Carolina Hurricanes: Reasons Not to Panic Yet This Season

The Carolina Hurricanes have had a rough couple of weeks, but as Caniacs we should not worry because the Canes have depth, optimism, and fun on their side.

Right after an amazing road trip where the Canes tallied up 13 out of 14 possible play off points (counting the home games before the trip), the Canes have gathered only 4 out of the last 14 possible points.

Frustrating? Yes. Worrisome, no. Hang in there and buckle up. There have been face palm moments all season but the seem to be heightened the last few games. As Caniacs there is some stress on social media that needs to be addressed, so here we go.

1. Depth

Could this be the deepest roster since 06′? Yes, it very well could be. Every single one way player on this team has at least three points this season. Even with a couple of injuries here and there, the call ups have some points too. The only exception is Brian Gibbons who has played 15 games with the Canes and while he doesn’t have an NHL point he provides consistent grit on the ice.

So top to bottom this sounds good right? Well let’s look at the top.

You are reading this correct, the only NHL team with 4 players having 37 points or more through the halfway mark of the season.

• Teuvo Teravainen: 8 goals, 33 assists
• Andrei Svechnikov: 18 goals, 23 assists
• Sebastian Aho: 23 goals, 14 assists
• Dougie Hamilton: 13 goals, 24 assists

Aho is 8th in the NHL for goals and 2nd in the Metro behind only Ovechkin. Teravainen is tied for 7th in the entire NHL for assists and 2nd in the Metro only behind John Carlson. Svechnikov is 20th in the entire NHL for points and Hamilton is the 4th in all blue liners for points at this point.

The Rookie

Martin Necas is also having quite a rookie year and is actually very much in the running for the Calder Award.

With 23 points in only 38 games, Necas is making a serious campaign for Calder. Besides the numbers, Necas is an absolute wizard with the puck. He has speed and talent, but more importantly amazing hockey IQ. This skill set will sneak up on opponents and these points will continue to climb for the rookie.

Ok, That is a lot of stats and numbers so let’s break down the intangibles now.

2. Optimism

Let’s start with the schedule, here is how the Canes have fared so far:

• against the Atlantic: 10-5-0
• against the West: 11-3-1
• against the Metro: 3-8-1

The Metro is tough, it’s awful and full of talent. For some reason the Metro has been the Canes kryptonite this year so far. BUT, the Canes have 22 games from now until the end of February, and only 5 of these games are from the Metro. Take a deep breath, things will be ok!

R.E.M Line

Ryan, Erik, and Martin. This line has been amazing. They have totaled 59 points out of 42 games this season. This is quite an amazing stat considering that Necas has only played in 38 games and Haula in 23. The chemistry for the new guys all on one line is amazing and has only grown. Expect big things from a quietly best third line in the NHL before the end of February.

Justin Williams

Could Williams return to the roster, and what would this mean?

There have been a lot of rumors on social media about Williams the last couple of days. Some saying he will sign with the Canes in the coming days and others saying don’t count on it.

The roster as is is a solid and deep roster as seen above, so what would the Willy return mean? The leadership and charisma of Williams would come with the contract. He might replace a slump player he also might rotate for injury sake. Either way a Williams return is a good thing, but not necessary. The more we know, the more you will know, so keep the focus and faith in the boys on the ice as of now.