Carolina Hurricanes Opening Night Roster Predictions
By Brett Finger
Jan 23, 2014; Buffalo, NY, USA; Carolina Hurricanes right wing Alexander Semin (28) celebrates after scoring his second goal of the night against the Buffalo Sabres during the third period at First Niagara Center. Hurricanes beat the Sabres 5-3. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports
Right Wingers
1st Line: Elias Lindholm
2nd Line: Alexander Semin
3rd Line: Nathan Gerbe
4th Line: Patrick Dwyer
Missed the Cut: Chad LaRose, Jared Staal
Explanation
The right wing could end up being an issue for the Carolina Hurricanes if things don’t pan out well for the top-end players.
Elias Lindholm will see a lot of top-six time this year with the Carolina Hurricanes. Being put on the first line with Eric Staal and Jeff Skinner would give him every opportunity to succeed and show off his tremendous play making abilities. The young Swede could be a big part of the Hurricanes’ offense this year, if he is ready.
Alexander Semin dealt with a severe wrist injury all of last season, but he still scored 22 goals and had 20 assists in 65 games. He played well with Jordan Staal near the end of last season. If Jordan and Jiri can get Alexander Semin the puck consistently, that line can be dangerous.
Semin should be a 30+ goal scorer with the Carolina Hurricanes. He also has to live up to that big contract he has.
Nathan Gerbe surprised a lot of people last season with his 30-point season. He was rewarded with a two-year deal this past offseason. Gerbe likely won’t be in a top-six role this year though. He needs to prove that he can produce points and play hard with less talented players.
Patrick Dwyer rounds up a solid fourth line. He is an excellent defensive forward that will likely see a lot of penalty kill time. If he can put up around 20 points as well, that would be nice
Chad LaRose is signed with the Charlotte Checkers, not the Carolina Hurricanes. So, he would need to be signed by Ron Francis and the Carolina Hurricanes in order to play in the NHL with Carolina next season, which seems fairly unlikely at this point.
Jared Staal is only here because of his last name. He is out matched by everyone else on the list above. That being said, he can be a solid AHL checking-line forward.