boys spoke to former Islanders general manager Neil Smith
Hockey Night in New York will be back to cover the New York Islanders all season long with hosts Sean Cuthbert and Stefen Rosner live from Floored Media in Rockville Centre Sundays at 8PM ET! Stay tuned for training camp coverage!