Carolina Hurricanes: 2018-2019 Player Power Rankings

The Carolina Hurricanes begin their playoff run tomorrow night against the Capitals in Washington. Before we all jump into the playoff festivities, let’s take a look back at the season and rank the players that are a huge reason why this season’s lineup was the best we’ve seen in a decade.

The Carolina Hurricanes have put together an impressive season. After coming out of the gates strong, then stumbling for the rest of 2018, the Hurricanes managed to turn their season around and turn in one of the best (third best, in fact) records in the league for the remainder of the season during 2019.

There are many things that stand out in this season. The post-game celebrations. The fact that they made the playoffs. The thing that stands out the most this season has been the players and how they play for each other and for the fans.

As many players have said in various post-game interviews, the Hurricanes have played for each other all season long. The Hurricanes have instilled a camaraderie that Captain Justin Williams has said he hasn’t seen since winning the Cup with the Hurricanes in the 2005-2006 season.

Today, we are going to rank the Top 10 Players on the Hurricanes roster based on their performances this season, and based on their overall contribution to the team. This list is by no means meant to say that the Hurricanes only have 10 good players. It is based solely on my opinions regarding the main influences that have brought the Hurricanes to playoff contention.

A Solid Foundation: 10-8

Andrei Svechnikov has evolved drastically over the course of the season. During the preseason and the early stages of the regular season, Svechnikov was visibly timid during his transition into the NHL, but the young forward has since put that perspective to bed.

Svechnikov has been a huge part of the New Year turnaround, scoring 18 of his 37 points in 2019. Andrei has developed into an extremely talented offensive player with the capability to play a highly physical brand of hockey. Andrei Svechnikov has the capability to be a game-changer in the playoffs. I have no doubt in my mind that he will deliver.

Curtis McElhinney has had an incredible season. The journeyman goaltender was claimed by the Hurricanes off waivers from Toronto in the preseason, and that move has proven to be an absolute steal on the Hurricanes’ part.

McElhinney by no means belongs this low on this list, as he has had a huge hand in the Hurricanes’ success this season. With a team this talented, however, it is extremely difficult to fit everyone into what should be a Top 5 spot. While Petr Mrazek has proven to be a bona fide starter, he and the Hurricanes can rest easy knowing McElhinney will be the one backing him up this postseason.

Jaccob Slavin has been phenomenal this season. Slavin is yet another pick in this Power Ranking list that hasn’t made a superstar impact on the scoresheet, but has made tremendous impact in other areas of the game.

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Slavin has, at times, shown an unparalleled level of ‘Hockey IQ’, and may as well have been a second goaltender on the ice beside Petr Mrazek or Curtis McElhinney. Jaccob Slavin is an excellent defensemen, and is a significant reason why the Hurricanes are headed to the playoffs.

The Middle of the Pack: 7-4

Since coming to Raleigh in a one-to-one trade that sent center Victor Rask to Minnesota, Nino Niederreiter has been a game-changer. Nino has played his best hockey this season with the Hurricanes; in 36 games played on the Canes’ roster, Nino has recorded 30 points and a +/- rating of 7. Needless to say, Carolina won this particular trade, and Nino is sure to be a Hurricane for a long time.

Dougie Hamilton‘s impact on the Hurricanes’ season cannot be overstated. Hamilton currently ranks 2nd in goals among defensmen. 15 of his 18 goals came within this calendar year, so it seems Dougie has hit his stride. Expect more scoring and tighter defense from him in the playoffs.

If there is one player on the Hurricanes’ roster that has come close to being as clutch as Justin Williams, it is Jordan Staal. Staal missed 32 games this season due to a concussion he sustained in early December against the San Jose Sharks.

Despite missing a significant portion of the season, Staal managed to make an immediate impact upon returning to the roster, scoring a majority of his points post-injury. Staal is an exceptional leader, and has been a huge reason why the Hurricanes have managed to play such a high-quality level of hockey in the latter stages of the season.

Justin Williams has had a relatively impressive year as well, considering he is among the oldest active NHL players. Williams’ contribution to the team, however, is not so much on the scoresheet as it is in the locker room. Williams has become the glue that holds the team together.

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On top of being an inspiration to the rest of the team as a Captain, Mr. Game Seven himself has had many a clutch goal that led to the Hurricanes scratching and clawing their way to a win in games they seemingly would’ve lost. Not to mention the guy scored a goal with his face, left the ice to get stitched up, only to come back and score the game-winning goal over the Florida Panthers earlier this year.