Carolina Hurricanes: Takeaways from the 2019-2020 season…so far

1. The 2019-2020 Hurricanes

This season has seen a lot of new faces wear Hurricane red. During the off-season, we saw fan-favorite Calvin de Haan get traded to Chicago. As well as franchise veteran Justin Faulk dealt to the reigning champion St. Louis Blues. There were also other players traded as well. And some left during free agency too.

But man did the Hurricanes bring in some talented players. Several were brought in via trades, including Erik Haula, Joel Edmundson, and probably my favorite new addition, “Optimus Reim” James Reimer.

Free agents Ryan Dzingel and Jake Gardiner were also brought in. The latter didn’t meet expectations for a while, but we did see his game start to improve after Dougie Hamilton went down with a season-ending injury.

Oh, and there was the whole offer sheet thing over Sebastian Aho with Montreal too.

Justin Williams eventually made his return midway through the season too. Which added a good veteran leader to the team on and off the ice.

At the trade deadline, we saw the departure of multiple prospects including Julien Gauthier as well as the previously mentioned Erik Haula and beloved fan favorite, Lucas Wallmark. In return, we received Sami Vatanen, Brady Skjei, and Vincent Trocheck.

Now onto something that plagued the Hurricanes throughout the season.

2. The injury bug

The injury bug was something that continued to bite the Hurricanes throughout the entirety of the 2019-2020 season.  The season started off with Trevor van Riemsdyk missing the first few games.

Then we saw alternate captain Jordan Martinook go down with a core muscle injury. An injury that required him to miss several weeks due to having to have surgery. Erik Haula went down next due to lingering knee issues from the devastating injury he sustained in the previous season. There were also times when Ryan Dzingel was forced to sit out as well due to being hurt.

There was also the game in Toronto that saw David Ayres save the day after James Reimer and Petr Mrazek went down with a lower-body injury and concussion. That game saw Brett Pesce‘s season cut short due to a shoulder injury that ended up requiring surgery.

Of course, there’s also the biggest loss the team was dealt with when Norris Trophy contender, Dougie Hamilton broke his fibula in a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The 2019-2020 season was also a season of firsts for the Hurricanes.

3. A season of firsts

The 2019-2020 season saw many firsts for the Carolina Hurricanes. Both big and small. One BIG first was the giant new scoreboard. Still an absolute beauty. We also saw the debut of the new away jerseys for the team.

We saw Haydn Fleury finally score his first NHL goal. Jaccob Slavin went to his first NHL all-star game and WIN the accuracy skill competition. And had he not gotten injured, Dougie Hamilton would’ve went to his first all-star game as well. A bittersweet first.

Dave Ayres became the first emergency backup goalie to win a game. Which became the feel-good story of the season. Highlights of the game have been featured in countless commercials from a variety of brands and companies. Sorry, Scott Foster, the Hawks had already scored the game-winning goal when you came in.

https://twitter.com/espn/status/1231431821071704064?lang=en

Though the game will be played next season, the Hurricanes were also awarded their first Stadium Series game in franchise history. An event that will surely see Carter-Finley Stadium filled to the brim with rabid Caniacs.

There was also the whole deal with Andrei Svechnikov scoring the first-ever lacrosse style goal in NHL history against the Calgary Flames. At home no less too. Oh, and he did it again a few weeks later in Winnepeg.

The season did, however, see the Hurricanes struggle some though.

4. Inconsistency

Things can’t always be sunshine and rainbows. And this season that was made very apparent. The Hurricanes at times were inconsistent. And there were some players that didn’t play to their full potential as well.

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Heading into the season, the Hurricanes were touted as having the best blue line in the entire NHL. And at times they did. But quite often it seemed like there were just a few guys doing all the work. An issue made very apparent on both sides of the ice when Dougie went down. The offense should not have been relying on their top defenceman to do so much offensive work.

The goal-tending at times was spotty as well. It took a while for the skaters to learn Reimers playstyle so there were many times where he was left out to dry. But even then he wasn’t perfect all the time. Same with Petr. He had his slumps, and for a while, there Reimer was the one keeping the Hurricanes in the playoff picture.

As mentioned there were players that didn’t perform to their full potential due to a variety of factors. Injuries, new locations, and things that we as fans don’t see or hear about.

But through all of the issues the team faced, they never gave up.

5. They didn’t give up

Through all the injuries. Through all the mistakes on the ice. The Hurricanes never gave up and they kept fighting. This was a team determined to win and prove to the world, and maybe even themselves, that the success of the 2018-2019 season was not just a flash in the pan.

This team, though sometimes it didn’t seem like it to us as fans, learned from their mistakes. And boy were they feisty on the ice. Multiple guys showing grit like they hadn’t in the past. Aho was an especially spicy fishy this season.

And though the season is currently on pause. The Hurricanes find themselves in a playoff spot for the second season in a row. They didn’t give up, and we won’t give up on them. Ever.