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2021 Carolina Hurricanes Season Preview: The Lineup

By Conor Power

TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 03: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with teammates after scoring his second goal against the New York Rangers during the second period of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 3, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ONTARIO - AUGUST 03: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with teammates after scoring his second goal against the New York Rangers during the second period of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 3, 2020 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images) /
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TORONTO, ONTARIO – AUGUST 03: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with teammates after scoring his second goal against the New York Rangers during the second period of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 3, 2020, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ONTARIO – AUGUST 03: Andrei Svechnikov #37 of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates with teammates after scoring his second goal against the New York Rangers during the second period of Game Two of the Eastern Conference Qualification Round prior to the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena on August 3, 2020, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images) /

How can we expect the Carolina Hurricanes to fare in their new division?

The Carolina Hurricanes are looking to dominate a shortened season and bring the playoffs back to the Oak City. How does their lineup look like?

It is almost time for Hockey. The Carolina Hurricanes are already getting back to the ice in North Carolina. It’s almost time for the most unusual start to an NHL season ever. Carolina finds itself in a new division with a new playoff format in a shortened season. New rivalries will be forged, old rivalries renewed, and the Canes have the task of trumping the Stanley Cup Champions.

Carolina will obviously be in the central division with the Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, and Tampa Bay Lightning. The top 4 will make the playoffs, playing in a 1v4, 2v3 mini-tournament. Winners play each other before moving onto the final 4 with the other remaining teams from each division.

So, how can we expect the Carolina Hurricanes to fare during the 2021 season? Well, there’s a lot to remember with this. For one, we can expect a lot of hatred. Every game will be within the division, meaning they play the other division members 8 times apiece. A gruesome road awaits with the format. Familiarity with opponents will be a key component when the playoffs come around.

There’s going to be a lot of depth use. The NHL has instated a 6 man taxi squad and a requirement of 3 goaltenders. This is going to be a season that rewards teams with solid depth and don’t rely on star power alone. As someone that has always been critical of the Canes forward depth, I’m skeptical, but I’m hopeful. This season is going to be a lot of fun.

Another thing to remember with this season is that the Canes are no longer forced to run the gauntlet that is the Metropolitan division. This is a FAR easier division than the Metropolitan, despite wielding the Stanley Cup Champions. This may be the best chance the Canes have to really remove all doubt about their role as Stanley Cup contenders, or even win the thing.

So, enough about the external factors, what about the Canes lineup itself? Is the roster strong enough to contend? Well, that is a mammoth question to try and break down. It’s going to be easier to go through this piece by piece, which is what I plan on doing. Tackling each aspect of the team before moving on to the next part. Let’s start up front.

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