Carolina Hurricanes: The Season That Could Have Been for Sebastian Aho

Everyone knows the hype around Sebastian Aho but did you know the Numbers? Let’s break down the season that was, and could have been for the Finn Phenom.

The Hurricanes had plenty of ups and downs during the 2019-2020 campaign that is currently on halt. Players and the team as a whole had dry spells and some amazing games. Today we break down one particular player: Sebastian Aho and the season he had with the Carolina Hurricanes.

While everyone knows who Aho is, and how great he is a few stats might have been overlooked this season. Between Svechnikov’s Michigan goals, Dougie’s rise and injury, and every new storm surge there were a lot of distractions to take away from the twinkle of Aho.

Let’s get right into this and talk about the records that Aho broke, almost broke, and will likely break upon either a return or next season.

1. Single Season Goals

While Staal does not hold the total Single Season Goal record (Blaine Stoughton – 56) in franchise history we will only be discussing records recorded in Hurricanes sweaters.

After a rather slow start to the season, only recording 3 goals and 3 assists in October, Aho began to light it up. Over the next 56 games, Aho scored 60 points, 35 of which were goals. January was another slow month for the Finnish Machine with only 2 goals and 6 assists, but every other full month played he tallied double-digit points.

Before coming to an abrupt halt in March, Aho had 13 goals and 9 assists in January and February combined. He was hot and rolling. At this point, Aho was (and still is) only 7 goals behind tieing Staal’s record. At .559 goals a game, with 14 games left it was fairly safe to bet Aho would have tied and broken Staal’s record.

2. Single Season Short Handed Goals

One of the most beautiful parts of the Carolina Hurricanes game was actually the penalty kill. As our beloved Tripp Tracey often said, “It’ll come down to the special teams, John.” And this was most often true.

The penalty kill was arguably the best part of the Canes offense. With Staal winning the Faceoffs and McGinn playing his heart out, it was hard to score on the power play against the Canes. What was even more beautiful was Aho had about 10 chances this season to score short-handed goals and cashed in on 4 of those.

Aho was at 4 this season which was only one goal behind Kevyn Adams for most shorthanded goals in a season. With Svechnikov and Edmundson on the Ice, there definitely would have been more chances for Aho to tie and break the record this season.

3. Single Season Point Streak

For over a month, from late January through February, Sebastian Aho and his trusty sidekick, Andrei Svechnikov, couldn’t be stopped. They scored 26 points combined in 37 days in 14 games.

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Aho had previously tied Eric Staal‘s consecutive point streak of 12 games in the 2018-2019 campaign. This season he blew that out of the water with a solid 14 game point streak. All while Aho did this Svechnikov tallied an 11 game point streak tieing 3rd longest in franchise history.

Most of these points where a direct impact of these two playing together. Could these records be even further surpassed if they keep playing together? The correct answer is yes.

Our boy has had quite a season so far, but what could it be had it not come to a halt? Greatness and nothing short.

What will it be like with a return? We have to think about the rust that would have to come off, and hope he doesn’t look like October.

What will it be next season? Aho will complete these records that need to be broken and continue to break more. He is pacing to become a legendary Hurricane. History is in the making ladies and gents, let’s soak it up.

Question for CC Readers: Will Aho become the all-time leading goal scorer?