The Carolina Hurricanes have more playoff wins than all but four National Hockey League teams over the past six seasons (38), but they've yet to reach a Stanley Cup Final in that span. Each of the clubs ahead of them have either played in a championship series or won hockey's ultimate prize — the Tampa Bay Lightning (51 wins), Colorado Avalanche (47), Dallas Stars (45) and Vegas Golden Knights (44).
Although the Canes have demonstrated they're one of the sport's ultimate teams in both the regular-season and playoffs since 2018-19, they're just unable to get over the hump. Even with a superstar core led by Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns, Carolina is still lacking a title since rookie Cam Ward led the squad to a thrilling Stanley Cup championship in 2006.
And things are only going to get harder after a mass free agent exodus this summer. Gone are the likes of Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, Stefan Noesen, Evgeny Kuznetsov and, perhaps most dishearteningly, Jake Guentzel. Those impactful players have been replaced with Sean Walker, Shayne Gostisbehere, Jack Roslovic, William Carrier and Tyson Jost. Each of them will help plug the holes, but it's no secret that this team isn't what it once was.
And it begs the question: are Carolina still Stanley Cup contenders? This Hurricanes roster still boasts star power at every position, but with a plethora of unrestricted free agents now calling a new city home, it's going to be difficult to continue dominating the Metropolitan Division, as they've done over the last several seasons.
It will certainly be interesting to see how well this squad fares with a new-look roster in 2024-25. Watching two top-six forwards and two top-four blueliners walk in free agency cannot be easy. Still, they have a fantastic coach in Rod Brind'Amour and a ton of postseason experience — for what it's worth. Here are a couple of Hurricanes bold predictions ahead of a new campaign in Raleigh.
Seth Jarvis scores at point-per-game clip with new contract settled
After a summer full of negotiations, the Hurricanes locked up franchise cornerstone Seth Jarvis to a massive eight-year deal at the end of August. And after a breakout campaign, he's going to be relied upon more than ever after an offseason full of subtractions.
“It made the loss 10 times worse,” the star forward told Daily Faceoff after the Hurricanes lost to the New York Rangers in six games in Round 2 of the 2024 postseason, knowing how many UFAs were on the roster.
“And I think everyone kind of knew what situation we were in and how many deals had to get done at the end of the year. That was the [feeling in] the room, that we have such a fun group, we had such a great time together, but the chance of us all coming back and all being together again, it’d be tough to do.”
Without Guentzel on his opposite wing, Jarvis figures to line up with Aho and Svechnikov in 2024-25, which projects as one of the league's best top lines. The 22-year-old was exceptional in 2023-24, potting 33 goals and adding 34 assists over 81 games, while adding another five goals and nine points in 11 postseason contests.
Now that he has a new contract under his belt — and a guaranteed spot on the top line and top PP — Jarvis should continue to get better and better, especially with the quality of his linemates. If we're being bold, let's predict at least 40 goals and over 80 points for the former No. 13 overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft.
Shayne Gostisbehere runs the top powerplay, scores 65+ points
Although Brent Burns has been running the man advantage for the Hurricanes over the last few seasons, he's a regression candidate in 2024-25. He is 39-years-old and one of the league's oldest players, after all. General manager Eric Tulsky did well to reunite with Shayne Gostisbehere, whose defense has always been lacking but has been a phenomenal offensive contributor throughout his career.
Gostisbehere is a PP specialist, and he played 23 games with the Canes in 2022-23 before signing a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings. Last season with the Wings, he put up a very respectable 56 points in 81 games.
There was once a time when ‘Ghost' was a 65 point player with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017-18, and he could get a long look with a star group that features Aho, Svechnikov, Jarvis and Martin Necas. With how defensively focused the rest of the blue line is, the 31-year-old will be relied upon to contribute offensively, both at 5-on-5 and, potentially, on PP1.
If he is slotted in as the powerplay quarterback for the entire season, and stays healthy, there's no reason Gostisbehere couldn't turn back the clock and eclipse 60 points in 2024-25. With the plethora of star power also on that unit, and now that he has some security with a three-year deal, let's say 65 or more for the undersized offensive dynamo.
Pyotr Kochetkov takes over the starting job full time
With Antti Raanta announcing his retirement from the NHL after 11 seasons, the crease in Raleigh will be Frederik Andersen's and Pyotr Kochetkov's to share in 2024-25. The former just had an outstanding campaign after battling blood clots, finishing 13-2 with a sparkling 1.84 goals-against average and .932 save percentage along with three shutouts.
But, like Burns, regression will be coming for the 34-year-old. The Swede remains a fantastic goaltender, and one of the better starters in the league when healthy, but the young Russian is ready to prove he's a full time NHL starter. And that could happen as soon as this season.
Kochetkov was also rock solid last year, posting a 23-13 record over 42 starts and compiling a 2.33 GAA and .911 SV%. The 25-year-old looks poised to be a starting goaltender, and if Andersen falters — or is forced off the ice — he'll be ready to handle the load. If things go as planned for the youngster, expect him to be between the pipes for Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Hurricanes remain an excellent NHL team, but a lot has changed this summer, both on and off the ice. It will be intriguing to see if, with less expectations, this roster can finally make a run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2025. If a few of these bold predictions come true, that monumental task will get at least a little bit easier.
Follow Us
Subscribe
