The Carolina Hurricanes have received high praise since January. But which player didn’t receive their fair share of the accolades?
As a Carolina Hurricanes fan, this is always a pretty tough article to write. We as fans cheer for every player in every game. The most underrated player this season is a defenseman. We know just how good Jaccob Slavin is and have done all season. It’s only since the playoffs that I personally ever heard anyone outside of Carolina talking about him. And it is well deserved.
However, Jaccob Slavin is actually not my pick for the most underrated player of the 2018-19 season. For that honor, we would actually have to turn to another American blue liner: Brett Pesce.
Like Slavin, we all know how good Brett Pesce can be at the top of his game. A shutdown defenseman that can be relied upon against the other teams ‘big line’. Coach Rob Brind’Amour placed his full confidence in Pesce and he didn’t disappoint.
His standout stat is his plus/minus. Pesce finished 3rd in the NHL regular season with +35, ranking just beneath Mark Giordano and Ryan McDonagh. An interesting side note, Teuvo Teravainen finished 6th overall with +30.
Plus/minus is a just another way of determining your value to a team, even if you’re not putting up the goals and assists. Pesce scored a mere 29 points, the lowest for the top four defensemen in Raleigh. However, the next closest defenseman in plus/minus is Justin Faulk with +9. Pesce has been on the ice for many of the big plays throughout the season.
Despite finishing in the top three in the league for plus/minus, Pesce still seems to be falling beneath the radar. A blessing you might say, as he’s not usually linked with a move to another franchise. But that doesn’t mean that a few teams haven’t noticed him.
The job that Pesce does on the ice can go unnoticed more often than not. At the end of the game, people remember the OT winners (Sebastian Aho vs Florida springs to mind…) and not the two or three key defensive players that allowed the Carolina Hurricanes to stay in the game.
It’s really only the offensive minded defensemen in the league that claim any sort of praise these days.. Erik Karlsson, Brent Burns, Kris Letang, all offensive defensemen that are always in the limelight. It looks like Pesce might have to add an extra 30 points next season before he’s included in the discussion.
For us as fans, we’re absolutely thrilled that he’s part of our team. I personally cannot wait to see how he develops over the next few seasons. With Pesce and Slavin as the core defensemen for the Carolina Hurricanes, another playoff push is already on stable ground.
For me, Pesce doesn’t need to add more points next season to be considered a big part of the roster.. He plays his role in the team perfectly. Leave the defensive points scoring to Dougie Hamilton. Before too long, the rest of the league will start to take notice Pesce.
Honorable Mention
If off-ice influence is also being considered, Jordan Martinook would have to be shortlisted. His engagement with fans on social media and his presence in the locker room has ensured that the team and fans never let their heads drop.
The Carolina Hurricanes must keep him around for as long as they can to ensure that the atmosphere remains the same. Referred to as a ‘glue guy’ he holds the team morale together and does a fantastic job of making the locker room a relaxed and enjoyable place.
He had a few injury concerns heading into the playoffs, but providing he stays fit, I see him putting on a Carolina Hurricanes sweater again next season. Here’s to a few more Marty parties next season.
Carolina Hurricanes fans, who do you think was the most underrated player this season? Let us know below!