This season, it will be 10 years since the Carolina Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup. And since their championship run, the well has run dry for the team.
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After their Cup win in the 2005-2006 season, the Hurricanes have seen the postseason once. In 2009, they made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the eventual Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins in a four-game sweep.
Raleigh has seen dark days, and long for the franchise to resurface into a winner.
Despite having the Staal brothers (Eric, Jordan, and occasional call-up Jared from their AHL farm system in Charlotte Checkers), Jeff Skinner, Justin Faulk as mainstays, the team has been occupying the bottom of the Metropolitan Division the past two seasons, dating back to the NHL realignment in 2013.
Needless to say, the Hurricanes have been looking up from the bottom, and teams have been blowing by them with ease.
However, with new faces starting to make their marks like Ryan Murphy, Victor Rask, and Riley Nash, the future looks promising. It’s the waiting part that has Hurricanes fans antsy.
Lets, take a closer and see what the Division and the Rangers could expect this season.
Next: The Team as a Whole Last Season
Carolina Hurricanes forward Victor Rask (49) celebrates his at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
Last season wasn’t a great one, in terms of stats, for the Hurricanes.
Overall, the team went 30-41-11 with 71 points, finishing eighth in the division, 26th overall in the NHL.
The team scored .835 goals less in their regular season games, allowing 219 goals while scoring 183.
However, the Hurricanes did lead the NHL in fewest Power Play Goals Allowed with 29. Their Penalty Kill Unit ranked fourth with 84.74 percent when down at least one player.
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Another positive is their winning percentage at the faceoff dot. Last season, they won 53.0 percent when in the circle, which was good to rank them third in the NHL. Meaning, they were able to start play with the puck in their possession, which makes life easier for a team by taking the offensive approach.
Goaltending was suspect, where it felt like there was no true starter in goal. Cam Ward started 50 games for the Hurricanes, while going 22-24, carrying a .910 save percentage, five shutouts. However, he yielded 121 goals, which ranked him the middle of the pack of all starting goaltenders.
Against the New York Rangers, the Hurricanes went winless in five games against their Division rival (two at home, three away).
It was actually a close series in four of the five games. Despite the numbers being lopsided, three of the games required shootouts. And the two games that were finished in regulation, one was a 4-1 game and the other, 1-0.
In the series, the Hurricanes were outshot by the Rangers 130-165, outscored in goals 6-13, and going one for 12 on the Power Play.
However, they did out-work the Blueshirts on the Penalty Kill going 12 for 13 when shorthanded, and won 57 percent of total faceoffs.
The Hurricanes best player in the series was defenseman Ryan Murphy with three points (one goal, two assists), and a time-on ice of 21:00 minutes.
Next: Best Player in Regular Season
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The team’s captain since 2010, Eric Staal was the best player for the Hurricanes last season.
Having played in 77 games in 2014-2015, Staal led the team in goals with 23, 31 assists, and 54 points. He also was a very good center in the faceoff circle, winning 51 percent of his attempts.
In addition, Staal led the team in Power Play Points with 17 (seven goals, 10 assists).
However, Staal went scoreless in four games against in the Hurricanes season series with the Rangers.
(31) guards his net. Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports
Quite a bit of additions came-a-calling to Carolina this offseason.
Several new faces showed up in the Hurricanes organization, with the most recognizable being Eddie Lack.
The former Vancouver Canucks goalie came to Raleigh, by way of a June 27th trade during the NHL Entry Draft:
Lack has spent the last two seasons with the Canucks, going through something similar to what Cory Schneider may have gone through in his time there: backup goaltender, but good enough to start.
He has played in 82 games, going 34-30-6 with a save percentage of .917 , and a goals against average of 2.43. All while playing behind Ryan Miller.
Now, Lack comes to Carolina with the possibility of taking the starting job. Here’s what Lack had to say of the trade on NHL.com:
Carolina really wanted me..It’s a great opportunity for me, and I’m really excited…I feel like I’m two or three years away from my prime. I’m never satisfied. I keep pushing forward, and that’s what’s going to help me in the long run
The door has been flown wide-open for him, as that same day Anton Khudobin was traded to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman James Wisniewski.
