Line Change Needed for Jarvis

The Carolina Hurricanes have a star on and off the ice in Seth Jarvis. After being drafted 13th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft, Jarvis has taken the fast path to the NHL. More than half way through his 3rd season in the NHL at just age 22, Jarvis has made strong strides and seems ready to take off to new heights.

Already surpassing his career high in points with 46, the Winnipeg native is having a strong season. While this progress is strong, it is hard to think the former Portland Winterhawk forward could not take it to another level as soon as this year.

The talent on this team can help advance a young player like Jarvis but his linemates are not what you would call offensive-minded players. The captain, Jordan Staal, and Jordan Martinook currently play with Jarvis and are considered defensive players. They are not the ideal linemates for a point producer, while Jesper Fast is getting minutes on the top line with Sebastian Aho.

Sebastian Aho is the leader and top player on this team but he cannot do it all himself. The All-Star game representative for the Canes will not be able to pull this team to the Stanley Cup offensively. In the playoffs, the opposition will focus on Aho and attempt to shut him down with matchups.

Putting Jarvis back with Aho and Andrei Svechnikov would present the best option for not only the Canes' success but also for Jarvis to take a huge step in his career. Jarvis possesses the skill to score and dish the puck to his linemates. This is more the reason to have skill players around the 22-year-old and not aging veterans, far past their prime.

A dangerous line needs to be formed around Aho and Jarvis so that these creative players can play off each other and get the most out of their offensive gifts every shift. The rest of this team is built to play two-way hockey but without scoring, this team will fall short of its goal once again.

A player that could use an example of hustle and defensive responsibilities is Martin Necas. Another player who should be with other skill players but would get more out of playing with the veterans than Jarvis at this point.

To be clear, neither Necas nor Jarvis should be playing with Staal and Martinook but if it is done, it should have a purpose more than just spreading out skill on the lines.