Carolina Hurricanes: Three Underrated Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have plenty of flare this season. They have had contributions from a plethora of players that are currently on the roster. We take a look at a few Hurricane players that are underrated and deserve a little more attention.

When you think of the Carolina Hurricanes you typically think of the top performers on the team. You think of Sebastian Aho, who is the Hurricanes best forward with 30 goals and 51 assists this season. You think of him as a key contributor on the penalty kill ever since he has been assigned to kill off penalties. You think of Teuvo Teravainen having 51 assists on the campaign. Teravainen is a playmaker and a big piece of the Hurricanes offense.

On defense, Jaccob Slavin is the most well-known defenseman in terms of his production on the defensive end. You think of Dougie Hamilton when it comes to offensive defenseman with the production he has had since the start of the new year. Brett Pesce is starting to roll offensively and is always a huge asset on the blue line for the Hurricanes.

The team is in a tight playoff race and they need solid play from all four lines and all three defensive pairs. In order to make the playoffs, teams need to have a complete team that can mesh well with each other in terms in which they are effective at. This will dig through the bottom six forwards and even the third defensive pair to show some value to Hurricanes players that don’t always get their share in the spotlight.

1. Jordan Martinook

Jordan Martinook was brought over from the Arizona Coyotes because of his ability to be superb on the penalty kill. He has a knack for getting his stick into passing lanes disrupting other teams’ chances at scoring a power play goal. He also has a fearlessness to block opponents’ shots as well as going into the dirty areas to clear puck out of the zone in order to kill off time.

Martinook has had a career year in terms of his offensive production. He surpassed his previous career high in goals, which was 11 and he now sits with 15 goals this season. This season he also achieved his first career hat trick in a game against the Florida Panthers back in November. Also, for the first time in his career Martinook has a positive plus-minus, which is plus-2.

Martinook always has played a physical brand of hockey. He fights for loose pucks, gets into the dirty areas to score, and is hard on opponents’ defenseman on the forecheck. When on the forecheck, Martinook helps the Hurricanes get chances by forcing turnovers by getting into board battles, as well as forcing the opposition to regroup due to a hard hit. He leads the Hurricanes with 187 hits.

He is the ultimate team player. When he was on a line with Andrei Svechnikov, he would be there to protect him when someone went after them. He wouldn’t tolerate someone going after the highly touted rookie. Even if it isn’t Svechnikov. Martinook will always come to the aid of his teammates in the midst of a skirmish.

2. Lucas Wallmark

Lucas Wallmark has been really good from the faceoff circle this season. He has the second most faceoff wins out of any Hurricanes forward with 542 on the season. He has won more than half of his faceoffs at 50.9%. He has been solid all season long and can be a key factor in winning faceoffs at important times if Jordan Staal or Sebastian Aho are tired.

Wallmark has had a solid, but quiet season on offense. Every total he has this season is a career high, but that is due to the fact that he has played 76 of his 95 career games this season. Wallmark has 10 goals and 17 assists, four goals being game winners. He may not be the flashiest offensive player, but he still gets the job done.

Wallmark is second out of Hurricanes forwards in terms of blocked shots (even strength). He isn’t afraid to put his body on the line in order to help his goaltender. Wallmark also excels in terms of puck possession. He rarely gives away the puck only doing so on 31 occasions this season. In addition to that, he has 33 takeaways on the season. The defensive aspect of his game is what makes him stand out as the Hurricanes third line center.