With a month left before the Carolina Hurricanes open at home for the 2015-2016 NHL season, hockey is getting agonizingly close.
Yes, since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006, the ‘Canes haven’t had the best success. And yes, there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding the franchise. From rumors of relocation to stagnant contract negotiations, it can be hard to find hope.
However, there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. There is actually a lot be excited about this coming season.
Hockey returns to Raleigh one month from today, on October 10th against the Detroit Red Wings. That’s a reason to be excited! In honor of the opener on 10-10-15, here are 10 more reasons Carolina Hurricanes fans should feel excited about the new NHL season.
#1 – Noah Hanifin
Number 1 on this list is fittingly the Hurricanes 1st round draft pick from this year’s draft back in June. Noah Hanifin was drafted 5th overall by the ‘Canes which might be a huge steal. Hanifin was the second youngest player ever to play at Boston College and a leader on the United States’ blue line in the the World Junior Championships. He has been compared to guys like Duncan Keith and Drew Doughty.
At Carolina Hurricanes Prospects Development Camp, he signed an entry level contract, signaling to many he is going to make the jump to the NHL this fall. He still has to get through training camp, but all indications point to him making the roster for opening night.
Justin Faulk proved this past year that he can be an elite defenseman on a consistent basis, even at age 23. The idea of adding another defenseman that projects to be better than Faulk is right now should make ‘Canes fans drooling at the mouth. It looks like the blue line is set for the next decade.
To be fair, Hanifin has never played an NHL game and could very well play most of the year with the Charlotte Checkers. But, it looks very likely Hanifin will make his NHL debut sometime this season. Having the chance to see Hanifin suit up for the ‘Canes will be a big event for Caniac Nation, one everyone is looking forward to.
Last season was hopefully just a taste of what is to come from young Swedish forwards Elias Lindholm and Victor Rask. They reached the NHL by different routes, but both find themselves in similar places. Lindholm and Rask are young offensive forwards that have the chance to be very important pieces to the Hurricanes moving forward.
The younger of the two, Lindholm (age 20), was draft at 5 overall in 2013 and made the team that fall. He showed glimpses of what he could do but was really inconsistent in 2013-2014. This past season, he improved his consistency and showed off his wicked wrist shot. He set career highs is goals, assists and points.
Rask (age 22) was drafted back in 2011 in the 2nd round and had to play in junior hockey and with the Checkers before making his debut last year. After Jordan Staal broke his leg, Rask was thrust into a 2nd line role as a rookie and answered incredibly, scoring 11 goals and recording 33 points. Those numbers were good enough for 10th in rookie scoring in the NHL. He was the surprise of the season last year.
Both project to start on the 2nd line for the ‘Canes this year. With both being so young, there is possibility for more improvement this season. Their development into more complete players, offensively and defensively, will help the Hurricanes improve now and in the future. It will be exciting where the two Swedes go in 2015-2016.
There is a reason Vancouver were up in arms after the Canucks traded goaltender Eddie Lack to the Hurricanes. Not only was Lack beloved off the ice, he was important to the Canuck’s success last season.
The 27 year old had a .921 save percentage last season. When Ryan Miller went down with an injury, he carried the Canucks to a 12-6-2 record to get them into the playoffs. For trading a 3rd round and 7th round pick, the ‘Canes received fantastic value in return.
With Cam Ward having been shaky over the past few seasons, there is a real opportunity for Lack to take control. The training camp battle between Lack and Ward should be entertaining. Each goalie will push each other to stay in good form. The goalie dynamic will most likely mimic Ward and Anton Khudobin’s of the past two seasons. Even if Ward emerges the starter over Lack, the acquisition was a really smart move by Ron Francis. If anything, the ‘Canes will have a very capable back-up to whoever is in net.
If Lack doesn’t claim the starting job, its a pretty sure bet he will be a fan favorite anyway. His great goaltending abilities will keep fans watching, his presence on Twitter will make them stay for more.
#4 – A Great Penalty Kill
One of the most overlooked parts of the Hurricanes 2014-2015 campaign was their dominance on the penalty kill. For fans, it was really exciting to see an aspect of special teams be a strength rather than a liability. It was a long time coming.
