Following the NHL draft, free agency, and other offseason moves, NHL.com is reviewing where each team is in preparation for the 2020-21 regular season, due to begin January 1st. Today the Carolina Hurricanes are:
The Carolina Hurricanes have been focused on creating continuity in their lineup in the off-season while hoping to add a complementary piece or two.
Having qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2000-01 and 2001-02 in consecutive seasons, the Hurricanes aim to keep growing with the core they have built. Although they were disappointed that they lost five Eastern Conference First Round games to the Boston Bruins last season after being defeated by the Bruins in the 2019 Eastern Conference final, they didn’t want to overreact.
“We made some changes over the last year and one thing to watch out for is always to be chasing something that may not be there,” said general manager Don Waddell.
[RELATED: Complete Team Reset coverage]
Carolina has so far limited its off-season additions to agreeing to a three-year contract with an unrestricted free agent forward Jesper Fast on October 10 and agreeing to a one-year two-way contract with defense lawyer Joakim Ryan on October 12th. But roster sales continued with Forward’s resignation Justin Williams on October 8 and the departure of the defense attorney Trevor van Riemsdyk, who signed a one-year deal with the Washington Capitals on October 10th.
This means that the Hurricanes have seven players who played more than 10 games with them in 2017/18: strikers Sebastian Aho |, Teuvo Teravainen, Jordan Steel and Brock McGinnand defense attorney Jaccob Slavin, Brett Fish and Haydn Fleury. With these holdovers, young strikers emerge Andrei Svechnikov, Martin Necas and Warren Foegeleand act for forward Vincent Trocheck and defense attorney Dougie Hamilton and Brady SkjeiThe hurricanes believe they have a core ready to take the next step (Foegele and Fleury are restricted free agents).
That doesn’t mean Carolina won’t take another step before the season starts, but Waddell made it clear that he will continue to be selective.
“As a GM, you always try to improve your team when something makes sense that you have to give up for value,” said Waddell. “The other thing is that we don’t have a lot [NHL salary] Cap room too, so we have to be careful. If something fits into all of these parameters, we have to look at it. “
This is what the hurricanes look like today:
Key arrivals
Jesper Fast, F: The 28-year-old scored 29 points (12 goals, 17 assists) in 69 games with the New York Rangers last season. He played a game for the Rangers during the Stanley Cup qualifying against the Hurricanes after suffering a concussion in Game 1. The Hurricanes like Fast’s character and ability to contribute to every point in the lineup. He has been named the winner of the Rangers ‘Players’ Player Award by his teammates for the past five seasons because he was their best team player. … Joakim Ryan, D: The 27-year-old scored five points (one goal, four assists) in 35 games with the Los Angeles Kings last season and played 141 NHL games for the Kings and San Jose Sharks in three seasons.
Video: NYR @ PHI: Fast bats on second try after setting up Panarin
Key departures
Justin Williams, F: He retired after winning the Stanley Cup three times in 19 NHL seasons, including with Carolina in 2006. He contemplated resigning early last season before signing a one-year deal on Jan. 7, scoring 11 points (eight goals, three assists) in 20 regular season games and one goal in seven postseason games. … Trevor van Riemsdyk, D: Got eight points (one goal, seven assists) in 49 regular season games and one assist in two postseason games. … Joel Edmundson, D: Scored 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in 68 regular season games and scored one goal in four postseason games. He was traded against the Montreal Canadiens for a fifth-round selection in the 2020 NHL Draft on September 12, and agreed on a four-year contract with them on September 17. Sami Vatanen, D: Suffered a lower body injury and was not healthy in time to play regular season games after being acquired in a trade by the New Jersey Devils on February 24, but had three assists in seven postseason games. He is an unrestricted free agent.
At the top
Morgan Geekie, F: After the 22-year-old scored 42 points (22 goals, 20 assists) in 55 games with Charlotte of the American Hockey League, he made an immediate impression in his first two penultimate NHL games with four points (three goals, one assist) The season was suspended on March 12th. Geekie played in all of Carolina’s eight postseason games and had an assist. … Jake Bean, D: The 22-year-old led Charlotte with 48 points (10 goals, 38 assists) in 59 games, but did not appear in the NHL last season after playing two games with the Hurricanes in 2018/19.
Video: CAR @ DET: Geekie buries Foegele’s feedback
What else do you need
Better goalkeeper. The Hurricanes have been open to an upgrade on the net but stick with it Petr Mrazek and James Reimer as their two goalkeepers for now, each entering the final season of his contract. Mrazek was 21-16-2 with 2.69 goals against average, a saving of 0.905 percent and three failures in 40 games (38 starts) last season. Reimer was 14-6-2 with a GAA of 2.66, a savings of 0.914 percent and three exclusions in 25 games (24 starts).
Fantasy focus
Aho was one of the biggest standout players after the season with 12 points (three goals, nine assists) in eight games, having scored 66 points (38 goals, 28 assists) in 68 regular season games. He has cemented himself as a top 15 fantasy striker and is one of the best with Svechnikov, who scored seven points (four goals, three assists) in six postseason games after a top 25 result in standard fantasy leagues Stacking options. Every striker is worth being targeted in the second or third round of a 12-team draft, which is even more attractive in the goalkeeping leagues. – – Rob Reese
Projected placement
Andrei Svechnikov – Sebastian Aho – Teuvo Teravainen
Nino Niederreiter – Vincent Trocheck – Martin Necas
Brock McGinn – Jordan Staal – Jesper Fast
Warren Foegele – Morgan Geekie – Ryan Dzingel
Jacob Slavin – Dougie Hamilton
Jake Gardiner – Brett Pesce
Brady Skjei – Haydn Fleury
Petr Mrazek
James Reimer
.
