The Carolina Hurricanes have had a strong season. They are second in the Metro Division with 70 points, behind the Washington Capitals, who have 84 points. Unfortunately, the Canes have dropped off in the last few weeks, allowing the New Jersey Devils to creep in and draw even with Carolina, having played two more games.
Head coach Rod Brind'Amour has established a culture in Raleigh that has always been about teamwork. His success throughout his tenure as coach has been due to consistency up and down the lineup. Every team has stronger players each season, but Brind'Amour's group is built to succeed with production from strong depth. Additionally, the system involved in Brind'Amour's concept takes time to learn and newcomers need time to get comfortable.
The leaders within the locker room have been around the team for quite some time and understand the culture, style of play, expectations and community. This has led to a smoother transition for many of the players that have been acquired by Carolina in the last few seasons. However, the best production has come from the players that have had an offseason to learn the organization. Players like Sean Walker, Eric Robinson, and Jack Roslovic were able to get off to a great start this season with the benefit of an offseason and training camp.
The benefit of having longer tenured players has been obvious over the last few years. This has allowed management to make impact acquisitions to take this team to the next level. As with many examples in sports, adding talent does not guarantee success. Last season, the Canes grabbed high-level players at the trade deadline but ultimately came up short of their goal.
This year, the team transitioned from letting some valued players walk via free agency. The expected step back was not evident to start the season as the team and newcomers got off to great starts. The team was back to the expected success and then first-year general manager, Eric Tulsky, took a big swing at acquiring Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall.
The team parted with a player in Martin Necas that had a history of issues with signing a long-term deal over the summer with the club. The trades and the Canes were the talk of the NHL for quite some time, but the chemistry has not been felt with the new players yet, and the break from the 4 Nations Face-Off extended that feeling. The Canes have won just 3 of their last 9 games and if this pace continues, they could be fighting for a playoff spot.
The beauty of the system built in Carolina is team success, not star power. Even if that has not won a Stanley Cup, it will provide sustainable success. So many players are on one-year contracts, and the continuing change will affect this group's production.