I Have But Three Questions About This Season, And No Answers

The season is around the corner. The Hurricanes have preseason games this month, and the regular season will get going right after that. Still there are questions I think only the season can answer.

First and foremost in my mind is the goalie situation. The Hurricanes, if you have been counting, have three. Frederik Anderson and Antti Raanta both got respectable resigns and the Hurricanes have the always entertaining Pyotr Kochetkov on a four year deal inked last year. Depending on the Caniac, it is obvious who needs to stay on Carolina’s roster. One thing most everyone will agree with is Raanta being a perfectly capable back-up, with the ability to shine whenever he is called on.

But that leaves the other factions to duke it out over the #1 spot. PK had flashes of goaltending brilliance last year. Andersen is the odds on #1 with an edge in big game steadiness. Questioning either camp for solid answers to back up their choice is a lesson in futility. They are rabid with facts and figures to support their claims.

Personally, I have never blinked in my support of Kochetkov. He was huge in the playoff run two seasons ago, and has come in with authority when Andersen is inevitably hurt. My stats back up my claim that PK wins more periods for the Canes, and when goal scoring faltered last year that was critical. Kochetkov had 4 shoutouts to Andersen’s 1 last year, which backs up everything I say.
Plenty other “fun”dits out there have their evidence. Questions to their claims are typically met with a dismissing of the questioner’s credibility but hey, that’s out it goes.

Tony DeAngelo raises his own set of questions that frankly are annoying to even have to ask. His signing with the Canes and the costs of paying Philadelphia to take out their trash, and the trash itself are still puzzling to many a Hurricanes fan. Scoring every other shift might be the only thing that placates my objections. Whatever parameters you want to use as a measure of success with TDA, they had better be through the absolute roof, or it was completely a waste of time on the part of the Hurricanes. The guy was set to go play in Russia. That alone should raise questions.

Finally, I have questions about which Hurricane will bustout this season as the #2 in goal scoring. Clearly, the odds on favorite to be #1 is Sebastian Aho, but who follows up in the shotgun seat remains unseen.

Any one of Carolina’s forwards would be exciting. Seth Jarvis would be equal parts hysterical and amazing. If Teuvo Teräväinen bounces back from a moderately disappointing season, it would be redeeming. Jesper Fast has the potential to be excellent, though I really think he knows exactly where to be when he is needed the very most. Martin Necas could pick up the pace and has it within his talent to be the top goal scorer if he wants.

That’s just the offense. It could be any of the 10 dozen defensemen Carolina has picked up this offseason. I can already hear now the questions Rod Brind’Amour will face until the lines are set with the defense, but it is a real dealer’s choice who lines up next to whom. And who puts just how many biscuits in the basket. Brent Burns certainly had a great season last year and was in the team’s top five in scoring. If Brett Pesce is still a Hurricane, he could make a strong showing.

We can ask questions until we are blue in the face, but we won’t know the answers for sure until someone has taken the Stanley Cup over to grandma and let her drink prune juice and vodka out of it.