Last year when the Carolina Hurricanes were big winners in the NHL draft lottery, they knew they could get a franchise altering player. That player was Andrei Svechnikov. Will his second year in the NHL be better than his first?
When Andrei Svechnikov was drafted in 2018, the Carolina Hurricanes knew they had someone special. He didn’t disappoint in his first season. He had his faults, but things were mostly on the positive side as Svechnikov proved to be well worth the number two selection and is shaping up to be a part of a young, but talented core in Carolina.
Svechnikov in his first season showed us that he can be an elite scorer for years to come. He scored 20 goals and showed that he can fire off a laser of a shot from almost anywhere in the offensive zone and have a quality chance. The beauty of his shot is how quick of a release he has and how much velocity he gets behind the shot. But the shot itself isn’t his only weapon to score goals.
His strength for such a young player is well above average in the way the game is played now. Most players when drafted rely on finesse and speed in order to gain separation from defenseman.
Svech gon' give it to ya pic.twitter.com/txp7Gjp1UL
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) January 1, 2019
Although Svechnikov can play a finesse game, he can also play a physical game where he can challenge a defenseman straight on and fight through contact to get to the dirty areas to put the puck into the net.
With that being said, how should we expect Svechnikov to perform in 2019-20?
Svechnikov’s role within the Carolina Hurricanes offense should be elevated this upcoming season as he showed last year that he is very capable of being a top six forward. With his 20 goals, as previously mentioned, with 17 assists to go along with, and an even better offense for the Hurricanes on paper, those numbers are expected to go up.
Andrei Svechnikov is primed to be a 30-goal scorer this upcoming season and it wouldn’t be out of any stretch of imagination for him to get around 35 or 40. He certainly has the skill to do so and especially coming off a 20 goal season in his first year in the NHL, he knows how the NHL works now. For a young player, this experience is very valuable and Svechnikov was also treated to playoff experience last season.
One thing that needs to improve in Svechnikov’s game is his stick discipline. What that means is that Svechnikov was prone to taking stick infractions, for example tripping and hooking. He led the Hurricanes last season with 62 penalty minutes and that definitely needs to drop.
What helps Svechnikov in that regard is that Rod Brind’Amour preaches his team plays a disciplined game of hockey. Stick infractions however come from a lack of effort in defending a player. If you keep skating with the player, then taking a stick infraction is less likely.
Also, stick infractions can happen when a player is fatigued on the ice, which can be solved with staying mentally tough. At times you could tell Svechnikov still had some adjustments to make in a very successful rookie season. Svechnikov’s penalty minutes should drop by about 20.
Svechnikov needs to be on the number one power play. The Hurricanes have plenty of depth to have a good second unit. With how dangerous of a shot he possesses and the playmaking ability of both Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho.
They can easily set up Svechnikov for success on the man advantage. Svechnikov should have somewhere around 10 goals on the power play next season. The Carolina Hurricanes need something to click on the power play and that trio could be it.
Question for CC Readers: What factors will make Andrei Svechnikov have a successful second season in the NHL?