After a relatively slow start to the 2023-24 National Hockey League season, the Carolina Hurricanes are back to their winning ways. The Canes are 14-9-1 and hold a precarious single point lead for second place in the Metropolitan. Only the New York Rangers stand in the way of the top spot in the division, although it is an eight-point gap. Still, the roster in Raleigh is battle-tested and seems to get better every week.
The Hurricanes have had no trouble at all scoring goals this year; with Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho back to full health, this team is scoring 3.38 goals per game — good enough for eighth in the league. They're scoring by committee, and a ton of forwards have stepped up this year. Teuvo Teravainen has bounced back in a big way, with 11 goals — the most on the team — and 18 points in 24 games. Seth Jarvis has nine goals and 19 points of his own, while Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Martin Necas have combined for 15 goals and 33 points. It seems to be someone different stepping up every night for a deep offensive club.
The Canes are also doing a great job of limiting chances on the defensive side of the puck. Boasting one of the best blue lines in all of hockey, Carolina has allowed the fewest shots (25.04) and scoring chances (23.2) per 60 minutes in the league this season, per The Athletic's Jesse Granger. This team is playing great defense, and that's not at all surprising considering the top-four of Jaccob Slavin, Brent Burns, Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei leading the charge. This is as good a defensive team as there is in the NHL.
Goaltending becoming a big problem for Hurricanes
So, why are the Hurricanes still allowing 3.21 goals per game, the 17th most in the league? This certainly isn't a middle of the pack defensive team, yet the amount of goals going in would tell a different story. The problem, which didn't seem like it would be at all an issue when both Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta were re-signed this summer, is the goaltending.
Entering the campaign, the Canes had Andersen and Raanta ready to man the crease, with American Hockey League superstar Pyotr Kochetkov waiting in the wings. That went off the rails after Andersen went down with blood clots earlier in the year, leaving Raanta and Kochetkov to keep pucks out of Carolina's net. Instead, the Hurricanes have the worst save percentage in the entire National Hockey League — even worse than the Edmonton Oilers. That is not the recipe of a Stanley Cup contender, and general manager Don Waddell knows that.
“The Hurricanes are playing some of the best defense, and simply not getting the saves they need,” wrote Granger on Tuesday. “Throw in Frederik Andersen’s health issues, which have forced him out of the lineup, and you have a high-caliber team that could be perusing the goalie market.”
If Waddell and the Canes do decide to look for goaltending help outside of the organization, a great place to start would be San Jose Sharks' Kaapo Kahkonen.
Sharks' Kaapo Kahkonen could improve the crease
There are multiple goaltenders who have seen their name swirling in trade rumors as the 2023-24 season progresses. On The Athletic's first trade board of the season, Chris Johnston included three goalies: Kahkonen, Montreal Canadiens netminder Jake Allen, and Detroit Red Wings backstop James Reimer. All three could make sense in Carolina, but it's Kahkonen who could move the needle the most in Raleigh.
“A lot has gone wrong for the Sharks, but the goalies are the least to blame. Both Kahkonen and Mackenzie Blackwood have positive goals saved above expected numbers despite playing behind a historically poor defense. Kahkonen has shown improved technique after a hard offseason of work, looking more compact and connected while navigating the crease,” wrote Granger on Tuesday.
Besides Kahkonen's strong play this year, he has also remained healthy for most of his NHL career. The Hurricanes have played a ton of hockey over the last five seasons, making the postseason each year and getting all the way to the Eastern Conference Final twice. With Raanta and Kochetkov both struggling, adding another healthy tendy certainly wouldn't hurt, especially for what Kahkonen would cost.
“In terms of fit, Carolina and Kahkonen are a good match,” Granger continued. “Kahkonen's game is quieter this season, with more efficient movement and better puck-tracking, which would suit him well for the low-volume workload the Hurricanes give their goalies. Add in that he’d be joining fellow Fins Raanta, Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Carolina could be an excellent landing spot to maximize the 27-year-old’s potential.”
A Kaapo Kahkonen trade from San Jose to Carolina would make sense, and would at the least give two goalies who are having a tough time stopping pucks a little break. It'll be interesting to see if there is any update on Frederik Andersen in the next few weeks, and whether Carolina's tandem can up their respective games in the meantime. If that doesn't happen, look for Don Waddell to seek help from the outside.
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