I've mentioned a few times that the Carolina Hurricanes' change in fortunes can partially be tied to the night they moved up in the draft lottery in 2018. Of course, there's a lot more that really went into it, like Tom Dundon taking over the team, but bringing in Andrei Svechnikov with the second pick that year was a monumental moment.
Throughout his career, Svechnikov has shown flashes of what made him a coveted prospect. However, the 2024-25 season was arguably his worst, finishing with just 20 goals and 48 points in 72 games. He was better during the playoffs, but the Canes needed him to find that next gear. If he found it, the team would be in serious business.
After a slow start to his season, Svechnikov put together a career year
The beginning of the season was a nightmare for Svechnikov. He went pointless in the team's first eight games, and some rumors began to swirl. Even when he did finally get on the scoresheet, it took even longer for him to really get into a groove. Through 27 games, Svechnikov had just seven goals and 14 points, which wouldn't have been a good pace for him to be on for the remainder of the year.
From early December through the end of the season, Svechnikov was nearly a point-per-game player (52 points in 56 games). January was especially kind to him, putting up his first four-assist game and his fourth hat trick. Svechnikov reached 30 goals for the second time in his career, setting a new best with 31, and 70 points for the first time, finishing third on the team.
The first round came and went without Svechnikov recording a point, but his entire line was kept in check. He finally got on the scoresheet in Game 1 against the Flyers before adding a goal and an assist in Game 3. Still, there was a new level that he could reach. After two subpar rounds, Svechnikov had points in four of the five games against Montreal, scoring the overtime winner in Game 3.
In the Stanley Cup Final, Svechnikov finished third on the team with three goals. His goal late in regulation tied Game 3 to erase the 4-0 deficit and send the contest to overtime. In Game 5, Svechnikov sent the Canes back to Vegas with a series lead after a two-goal performance, scoring both on the power play and putting a bow on a great season.
Svechnikov will be asked to make up for Jarvis's lost production
Opportunities born from injuries aren't just created for those who will fill in for Seth Jarvis before he returns. Svechnikov, who spent most of the season on his opposite wing, will also be called upon to do a little more in his absence. The team can ill-afford for him to start slowly, as he did last season. Svechnikov needs to hit the ground running. If he does, big things should be in store for him this year.
The expectation should be at least 30 goals and 60 points for Svechnikov. He has never posted back-to-back seasons of either benchmark, and it might be even more imperative that he does it this year, given what they could be missing for an indeterminate amount of time. Hopefully, Svechnikov can do some serious damage on the power play after scoring a career-high 12 times last year.
While his scoring took a minute to come along, Svechnikov continued to be a true power forward for the group, recording 140+ hits for the fifth consecutive season. That side of his game remains in place, regardless of whether he's scoring. When he's not producing as much, Svechnikov loses his discipline, though he has gotten better at that. I would like to see both areas remain in top form.
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