The writing is on the wall for all veterans in the NHL as it is becoming a young man's game. The Carolina Hurricanes have a strong, young core of players but still have some aging veterans in important roles. The big question this year will be if the health and production of these veterans can continue or cause a hindrance to the success of the team.
It all starts with your leaders and especially a team's captain. Jordan Staal is entering his 19th NHL season at the age of 36. With three years remaining on his current contract, Staal will be expected to provide, not only his leadership but production as a "shut down" center. The production and skillset is subsiding with age, which is why it was surprising that former general manager, Don Waddell, signed Staal to a four-year contract worth $2.9 million a season.
Since being drafted second overall in the 2009 NHL Draft, Staal has seen his offensive production slide but still provided excellent size and defensive efficiency throughout his long career. Only reaching the 50-point mark in a season, the Ontario native is not expected to put up many points this season. Last season, Staal saw his third-worst point total in 9 years with 10 goals and 30 points. More concerning was his -14 rating as the defensive center on the club.
With youth comes speed in the NHL and Staal has slowed significantly over the last few years. At 6'4 220 pounds, the captain can battle down low but is having trouble in the neutral zone keeping up with the speedier players in the Metro Division.
Another veteran on Staal's line, Jordan Martinook, signed a surprisingly large contract at age 32. His new three-year contract is worth just over $3 million a year. Martinook is a "glue" player that provides energy and defensive responsibility. He should be able to keep up with his play but health and offensive production are always a concern.
Brent Burns is playing in the final year of his current contract, which happens to be his 21st NHL season. At 39 years young, Burns has been able to play in all 82 games for the last three seasons. Like Staal, his speed and endurance have taken a slight dip but his production is strong.
No longer a 26-minute-per-game player who produces 60-80 points a season, the Barrie, Ontario native can still play a solid 20 minutes a night and put together 40 points a season.
The Canes have some strong depth in the system on the blue line but would it be enough if a player like Burns had a long-term injury or even saw a big dip in production? The hope is that is not the case but it is always a strong concern with the player pushing 40 years old.
The final player of concern is 34 years old and possesses an injury history of a 74-year-old. Goaltender, Frederik Andersen, is entering the final year of his contract and more likely his final season in Raleigh. The big, veteran goalie has had strong success in the regular season, when healthy but has yet to make his stamp in the playoffs.
Having played just 16 games this past season and 34 the prior season, Andersen cannot be relied upon to take the bulk of the starts between the pipes. His career high in games played was 66 back in 2016.
Despite the success, the Danish goalkeeper has undoubtedly shown his peak for the Canes. For that reason, I believe this is the year for Pyotr Kocketkov to jump into the spotlight. Andersen can play his 25 games as a backup and stay healthy while providing leadership.