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Carolina Hurricanes: 2021 Season preview

By Conor Power

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 08: Martin Necas #88 of the Carolina Hurricanes looks on during the first period in Game Five of the Second Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning at PNC Arena on June 08, 2021 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - JUNE 08: Martin Necas #88 of the Carolina Hurricanes looks on during the first period in Game Five of the Second Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Lightning at PNC Arena on June 08, 2021 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MAY 23: Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic #39 of the Carolina Hurricanes makes a save on a shot by Erik Haula #56 of the Nashville Predators during the third period in Game Four of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on May 23, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE – MAY 23: Goalie Alex Nedeljkovic #39 of the Carolina Hurricanes makes a save on a shot by Erik Haula #56 of the Nashville Predators during the third period in Game Four of the First Round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena on May 23, 2021, in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images) /

New look netminders

Carolina’s crease has been an area of instability since the team was brought into existence in 1997. It’s often been a revolving door of netminders. For example, the trio of netminders the Canes had last year! Any of them could have played on any given night. However, all three have departed the organization. With that in mind, let’s look at the goalies who have taken their places in the blue paint.

Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta are the two men charged with keeping pucks out of the net. This has been a major challenge for Raanta in the preseason seeing how the Finnish netminder has struggled. I do not know if it’s with the rust or if it’s just preseason and he isn’t putting as much effort into games that don’t matter. Either way, the Carolina Hurricanes have two very capable netminders.

Andersen has been the definition of a calming presence behind some very make-shift defenses in Carolina this exhibition season. With the Canes never really uniting a true top 6 for the netminder to get stability behind, he played well and made some very flashy saves. Andersen needs to continue to play like the netminder he has been in the preseason and the netminder he was in Toronto.

In Toronto, Andersen was overplayed and I think everyone knows that. He used to play 65 games a season and only get nights off when the team was on the second half of a back-to-back. But this team will not force him to play as much. Raanta is capable of sharing the net, plus there are some members of the Charlotte Wolves who could show their abilities.

Raanta is a netminder who just needs to stay out of the treatment room. he’s got the ability to backstop a playoff team. He’s only been a recognized starter in one season during his career and he put up a ridiculous number in terms of his save percentage. He’s more than capable of stopping pucks, he just hasn’t done it to this point because he’s always hurt.

He’s going to be asked to be a 1B here in Raleigh in all likelihood. That’s a very simple job for someone with the ability of Antti Raanta. With the Carolina Hurricanes traditionally running tandems between the pipes, Raanta will have a role to play within the organization. He’s also going to be asked to babysit some of the children on the team, especially the Finns.

This tandem is the question mark of the team. The Carolina Hurricanes organization will go as far as they are taken by their netminder. With the Canes netminders being the only question, I would love to know what you guys think! Talk to us on Twitter about it and we’ll reply! Tell me how you think the team will do.

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