The ‘Canes finished 4th in the NHL in PK% with 84.7%. It was only 0.1% behind the 3rd place team, who were the Pittsburgh Penguins. During the middle of the season, the PK killed 36 straight penalties. That is now a franchise record. At points last season, the squad had the best unit in the league. Their numbers dropped once Andrej Sekera was traded to the Los Angeles Kings.
The strong PK was compounded by the discipline of the players. Carolina ranked last in penalty minutes. By limiting things like stick fractions and interference, the ‘Canes rarely were on the PK. Even when they had to be a man down, they were favored to kill it off. This helped the team stay in games and give them a chance to at least try to tie or go on and win.
New player James Wisniewski should emulate Sekera’s role on the PK come October. Some improved goalie play from Ward and Lack should also help. Caniac Nation should continue to expect a strong penalty kill in 2015-2016.
#5 – 3 v 3 Overtime
While not specific to the Hurricanes, anyone who is hockey fan should feel excited about what 3 v 3 overtime has to offer. It will leave massive portions of the ice wide open and put players out of position. Chances will come thick and fast. Free hockey will be even better than in previous seasons.
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For the ‘Canes, 3 v 3 overtime offers a lot. For one, the Hurricanes have never been good in the shootout. They haven’t possessed a lot of skillful shootout specialists and Cam Ward has never been very successful in the event. The change in the rules will hopefully alter their luck. Having more games ending in overtime and not the shootout should give the ‘Canes a much better chance to get that extra point from those games.
Also, with the ‘Canes being a really solid possession team, 3 v 3 overtime doesn’t look very intimidating. Having the puck and being effective with it will only be magnified in this new scenario. More puck possession will allow offensive players to be more effective with more space on the ice. Skill guys like Jeff Skinner and Nathan Gerbe should be able to find plenty of room to dangle and shoot.
Overtime and the shootout have been feared among ‘Canes fans for years. Now, Carolina looks very solid if they need to have a game decided in overtime.
Skinner hit a milestone last season, scoring 100 career goals. He accomplished this before the age of 23. His 115 career goals are only second behind Tyler Seguin in the 2010 draft class. At his best, Skinner is a world class sniper and can score from anywhere.
However, last season was just forgettable for the former Calder Trophy winner. His shooting percentage was at an all time low and his plus/minus was a disgusting -24. He did have a concussion in pre-season, but still played 77 games, so it wasn’t like he didn’t have time to shake off his injury. For Skinner, he needs to score to be an effective player. When he isn’t doing that, its tough to watch at points. In 2013-2014, he scored 33 goals and was probably the Hurricanes most important player. In 2014-2015, he scored 18 and was many times invisible on the ice.
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Given that he has played under Bill Peters’ system for a year now, expect Skinner to bounce back this coming season. The combination of some experience, more consistent linemates, and some more puck luck should be enough to allow him to get back to where he was two seasons ago.
Its easy to forget, but Skinner was still 2nd on the team in goal scoring last season. Carolina just simply couldn’t score. With a new season, Skinner, and the rest of the team, should be able to improve from last year. There is hope he can return to being a 30 goal scorer.
#7 – NHL Debuts
The Hurricanes roster remains largely unchanged from last season. So, the potential for an injury to really hurt the team is still there. As we saw last season, those open spots force many younger players to play a lot more big league minutes than they probably predicted. Some, like Victor Rask, capitalized on those opportunities.
Coming into training camp, there are spots available for younger players to make their NHL debut. Charlotte Checkers forwards Brock McGinn and Phil Di Giuseppe could see time in the NHL. Defensemen Trevor Carrick, Jaccob Slavin, Haydn Fleury, and of course Hanifin will all push to play their first NHL game. Undrafted forward Sergey Tolchinsky could surprise in training camp and free agent signing Derek Ryan could make his first NHL appearance as well.
The amount of debuts will probably reflect the fortunes of the team, with more debuts as a result of poorer play. That’s the appeal of rookie debuts though. They give the fans something to hope for, even when the team isn’t having success.
Maybe this the year a prospect becomes a key piece of the team. Rask did it last year, who can this season? This will be really intriguing to see.
