Carolina Hurricanes: Dzingel 2019-20 Season Outlook

After signing with the Carolina Hurricanes as a free agent this off season, what can we expect to see from forward Ryan Dzingel in 2019-20?

General manager Don Waddell bolstered the Carolina Hurricanes’ depth upfront this offseason by signing UFA Ryan Dzingel to a two year, seven million dollar deal on July 12th. The 27 year old forward split the 2018-19 season with the Ottawa Senators and the Columbus Blue Jackets setting career highs in goals, assists and points in 78 regular season games. What can we expect to see in his first season with th Carolina Hurricanes?

Originally drafted by Ottawa in the seventh round of the 2011 NHL draft, Dzingel made his NHL debut December 22, 2015 against the Florida Panthers. In 268 career games, Ryan has 138 points, 66 goals and 72 assist, while averaging 15:19 time on ice. Last season, he finished the year with 26 goals and 30 assists, for 56 points.

In February, the Senators sent Dzingel and a seventh round draft pick to Columbus in exchange for Anthony Duclair and two second round picks. After appearing in 21 regular season games with the Blue Jackets, Dzingel saw a decrease in both production and ice time in the playoffs, only posting a single goal in nine games with a TOI average of 11:21.

The pending UFA was considered to be one of the better forwards available on the open market this offseason. The Hurricanes were also rumored to have had some interest around the trade deadline back in March; even though nothing ended up materializing, Carolina’s patience paid off in the end.

Looking ahead, Ryan Dzingel should be a solid contributor in the Hurricanes’ middle six. With speed being a major component of his game slotting him with any of Erik Haula, Warren Foegele, or Martin Necas will be a matchup nightmare for opposing teams to keep up with.

Coming off a 26 goal campaign, it is likely that we see a similar output next year. Finding a 20 goal scorer is difficult in the NHL and teams often have to pay a premium for one. To think the Hurricanes were able to add one who is just entering his prime for $3.5 million a year for the next two seasons speaks volume about the both the current state and the direction of the team, especially considering Dzingel had several options.

While his 30 assists was a career high last season, it shouldn’t be out of the question that we’ll see a similar total next season. There should also be some opportunity on the second power play unit. With all things considered, a 50-55 point season should be expected, barring injury, from Ryan.

With the added depth upfront it appears as if there will actually be balanced scoring up and down the lineup for the first time in a while. Dzingel should be a key contributor in this regard, providing the Carolina Hurricanes with some valuable forward depth as they look to make another run at the Stanley Cup.

What are you expecting to see from Dzingel in his first season as a Hurricane?