Carolina Hurricanes Opening Night Fantasy Hockey Picks

Opening Night is here for the Carolina Hurricanes. Here are three canes players on the roster you MUST start today.

The Carolina Hurricanes are finally on the ice tonight for the first time this season. While the season started yesterday for many teams, the Hurricanes and Canadiens will see their first licks at a cup run tonight. Tonight is the first step for both teams into the 2019-2020 season.

For those of us who are playing fantasy hockey that means that you are in day two of the first week of your fantasy league and are looking to set your rosters for today. Some of you are looking to overcome a deficit from last night’s wild games. Others are looking to extend their commanding lead.

If you have any of these three Carolina Hurricanes players below, I’ve got good news for you, these kids are more than likely to help you gain some points tonight. Just like anything fantasy however, these choices are at your own risk. That said lets dig into the players you will want to start tonight against the Habs.

Sebastian Aho

One of the biggest stories of the off season. Sebastian Aho offersheeted by the Montreal Canadiens. First Offersheet since 2013. He signs the offer sheet which was immediately matched by the Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes however opted to wait the full seven day period before officially matching it. Those seven days gave birth to some of the craziest fan theories from both teams.

Fast forward to today. Opening night. Carolina Hurricanes play host to who else but the Montreal Canadiens. The whole day will be capitalized by the narrative of Sebastian Aho being a Carolina Hurricane. The pressure will be on him to perform and deliver. When Sebastian Aho gets put under pressure he goes gets coffee and when he gets his coffee in him, look out.

I fully expect Aho to be active in at least 99% of Fantasy leagues tonight. I expect a healthy shot quantity and quality out of him. Last season saw him start the season with a point streak that went 12 games deep and set a franchise record. I expect him to move up that list from 42nd all time and flirt with Wayne Gretzky’s all time record. That starts tonight.

Teuvo Teravainen

Batman had Robin. Ironman had Spiderman. Butch Cassidy had the Sundance Kid. Sebastian Aho has Turbo. And just like Grayson, Parker, and Longabaugh, Teravainen can hold his own even without his Finnish superstar partner. But those two get going together, oh boy is it a sight to see. “Boom”, “Pow”, “Goal”, “Horn”, “Cheers!”.

I fully expect the two Finnish forwards to be on the top line together going into tonight’s game. That means when Aho gets points chances are Turbo will too. And vice versa. Look for Teravainen to set the tone tonight and help his partner in crime establish himself as possibly one of the best forwards in Carolina Hurricanes History.

This means that if you do not have Aho on your roster but have Teravainen you too can reap the rewards of the consequences of Montreal’s laughable effort to gain the Finnish superstar. Double down with the fact that Teravainen is a Finnish superstar within his own right and you get a Fantasy player who is almost certain to get you the points you need tonight.

Dougie Hamilton

Now that we’ve established which forwards are your go to for today, lets talk about a defender who can help you net points. Dougie Hamilton. That really shouldn’t be much of a surprise. Hamilton has been one of the best scoring defenders in the league for a while now. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a multipoint game tonight, and neither should you.

Its only opening night, and these guys have been slam dunk picks, Hamilton is the easiest choice on this list, even if it isn’t obvious. With a fully healthy roster (outside of Trevor Van Riemsdyk) expect Rod Brind’Amour to employ Hamilton when the team has the best opportunities to score. That means on the forecheck and especially on the power play.

Last year Hamilton was relegated to the second power play unit and still managed to pot a pair of goals and five apples. This year he gets to QB the first unit and get much more time with the man advantage. Expect him to get those precious power play points for you now that he gets to play it his own way.

As with all things Fantasy, these choices are only suggestions. That said, tonight is the first night in 82 nights for the Carolina Hurricanes that will define their season. These three will want to set the tone for the rest of the season. Ensuring they are in  your lineup tonight will help you set the tone for the rest of your fantasy league.

Question for CC Readers: Which Carolina Hurricanes are you starting tonight?