#8 – This is a Definitive Year
Back under the Jim Rutherford regime, the Hurricanes were focused on two players, the captain Eric Staal and the goaltender Cam Ward. Rutherford signed both of them to expensive long term contracts set to expire way off in the future. Hockey in the Carolinas was set.
Its amazing how time flies, because that time that was so long into the future is less than 10 months away. Staal and Ward’s contracts expire on July 1st, 2016.
Both Ward and Staal want to stay with the organization and both have already begun negotiations with general manager Ron Francis. There are three real options for Francis. Either they resign, get traded at the deadline, or become free agents next summer. If they resign, it would be for much cheaper than what each makes now. They could go to free agency, but that seems unlikely. A big mid-season trade(s) would mean the end of an era in Carolina. Saying there is a lot on Francis’ plate would be putting it lightly.
Whatever outcome, it will be the most important decision for Francis so far. One of the complaints of ‘Canes fans for years has been the lack of activity after poor on-ice results. Whether anyone wants it or not, something has to happen with Staal and Ward. Which path will Francis take? Keeping the old guard or tearing down the long standing wall. Its a debate ‘Canes fans have made for two years now, and soon Francis will give them an answer.
#9 – Hockey Remains in Raleigh
Getting excited about the fact that you haven’t relocated yet isn’t very inspiring. It means that your team is in trouble and not operating at its fullest, whether that’s on the ice or in the front office. The Hurricanes have had their fair share of rumors swirling around for a while now. Owner Peter Karmonos has said he wishes to sell the team, opening up a firestorm of relocation stories. Quebec City have been licking their lips. It is a scary time to be a ‘Canes fan right now. Fans should stay positive though.
Sports franchises move in cycles. When Carolina won the Cup, the now perennial playoff contender Pittsburgh Penguins won the draft lottery and were almost about to move to Kansas City. Before the Chicago Blackhawks had their dynasty, their attendance was near the bottom of the league. Both of those teams quickly forgot those hardships when success returned. Right now, Carolina looks to be on the upswing out of the cellar.
It is important to remember that Karmonos wants to sell, but only to someone who will keep the team in Raleigh. Other organizaitons, specifically the Arizona Coyotes and the Florida Panthers, seem the more likely to move than the ‘Canes. Finally, the franchise has its lease with PNC Arena through 2024.
Its very easy to be terrified of relocation, since it does happen (as this franchise knows). But, this season, Caniac Nation can go see their team play at PNC Arena, tailgate in the parking lot, and watch the Carolina Hurricanes win. That is something worth cheering about.
#10 – In Francis We Trust
Hurricanes general manager Ron Francis is perhaps the greatest source of optimism for Caniac Nation. When he was promoted to his current position back in summer 2014, people were skeptical about what Francis would bring to the table. As a player he was the greatest play maker ever not named Wayne Gretzky and was captain in both Hartford and Carolina. He was mentored under the wing of Jim Rutherford and was quite qualified to become an NHL general manager. Yet, people were worried he might just be more of the same.
Fast forward to now, and public perception of ‘Ronnie Franchise’ has skyrocketed. He hasn’t been flashy, but he has totally overhauled the attitude around the organization. He is building the team his way, which has been incredibly refreshing. So far, it looks like Francis is trying to emulate the same model of the Los Angeles Kings and the Red Wings. A strong defense combined with powerful and smart forwards has been a winning strategy for those franchises, so why not the Hurricanes?
In just over a year, the ‘Canes have built one of the strongest pools of defensive prospects. Francis’ hiring of Bill Peters has changed team into a very accountable and steady squad. Even though the team had a terrible record last season, it was clear what was expected and, frankly, it was more entertaining hockey compared to previous years.
He has made really impressive trades, notably the Eddie Lack/James Wisniewski business this past draft and Andrej Sekera at the deadline. The ‘Canes now possess two first round picks this upcoming draft and may potentially have more coming if Staal or Ward leave via trade.
Granted, hockey is results business, so results need to justify a GM’s actions. Francis, and ‘Canes fans, should look to see early rewards of his work this coming season. Number 10 in the rafters deserves the number 10 spot on this list.
