After falling to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final for a second time in three years, the Carolina Hurricanes made some major moves this offseason. The Hurricanes added both K'Andre Miller and Nikolaj Ehlers to improve the roster. Expectations are high in Raleigh, and we have some bold predictions for the Canes' 2025-26 season.
Carolina has made two conference finals in three years and won a combined one game. The one win in the ECF this year was the first time they won a game in the conference finals since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006. The team was swept three times in that round prior to this year.
The front office wanted to make sure that did not happen again. They had one of the best offseasons in the NHL, including the Hurricanes having a near-perfect NHL Free Agency period. Not only did they bring in Ehlers and Miller, but they added defensive depth and re-signed both Jackson Blake and Logan Stankoven.
These moves have led to high expectations. Odds at the time of writing, provided by Fanduel, have Carolina tied with the Panthers as favorites to win the Cup in 2025-26. The question then becomes, can they meet these expectations?
Seth Jarvis leads Hurricanes in scoring
The major signature of the offseason was that of Ehlers. He is coming off scoring 24 goals and adding 39 assists in 2024-25 with the Winnipeg Jets. He is expected to join the top line with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. Regardless, it is a player projected on the second line that could steal the show this year. Seth Jarvis is currently projected as the second line center, playing with Taylor Hall and Blake.
Jarvis is coming off a second straight solid season. In 2023-24, he lit the lamp 33 times while adding 34 assists in 81 games. Then, this past season, he beat the goaltender 32 times while adding 35 helpers. Further, he was a major factor on the powerplay, with seven goals and 12 assists.
The advanced statistics in 5v5 situations show he should be in line for continued growth. His shot total per game jumped, and with that, his individual point percentage jumped ten percentage points. Meanwhile, he had career highs in scoring chances created and high danger chances converted. He also improved on the defensive end of the ice.
His linemates could place him in a perfect situation. Taylor Hall had 42 total points between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Hurricanes. While he has declined some as a goal scorer, his passing has not, and he was the primary assist in over half of his assists last year. Meanwhile, Jackson Blake had 12 goals with 14 assists last year, but ten of those were primary assists. With Jarvis being the primary goal scorer on the line, his two wings should place him in a great position to score plenty.
Jarvis will also continue to be on the top powerplay unit. He showed growth in his powerplay ability last year. With these factors combined, he is going to reach the 80-point mark in a breakout season — and he could even lead the team in scoring in the process.
Carolina is the top team in the Eastern Conference
Everything is set up perfectly for the Hurricanes to be the best team in the Eastern Conference. They finished fourth in the East in 2024-25. The top team was the Washington Capitals. While the Capitals will be solid again, it was a surprising season for them that may not be replicated.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Maple Leafs got worse with the loss of Mitch Marner, and the Tampa Bay Lightning did not make many major moves. The Canes ranked sixth in the East in goals in 2024-25, and will improve with players such as Stankoven growing and the addition of Ehlers. Meanwhile, they were also sixth in the conference in goals against, but should improve there with the addition of Miller, plus the projected growth of Alexander Nikishin.
The schedule provides winnable games at both ends of the schedule. After opening against the New Jersey Devils, they have three straight games against teams that missed the playoffs. They also end the season with five straight games against non-playoff teams from 2024-25. This could help them pad wins and be the top seed in the conference.
Goaltending ends the Hurricanes season early
Goaltending wins Stanley Cups. In the last two title-winning runs for the Panthers, Sergei Bobrovsky has been nearly unbeatable. The Hurricanes do not have that level of goaltending. Frederik Andersen started just 22 games in 2024-25. He was solid, going 13-8-1 with a 2.50 goals against average and a .899 save percentage. He has also missed major time the past two seasons due to injuries. Further, he was not good in the playoffs against the Panthers. He started just four games and was pulled in one of them. While he had one shutout, he gave up 13 goals in the other three games.
Meanwhile, Pyotr Kochetkov went 27-16-3 with a 2.60 goals against average and a .898 save percentage in 2024-25. He started just two games in the playoffs. In those two starts, he gave up six goals, ending the playoffs with a 3.60 goals-against average and a .855 save percentage.
While the Hurricanes have offensive firepower, and an excellent defensive unit, the goaltending is going to let them down. The top team in the East will have home ice, but they will endure an early exit in the playoffs because the netminding is not up to par.
