Carolina Hurricanes: 5 most important players for Playoff run in 2017-18

If the Carolina Hurricanes are to make the NHL Playoffs this season, these five players would be the most important part of that run.

If there was one accomplishment that Carolina Hurricanes fans would cherish the most in the 2017-18 NHL season, it would be making the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons. The current playoff drought is not only killing attendance, but it’s even drawing rumors that the franchise could leave Raleigh, NC before too long.

However, when the Canes have showed promise, the fans have shown out. A lot of the reason that fans could fill the stands this season is the amount of talent brought in by general manager Ron Francis during the offseason. Francis did a great job bringing some top notch talent and familiar faces to the Canes to bolster the roster.

Possibly the most exciting acquisition was Justin Williams being brought over from the Washington Capitals. Williams saw a ton of success after leaving Carolina where he won Stanley Cups with the Los Angeles Kings and consistently contended in the Eastern Conference with the Capitals.

Another huge addition was goaltender Scott Darling, who was brought over in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks. With Cam Ward being phased out, Darling should be a solid addition between the pipes.

A few other names to watch that are new to the roster include Trevor van Riemsdyk, Marcus Kruger, and Martin Necas. All of these players will play a huge role in whatever success that Carolina ultimately sees this season. Yet, the opportunity with the Canes is also huge.

Now, let’s take a look at the five most important players for the Carolina Hurricanes to make a run to the NHL Playoffs in 2017-18.