Carolina Hurricanes: Every takeaway before Christmas

The Positives

Before inevitably going off on a rant about something I do not like, let’s take a look at things that are going well. Well firstly, depending on how you want to count it, the Canes are above .500. I mean, some people count OT losses and some don’t. Either way, a 16-12-7 record is by no means terrible; and not terrible is something I will accept.

Here’s a fun fact. The Canes are ahead of the Stanley Cup Champions of last year, in the standings. I did not see that coming. The problem is, we are still stuck in a tough division, and will likely be in a tight playoff race with the Rangers, Islanders, Penguins and Flyers for the remainder of the season. Anyways, more on that later.

A few players have gone above and beyond my expectations this year. For example, Teuvo Teravainen has developed into a terrific playmaker. With 25 points (8 goals, 17 assists) in 34 games, Teuvo looks fantastic. I think the Blackhawks really under-estimated Teravainen’s potential. Let me tell you, they could use some fresh, young talent right now. Ron Francis made an excellent move in signing him and I hope he’s here to stay.

Jordan Staal is an interesting case. Jordan had the opportunity to play alongside his brother, Eric for a few years, until the ladder was traded. Since then, Jordan has cemented himself as his own person. You can imagine how challenging it can be to play in the shadow of a sibling; one who had a 100 point rookie season, in particular. Having become the captain of the Hurricanes however, Jordan has impressed me.

He got off to a great start, but has slowed down a bit, as of late. Jordan is on pace for 49 points, which isn’t great. However, he has shown himself to be a capable leadership figure, and 49 points is still nothing to sneeze at.

Next let’s take a look at Noah Hanifin. I recently made an article about how spectacular he is, so I’ll try to keep this brief.