Predicting the Top 5 Scorers For The Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes are have the potential to be one of the top teams in the league this season. They are stacked top to bottom. But who will be their top scorers this season?
The Carolina Hurricanes have been busy this off-season building a team to contend with the best of them. They’ve acquired top players like Jake Gardiner, Ryan Dzingel, and Erik Haula. As well as prospects Chase Priskie and Ryan Suzuki. These guys will be sure to help the existing group of guys build upon the success of last season.
Now with all that talent, the Hurricanes will be hitting the back of the net night in and night out for sure. They should easily beat their 99 points last season that secured them a trip to the Stanley Cup playoffs. But, who will be their top scorers for the 2019-2020 season?
These of course these are just predictions. Anything can happen. Breakout seasons, trades, or even injuries. So don’t take these seriously.
Now, not everyone will make it into the Top 5, so here are a few honorable mentions:
Honorable Mentions
- Ryan Dzingel- 50 points (24 goals, 26 assists)
- Erik Haula- 50 points (21 goal, 29 assists)
- Dougie Hamilton– 41 points ( 17 goals, 24 assists)
- Jordan Staal– 39 points (20 goals, 19 assists)
With those out of the way, lets look at my predictions for the Carolina Hurricanes’ Top 5 Scorers for the 2019-2020 season. Starting with the newest Hurricane:
5 – Jake Gardiner
53 points – 13 goals, 40 assists
The Jake Gardiner signing took all of us by surprise. He was signed by the Hurricanes at the tail end of the off-season, just a mere week and a half before the preseason begins. And they have him locked down for four years, to top off the unexpected move.
Always one to rack up a bunch of assists, Gardiner was one of the top players during his time with the Toronto Maple Leafs. I see him continuing that level of play now that he’s in Raleigh, especially with the group of guys he’s around now; he will have plenty of potential targets to pass the puck to.
Gardiner will be a welcome addition to the Hurricanes’ blueline. Alongside a group of guys that include the likes of Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin, Brett Pesce, Justin Faulk, and potentially Chase Priskie, the Carolina Hurricanes’ defense is looking like a force to be reckoned with.
While I only have him with 53 total points, I do feel that he could surpass this number. In Toronto, he was under a microscope and under immense pressure to perform in one of the largest and most outspoken hockey markets. Now that he’s with the Carolina Hurricanes, he won’t be under as much pressure and can just go out there, play hockey, and do what he does best.
On to a fan favorite that was acquired last year:
4 – Nino Niederreiter
55 points- 23 goals, 32 assists
Nino Niederreiter came to the Canes last season via trade from Minnesota for Victor Rask in January. He quickly became a fan favorite, and was a key piece in the Carolina Hurricanes making the playoffs and their Eastern Conference Finals run.
After Nino came to Raleigh, he was scoring more goals and racking up more assists than he was with the Wild. His 30 points with the Hurricanes had him in the Top-10 scorers last season. If you were to include his totals from the time spent in Minnesota, he had a total of 53 points, with 23 goals and 30 assists. That would’ve had him in third place alongside Justin Williams in scoring last season.
Now that he is preparing for his first full season with the Hurricanes, I expect him to put up similar numbers to his totals from last year (give or take a couple goals or assists).
Now, let’s look at the forward poised for a breakout season:
3 – Andrei Svechnikov
60 points- 36 goals, 24 assists
Andrei Svechikov is poised to be one of the faces of the Carolina Hurricanes for years to come. Drafted by the Hurricanes 2nd overall in the 2018 draft, Svechnikov had a great rookie season last year; he was sixth overall in scoring for the Canes last season with 37 total points – 20 goals and 17 assists.
Now he has some NHL regular season and post-season experience under his belt, I, along with many others, see Svechnikov having a breakout season. Some may see 60 points as a bit high for him, but I don’t. I see him being hungry for more success this season seeing as he got a taste of it last season so early in his NHL career.
With a probable first line spot alongside Seabastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen, I see Svechnikov having plenty of opportunities to light up the opposition.
Now for the first of the Finns:
2 – Teuvo Teravainen
81 points- 30 goals, 51 assists
From his time with the Chicago Blackhawks to now suiting up with the Carolina Hurricanes, Teuvo Teravainen has been on an upwards trajectory every passing season he spends in the NHL. I doubt anyone sees that slowing down anytime soon.
Last season, Teuvo was number two behind Sebastian Aho on the Canes scoring chart with 76 total points – 21 goals and 55 assists. Teravainen was a key player during the Hurricanes’ playoff run as well, with 7 goals and 3 assists.
Teuvo will continue to be one of the Canes’ go-to players this season. His upwards trajectory is sure to continue in 2019-20, alongside an absolutely loaded Hurricanes roster. He, like Svechnikov, tasted immense success very early on in his career, and with the Canes being so close to reaching the Stanley Cup Final last season, he (along with everyone else on the team) will be doing whatever it takes to get there this season.
Now for my prediction for the Carolina Hurricanes’ top scorer for the 2019-2020 season:
1 – Sebastian Aho
92 points- 43 goals, 49 assists
No surprises here. There’s a reason (more than one, actually) Montreal went after him this offseason. Aho has had the number one spot for the Hurricanes on lock for a while now, and I don’t think anyone sees him giving that up anytime soon.
Sebastian Aho is one of the fastest-rising players in the NHL right now. His numbers have increased every year he has been in the league, and that isn’t stopping anytime soon. Last season he was invited to the NHL All-Star game for the first time in his career. He also placed 10th in the voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy award for the league’s MVP.
This season, he will be out to show that last season wasn’t a fluke for him or for the Carolina Hurricanes. Aho should also be out to prove that he’s worth every penny of that new contract that he signed. I see Aho being one of the top scorers in the NHL, and who knows, maybe in a few seasons he can sit top that list.
The Hurricanes are stacked top to bottom this season. While some of these picks may have been a bit obvious, others may end up being replaced by someone else once the season gets underway. Only time will tell. But one thing is for certain, with the group of players the Carolina Hurricanes have, the rest of the NHL better Take Warning.
Next. Can Teravainen Outscore Aho?. dark
Question for CC readers: Who do you think the top 5 scorers will be for the Hurricanes this season?