In addition to the above players, the Hurricanes became stronger on the forward lines by trading for Kris Versteeg and Joakim Nordstrom from the Chicago Blackhawks on September 11th. Each immediately, adds much-needed depth to the Hurricanes scoring lines.
Also, general manager Ron Francis was able to get their team’s 2015 first-round draft choice Noah Hanifin to an entry level contract, and is expected to compete for a spot out of training camp.
Next: Offseason Departures
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This season, the Hurricanes will be minus five players from last year’s roster. Previously mentioned goalie Khudobin is north of the border, in the Western Conference. And, their other marquee name Alexander Semin has been relieved of duties with the team.
The much criticized forward has been a question mark for the team, in recent years. Mainly, his supposed “lazy” attitude has plagued the player in Washington and bled over to his time in Carolina.
Now, the team has washed their hands of the fallen star by a buying out the rest of his contract. Canescountry.com detailed the move by the team in the offseason:
Semin’s future was one of Carolina’s many offseason touchstone topics, but easily its most financially charged. After registering 44 points in 44 games of the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, then-GM Jim Rutherford rewarded Semin with a five-year, $35 million contract. But Semin was unable to live up to the deal, combining for just 28 goals and 33 assists in 122 games the next two seasons…(Semin) bottomed out under new coach Bill Peters last season. In and out of the lineup and up and down the forward ranks
Now, others including their prospects have an opportunity to contribute and help be the solution for the future, not a hinderance to the team’s progress.
Next: Questions Facing the Team
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Entering the 2015-2016 season, two questions come to mind looking at the Hurricanes. One, what to do with Cam Ward. And two, what to do with Eric Staal.
Both players are entering their final years on their individual contracts.
According to sportstrac.com, Ward is set to make $6.8 million, with $6.3 million counting towards the team’s salary cap.
With Eddie Lack added to the mix, things may have dimmed just a bit more. If he doesn’t play like his former self, expect lack to take over and the veteran to be expendable.
The goalies are separated by four years in age. So the direction the Hurricanes want to go in, looks to be tapping the fountain of youth.
Ward could be a serviceable backup for a contender, and based on his accomplishments in the past, he would form a dynamic duo for any team. It just seems Ward may have reached his limit in Raleigh.
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Staal might be secured with a job in Carolina. However, his salary demands next season may become a factor in determining his future with the team.
Again, using sportstrac.com, he is set to earn $9.5 million, with $8.25 counting towards the team’s cap. He is coming off his third straight sub-70 point season. However, he was the team leader in points, goals, and assists.
Staal was 15 points ahead of the next closest forward on the team, Elias Lindholm with 39 points.
He has other factors that may aid in being extended by the Hurricanes. He is their most durable player, having played in almost of the team’s regular season game in his nine year career. The seasons he did fall under the 82-game mark, Staal only missed three to five games.
He is their captain and one of the Hurricanes most consistent players.
As mentioned above, his contract demands may prove to be a stumbling block for management, if they feel they are too high for their liking. The alternative would be to trade him. But, the likelihood of Staal being traded is very, very slim. With a No-Trade Clause and him having to agree to a trade, it seems general manager Ron Francis will have his hands full.
Then again, do you really want to part ways with a talent such as Staal? He’s only 30-years-old, and is still considered a scoring threat for the team each game.
Next: Division Predictions
Carolina Hurricanes coach Bill Peters looks on from the bench against the New York Rangers at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
So, where will the Hurricanes end up this season?
The team will still be going through growing pains, as they try and figure out which direction they want to pursue.
There are too many teams ahead of them in the Metropolitan Division to leap frog.
Not including the Rangers, both the Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins improved in their player acquisitions this offseason. The Columbus Blue Jackets are expected to make a run this season, if they can stay healthy. The ever-vigilant Philadelphia Flyers will be stingy to play against.
And, we didn’t even mention the New York Islanders, who are starting to become legitimate contenders for the crown.
However, the Hurricanes could be the spoiler team, and surprise many with their play this year. Don’t underestimate this team and call them push-overs, cause they are “far” from it.
It may not happen this season or next, but the Hurricanes will rise again. PNC arena will blare their annoying horn, signaling to the division that a storm in Raleigh is a brewin’!
