Carolina Hurricanes: 3 reasons Aho injury kills playoff hopes

The Carolina Hurricanes might not recover from the possible long-term loss of young star left wing Sebastian Aho, after Mark Giordano got him with an elbow.

A nasty hit on Carolina Hurricanes sophomore left wing Sebastian Aho, from defenseman Mark Giordano of the Calgary Flames, presents bad news for a hockey club that cannot afford any losses. Aho leads the Canes in points, with 37, and goals, with 16. Moreover, he’s second behind only Teuvo Teravainen (who has 24 helpers on the season) in assists.

On the other hand, good news for the Canes is that the upcoming stretch gives them a much warranted breather. This five-day break gives the players and coaches nearly a week to relax in Raleigh, before traveling to take on the Detroit Red Wings on Jan. 20.

Prior to Aho’s injury, the first forward line for head coach Bill Peters was firing on all cylinders. Aho, Teravainen, and Jordan Staal are three of the top four scorers. Staal is the only first liner that is not above the 30-point mark yet and Jeff Skinner is the only second-fourth liner that has more points.

Giordano’s malicious hit knocked Aho out of the game completely. After some discussion from the referees, the Calgary captain was sentenced to a game-misconduct. A controversial decision from the NHL was made to not suspend Giordano or bring down any sort of consequences.

Here’s a look, on the next slide, at Giordano’s hit that concussed Aho in the original SportsNet broadcast.

Problem with the hit

Aho is listed as out indefinitely with a concussion and lower-body injury. Since he’s not on injured reserve, it’s a possible sign that he’ll return sometime in the next couple weeks. No players yet have gotten the call from the Charlotte Checkers to fill in for Aho’s absence in the lineup.

This is not the first occasion this season that a player received a match penalty from the refs for a dirty hit. Giordano’s elbow likely warranted a suspension, like Patrick Maroon of the Edmonton Oilers (two games) and Zac Rinaldo (six games) were handed from the league.

Any way you look at it, the Canes are now missing out on one of the top young players in the NHL. Aho was on pace to surpass his strong rookie stat line, with 24 goals and 49 points last season. He’s also a player that’s too exciting and talented to catch hits like this ever. The league needs to keep a closer eye on this, for all players, not just Aho.

The injury to Aho also comes at a time when the Canes looked to be getting at their healthiest point all season and stay in playoff contention. Carolina is in the thick of a tight race in the wildcard positions and the Metropolitan Division standings. Peters will be challenged to respond to this huge setback and rally the rest of his troops before the break for the NHL All-Star Game.

Here’s 3 reasons the Sebastian Aho injury kills any playoff hopes for the Carolina Hurricanes.

3. Caps and Pens are heating up at an opportune time

It was really just a matter of time before Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals and Sidney Crosby’s Pittsburgh Penguins started their ascent to the top spot in both the Metro and the East. Washington got hot before the Pens did, but even Pittsburgh is putting it all together.

Last season, the Metro was the toughest and best division in the NHL. The New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Pens, and Caps all racked at least 102 points. No other division in the league had more than two teams with more than 100 points.

To hammer home the toughness of the Metro to an even greater degree, the Caps and Pens were the top two regular season teams in the league. And, the Jackets were only one point behind the Chicago Blackhawks (top seed in the Western Conference last year) in fourth place in the NHL.

As most NHL fans know, once the Caps and Pens start rolling, they’re nearly impossible to stop unless they meet each other in the later rounds of the playoffs. While the Canes, Rangers, and New Jersey Devils hold the longest losing streaks in the Metro right now, the Pens and Caps continue to climb.

1. Ron Francis won’t make a big splash at the Trade Deadline

The trade rumors surrounding players like Noah Hanifin, Victor Rask, and Elias Lindholm went around since Jan. 2017, a bit less than two months before last season’s Trade Deadline. This year, players like Justin Faulk and even Derek Ryan are among the same rumors.

Faulk’s improved play over the past month is an encouraging sign for his job security in Raleigh. His three goals since the turn of the calendar year are a vast climb from his one goal through the first 35 games.

However, Ron Francis is not the type of mind that takes a huge gamble in this situation. Possibly his best asset, Aho, does not have a good timetable to return to the lineup yet. And, the Canes are actually tied for last place in the tightly packed Metro, with the Philadelphia Flyers at 48 points.

Needs like a veteran defenseman and a first line center have to move aside to the initial focus of getting Aho healthy and productive again. Yet, no argument from us comes up if Francis inquires about a trade piece like Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, or Evander Kane.

Next: 10 reasons the Carolina Hurricanes can win the Stanley Cup in 2017-18

The thought of an acquisition like that in combination with adding Aho back into the mix could power this team to the playoffs no matter what.