Carolina Hurricanes: Four Players Who’ve Taken A Big Step

Haydn FLEURY

If you follow me on Twitter (@FutureCanes) you just had to know that this way coming. Haydn FLEURY, who many had wrongfully written off as a bust, has been a noticeable bright spot for the Canes since Dougie Hamilton was lost to injury in January.

You can argue that no player on the Canes’ roster this season has taken bigger advantage of an elevated opportunity than Haydn Fleury, who was frequently rotating as a healthy scratch with Trevor van Riemsdyk before Dougie Hamilton got hurt.

The Hamilton injury gave a more consistent role to Fleury, who’s looked like he’s fit in well dating all the way back to last season. Then, another unfortunate injury struck, when the Canes lost Brett Pesce for the season. Since then, Fleury has been a revelation of sorts.

Before the All-Star break in January (right when Dougie went down) Fleury had played 27 games for the team, and averaged just 11:29 of ice-time per game in that span. He played over 16 minutes in just 1 of those 27 games. Post All-Star break, he’s now averaging 16:56 per game (across 18 games) and has played upward of 16 minutes in 9 of the team’s past 12 games.

https://twitter.com/nhl/status/1185401818047766528?s=21

He managed to score his first NHL goal in October, and has gone on to score 4 goals and add 10 assists in his 45 games this year, with 8 of those points coming in his last 18 games. He’s also riding an impressive 54.4 Corsi percentage, which illustrates how the Canes are driving the flow of the game when Fleury on the ice.

Beyond the stats, he’s become a beast via the eye test. He’s a great skater and his confident as a puck carrier is really on display lately. He routinely pinches and joins the rush, but always does it at smart times that doesn’t leave the defense vulnerable. And for a young, not overly-experienced kid, he’s shown extremely good composure of late.

Overall, Fleury has definitely evolved into a legitimate defender this season who could play in a lot of team’s top-4 in this league. Injuries have propelled him into a top-4 spot in Carolina recently, and not only has he fit in, but he’s been arguably one of the best overall defenders on the team and has really earned his elevated minutes.

He’s looking more and more like the guy the Canes envisioned when they drafted him 7th overall in 2014.

Andrei Svechnikov

I mean, Andrei Svechnikov. Andrei. Svechnikov. Do I even need to go into detail on this kid? I can legitimately just post the following video and go to the next slide, and the point will still be made. His talent just speaks for itself.

Even though that goal speaks volumes, I’ll still do a quick breakdown of Svechnikov’s progression because that’s what we do here at Cardiac Cane (sometimes). It’s almost shocking when you factor in that this kid is still a teenager. Let’s take a look at his accomplishments this year, in bullet form:

• Has already set career highs in goals (24), assists (37) and points (61), despite playing 14 fewer games than last season.
• Leads all players selected in the 2018 Draft in career goals (44) and points (98).
• Leads all teenagers in the NHL with 61 points. Is also the only teenager in the top 100 of NHL scoring.
• Ranks 18th in the entire NHL in Points/60.
• Currently sits 32nd in NHL scoring.
• Has scored TWO lacrosse goals.

Svechnikov has taken a massive leap forward from his quality rookie season, and has become a dynamic threat for the Hurricanes. He’s only 19 years old and he’s already a game-changer for the team – he’s shown he can take over games at any moment.

He’s also shown that he can create offense no matter who his linemates are. For his age, he’s mature well beyond his years, and will be a force for the Hurricanes in the years to come. Has the talent to be a perennial 40-goal guy.

Martin Necas

Last season was kind of a weird one for Martin Necas. He made the Canes roster out of camp, and while he didn’t “wow” anybody in his 7-game stint with the team, he didn’t necessarily look out-of-place either. It was especially odd how, as soon as he scored his first NHL goal, he was benched and then sent to the AHL the next day, where he remained the entire season.

He spent last year in Charlotte and chipped in 52 points in 64 games as well as 13 points in 18 playoff games, quickly outgrowing that league. He name was basically etched in pen on the Canes roster after the Checkers won the Calder Cup – and he hasn’t disappointed at all.

In 64 games as an NHL rookie, Necas has 16 goals and 36 points, thanks in part to his absolutely blazing speed as well as high hockey IQ and a great set of hands. He’s also surprised me with his shot – I had no idea he could rip it the way he’s shown he can. His stickhandling ability, vision, and patience is also just top-notch:

Top. Notch.

Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour has been quite impressed with the young Czech forward:

“He’s certainly more mature than he was last year on the ice. And off the ice he’s physically more mature. He’s still maturing physically and he’s still learning the game,” Brind’Amour said. “But he’s definitely more comfortable. He’s come a long way for sure.”

His teammates are also extremely complementary of him, especially his great friend Andrei Svechnikov:

“As far as his skill, he’s so fast. When he gets the puck you expect he’s going to do something good with it and have a good moment.”

Moving forward, as Necas continues to learn and adapt to the rigors of the NHL game (his defensive awareness and strength still need some work) he has the potential to be a real key piece for the Canes moving forward.

His offensive skill is already evident, and if he can round out his game and fix up some mental stuff, he’d be a player with very few flaws in his game. I see 60-75 point potential as a top-6 forward.

Warren Foegele

Last but not least on this list, Warren Foegele has taken some strides forward in his overall impact this year and deserves to be commended for it. Although he’s still inconsistent, he’s proving that he definitely has some upside as a secondary scorer who always puts forward an honest effort.

One thing that the analytics stuff can’t measure is passion; and Warren Foegele is a heart and soul type player. The thing with Foegele is that he isn’t really dynamic at anything. He’s got good top-end speed, but doesn’t have the skill to match and take real advantage of it.

However, he does drive play, and the Canes are outscoring their opponents 43-36 with Foegele on the ice at 5 on 5 this season.

As far as the offensive numbers go, Foegele has already doubled his output from his rookie year, despite playing 9 fewer games. He’s set career highs in goals (13), assists (17) and points (30). He’s also 3rd among Canes forwards with 39 takeaways, and is a frequent option for the penalty kill. All around, he’s a solid player.

Foegele isn’t a guy who’s ever going to create enough offense for his like to move the needle at the NHL level, but he’s a spark plug and he’s a perfect complementary player on a team with high-end offensive talent like Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Teuvo Teravainen.

More from Cardiac Cane

• 2023 Southeast Rookie Showcase: Takeaways from the Canes’ Strong Showing in Florida
• Week Two Coverage Of College Hockey In NC
• Derek Stepan Ends His On Ice Career As A Hurricane
• The Southeast Rookie Showcase Will Be a Good Look at Carolina’s Future
• Noesen Ready To Provide Depth For Canes

Rod Brind’Amour has made it clear he’s a fan of Foegele during his 2 years with the team:

It’s a little early to be throwing [it] around [but] he plays with the passion Erik [Cole] did, especially when he first got on the scene,” Brind’Amour said. “Now he’s got to keep doing that.”

While it’s a nice comparison from a purely character standpoint, Foegele is unlikely to ever match Cole’s offensive prowess and is likely best suited as a bottom-six player, albeit a very good one, on a team that has Stanley Cup aspirations. Foegele showed that value with his spectacular performance in the 2019 playoffs.

He also has the odd moment that makes you think “how the hell did HE do that?”:

…. But seriously.

Regardless, Canes brass has to be thrilled with Foegele’s development this year. He’s on track to more than double his production from a year ago despite being in, basically, the same role. He’ll be 24 in a couple of weeks, so it’s tough to envision him taking another huge step, but he can continue to be a consistent 30-40 point winger who plays the game the right way.

Question for CC Readers: Which Hurricanes have taken the biggest steps forward this year?