As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Carolina Hurricanes.
What are the Hurricanes most thankful for?
Spending ability.
The Hurricanes have built a strong drafting and development system over the last several years, but sometimes there had been tough decisions to be made over how many of the league’s top players they could truly afford. With new ownership and a different swagger about the franchise, they’re now a cap ceiling team that didn’t hesitate to match an expensive, front-loaded offer sheet in the summer. Sebastian Aho will earn more than $23MM of his $42.27MM deal in the first twelve months.
Who are the Hurricanes most thankful for?
No, a paragraph from the Buffalo Sabres’ piece didn’t get left in accidentally. If it weren’t for Dahlin’s presence in the 2018 draft, the Hurricanes would have never been able to grab top scorer Andrei Svechnikov second overall. Though he had a slow rookie season by some standards—20 NHL goals for an 18-year old is still pretty good—Svechnikov is really showing why he was so highly regarded coming into the draft and was a potential option at No. 1.
With 31 points in 29 games the young Russian forward has already almost caught his total from last season, and he wont turn 20 until the end of March. It’s hard to really know how far his talent can take him, but that superstar-level, MVP-type forward that the Hurricanes have been looking for for so long might already be on the roster, and his name might not be Aho.
What would the Hurricanes be even more thankful for?
Some losses from the rest of the Metro.
Carolina is 17-11-1 through their first 29 games this season and still somehow are sitting in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. They would be firmly in second in the Atlantic Division, but the Capitals, Islanders and Flyers have all done a little bit better this year.
The Hurricanes are coming off an Eastern Conference Final appearance that shocked the NHL, but few would be surprised to see them in Stanley Cup contention this time around. Settling for a wild card spot in the Eastern Conference would make that extremely difficult however, especially if they end up with a first-round matchup against those Boston Bruins that ended their Cinderella run last season.
What should be on the Hurricanes’ Holiday Wish List?
An improvement between the pipes.
There isn’t a man on the Hurricanes roster that would say Petr Mrazek isn’t a big part of the team, but the 27-year old goaltender still suffers from inconsistencies that have plagued his whole career. He’ll stand on his head and provide the Hurricanes with Vezina-caliber netminding one night, and then let in a pair of soft goals the next.
His .903 save percentage on the year simply isn’t good enough to carry a team to a Stanley Cup, but it’s not that far off from where Mrazek has sat for much of his career. James Reimer has been slightly better statistically, but loses just as many games as he wins and probably isn’t the answer either. It’s hard to improve your starting goalie position during the season, but perhaps Carolina can find a way to stop just a few more pucks in the second half.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
What Your Team Is Thankful For, Carolina Hurricanes? The freedom to pull off goof postgame cellys without retribution from the opposing team…yet…
And having their goalie look like he was shot when given a shot from Jumbo Joe and having no teammates giving any retribution to that opposing team…too busy practicing the conga line to worry about hockey toughness.
They’re probably saving the toughness for the post-game pulled-pork buffet line, eh? Probably no truth to the rumor that some of the Jerks muttered “Is he *really* our netminder??? Maybe Don can deal him back to DET for two bags of pucks and some magic beans…”
It’s embarrassing for a “professional” sports team to have these celebrations.
But, they’re the premier ECHL team in the RTP! Aren’t they allowed to pander? ;-)
embarrassed themselves all the way to the ECF… haters gonna hate lmao.
Very true, and it wouldn’t surprise if they made back again this year. NYI, BOS & WSH are the current top candidates that could derail that, though. Personally, I’m a big fan of Brindy and his coaching ability, just not the cellys…
I don’t care who does it and I don’t hate the Canes. Just think it’s terrible sportsmanship and for grown men to act like they are 8 years old. How would it look in MLB, NFL or NBA?? Dumb. Just like this Star Wars crap
Dundon believes it’s good business practice to pander to the attendees. I’ll second your thumbs down to the Star Wars crap, too! It’s run its course…
Terrible sportsmanship? Most of these guys are kids 18 to early 20’s, I have no problem with them joking around with their home crowd after a win, they’re basically thanking the fans for coming and supporting them.
True, they are thanking their fans in their own way. And, they’ll keep doing it until they don’t anymore. Most of us on this side of the fence just won’t see it the same way as their fans do, however, which is our prerogative. In other words, to each his own… Like it if you want, don’t if you don’t…
and some cajun jerk seasoning….
And there you go again, G! Getting our appetites all frothed up! (How ya doin’ out there?)
how exactly are Reimer’s numbers only slightly better?
Their stalwart D is getting it done (for the most part), regardless of who’s between the pipes. And, some nights the opposition almost seems to be caught in the headlights. Imagine how dangerous they could be with a true top-flight #1 netminder and ace backup.
Jerk seasoning was for the octopus Detroit is sending Carolina, especially for Mrazek(ex-wing) and hit attempted fight with Jumbo Joe, at least Joe kept his beard this time. Hello Mac all is well here except for the rain , wind and cold.
There’s a lot of that rain, wind & cold crap going on all over the planet. Damn annoying! BTW, wouldn’t that be a waste of some tasty seasoning? I’d go with blackened, say over a 5000-degree blast furnace and tell Al Sobotka, “not this time, pal!”
your’e right Mac , I like my various forms of Jerk seasoning mixes , agreed is very tasty . Will go with Liquid Smoke it is black and can be very hot , according to what meat you put it on. Now may have some snow headed our way , so may have to get the ingredients out for Snow Cream. Thou as Frank Zappa wrote” Don’t eat the yellow hole in the snow”.
“Movin’ to Montana soon — gonna be a Dental Floss tycoon! Raisin’ my lonely Dental Floss…”
your correct the celebrations are over the top and portrays disrespect to the other teams, it’s alright when players score and holster their stick in celebration or ride their stick up the ice , those are short celebrations , Carolina’s goes on too too long , I doubt nothing will be done , it’s just fans look down on them , and everyone comments on them all around the league have heard some discussions on NHL Network and other announcers make comments , They are as said , and will leave that alone a bunch of Jerks. Oh! the memories of that music of Zappa was good, thanks for reminder the animated song on youtube of song I mentioned is funny as all get out. Thanks Mac…..
Who hates post-win Surges? Who hates Petr and Reims in net?
24 teams’ fans who have seen less wins than Canes Fans. 15 Teams’ fans who won’t see the playoffs again this year.
Meh.
Canes fans love them, and the bond in the arena between fans and team is great. And attendance is up 20% over last year at this point.