Carolina Hurricanes: 5 thoughts on how to shake things up

To get back to a .500 NHL record, something is going to have to change with the Carolina Hurricanes very soon before it’s too late.

The Carolina Hurricanes need to shake things up somehow to get back on the right track after eight losses in the first 12 games of the 2017-18 NHL season. Head coach Bill Peters did make some progress over his first year after taking over for former coach Kirk Muller. Yet, the start to this season does not inspire much confidence in the improvement for the Canes under Peters.

Carolina owns a record of 4-5-3 right now while being in the midst of a three-game losing streak. A loss to the Arizona Coyotes signaled a new low for the Canes this season. Entering the game, the Coyotes had gotten off to one of the worst starts in the history of the NHL.

Previous to that loss, the Canes lost to the Colorado Avalanche. That Avalanche team, while improving, was by far the worst team in the league last season. Carolina put up 60 shots against Colorado goaltender Semyon Varlamov in a 5-3 defeat.

It almost seems like as much of a must-win game as it gets for being this early in the year for Peters on Nov. 7 when the Canes return home to PNC Arena to face the Florida Panthers. The upcoming slate features more games against Eastern Conference competition.

The level of urgency for the Canes should crank up when facing more teams from the Metropolitan Division. One team that the Canes face from the Metro this week is the Columbus Blue Jackets, on the road on Nov. 10. Columbus already defeated the Canes in Raleigh and Carolina has a chance to get revenge now.

Now, let’s take a look at 5 thoughts on how to shake things up for the Carolina Hurricanes.

5. Explore other options if Peters is let go

There’s some very intriguing options on the open market right now in terms of head coaching candidates. Early season coaching changes have become a popular move for struggling teams in recent years.

However, thinking about firing Peters is a premature reaction right now. Rough stretches happen and the management and fan base needs to give him a chance to respond well. Both Peters and Muller inherited rough situations after former head coach Paul Maurice departed.

Some of the more attractive options on the open market include former Pittsburgh Penguins and Buffalo Sabers coach Dan Bylsma, veteran Bob Hartley, and current Montreal Canadiens scout Michel Therrien.

Carolina rarely goes after big names on the market for a head coaching position. Yet, few things would cause a bigger shake up more than bringing in a coach that is known across the entire league. It would be an interesting move for the Canes.

4. Move Jeff Skinner up to the first line

For some reason, Peters has kept Jeff Skinner on the third line for the entire season. He’s played alongside Derek Ryan and Justin Williams for most of the year. However, with Williams getting moved up to the second line recently, Josh Jooris is now playing on the third line.

Skinner is too talented to get put on the third line for a team like the Canes. You need to manage your best talent to the best of the ability of the management and coaching staff right now. Carolina needs to either win or lose with the best players on the roster getting the largest roles.

Jordan Staal, Elias Lindholm, and Sebastian Aho are the three players manning the top line for Peters right now. Aho is a very potent offensive skill, but he’s gotten off to a very slow start to the season. Putting Aho and Skinner on the same line could spark something.

Peters should have the trust in his leading goal scorer to get more ice time and prove his worth in the biggest spotlight possible. Skinner has the skill to compete with the top goal-scorers in the league, but he’s not getting the chance to show that.

3. Keep all other lines the same

This might not seem like an idea to shake things up. However, Peters has made it a trademark of his to change the forward lines up almost every single game. That does not allow the Canes to build up any chemistry on the attack.

With all the young forwards the Canes have and are trying to develop, it makes it even more important to let them get comfortable with each other. It can damage their confidence if the lines are changed around all the time.

Players like Skinner, Lindholm, Aho, Victor Rask, Teuvo Teravainen, etc. can start to put together some better flow in the offensive zone if they can figure out each other’s tendencies. Rask-Williams-Tervainen is one combination that looks especially potent.

The fourth line is the only group that Peters has kept together for most of the season. The effort shown from Joakim Nordstrom, Brock McGinn, and Marcus Kruger has given them quite a bit of extra playing time also.

2. Make a trade for a big name star

The front office for the Canes should have been paying attention in the matchup with the Avs on Nov. 2 as Matt Duchene put together a solid performance. Duchene has been the subject of swirling trade rumors for a while now.

Some other big names rumored to be on the market include Henrik and Daniel Sedin of the Vancouver Canucks, Claude Giroux of the Philadelphia Flyers, and Kyle Turris of the Ottawa Senators. Enough is there for the Canes to put together a good offer for a great return.

Carolina mainly needs to add a first line center to take over for Staal on the top line. Adding any forward who can score at a 30-goal pace at least would be a huge addition that could give this offense the push it needs to get over the hump.

The Canes have the resources to trade a young talent without losing too much value on the roster or damaging the future of the team. Noah Hanifin became the subject of some trade rumors at the deadline last season.