New York Rangers: Five rivalries that could grow this season

4: Carolina Hurricanes

Much like the Buffalo Sabres, the Carolina Hurricanes simply haven’t been successful enough in recent years to compete with the New York Rangers. They haven’t made the playoffs since the 2008-2009 season. Additionally, they haven’t earned above 90 points since the 2010-2011 season, though they came close last year.

This season may be the year that they can finally contend in the league. Older players like Justin Faulk and Jordan Staal have continued to show their worth. This year they were finally recognized for this, being named co-captains for the 2017-2018 seasons. Jeff Skinner has gone from just a rookie sensation to a real leader in the locker room in his seven seasons in the NHL. In addition to veterans, the Hurricanes also have many younger players that are establishing their presence on the team.

Last year, he matched a career high of 63 points and reached a new career high in goals (37.) Sebastian Aho blew fans away in his rookie season, scoring 49 points (24 goals and 25 assists) in 82 games, and it looks like he’ll only improve. The Hurricanes have also benefited from the Chicago Blackhawks having to stay under the salary cap, picking up skilled former members of the team like Trevor van Riemsdyk, Marcus Krüger, Scott Darling and Teuvo Teräväinen.

This is a similar situation to the Sabres, with the Hurricanes finally looking like potential contenders in the league. The Rangers probably won’t be able to sit back and relax when they play the Hurricanes, especially because both teams are part of the powerhouse Metro Division.