2025 SUMMER COOLERS – THE CAROLINA HURRICANES | Conference Ceiling, Ehlers Boost,
The Carolina Hurricanes finished second in the metro in 24-25, 99 points, seven straight playoff appearance. They defeated the Devils in five games, the Caps in five games that we just mentioned, and then lost to Florida in the Eastern Conference Final in five games as well. They’ve had three conference final appearances in the last seven seasons. But Neil, this is a club that I look at and it’s a good team. They’re going to be in the playoffs every year, but there is an absolute ceiling in terms of how far this club typically can advance. It sure seems that way, Vic. And we say it every year, and you’ve been right on every year about this team and their goalending not good enough to get them very far in the playoffs. I think they’re built as a really good regular season team. I think if you’re a hurricane season ticket holder, you’re in for a great 41 home games and great watching them on TV during the regular season, but I don’t think they’re a team that’s built for the playoffs. They’re just not. You look at their front line this year, it’s going to be great. Nikolai Eers along with Sebastian Aaho and Andre Schnikov, that’s pretty good players in their second line with Jarvis and Jackson Blake and maybe Taylor Hall, who knows? And then you have a checking line of Martin Nook, Stall, and Stanovven. That that’s real good. So they’re solid. They’re deep. Their defense now they on defense Keandre Miller comes in. Let’s talk about that for a minute. There’s a they paid a big price and a big salary to to bring in Kandre Miller. I don’t think you and I think as much of Keandre Miller as that trade and that signing would be. No. And so let’s hit the additions for the Hurricanes because as you mentioned Miller comes in a trade with the New York Rangers in exchange for defenseman Scott Marorrow who saw a little bit of action during the playoffs last year. The Hurricanes also surrendered their first two picks in 2026. And then Miller signed for eight years, 7.5 million AEV. And then perhaps even the bigger story was Nikolai Eelers coming in as a UFA from Winnipeg. 6 years, $8.5 million per. And I think, Neil, this was a move that the Hurricanes had to make. They had to show that they could land a big fish in that Carolina market. But I think one of the things that you shared with me as soon as the signing was made, it’s great for Carolina, but he’s just another player in line of already what they have. And Eers scored 20 plus goals in eight of his 10 years as a Winnipeg Jet. He’s never reached 30. No. And but he’s going to have an opportunity to do that this year playing with these guys because if he’s ever going to do it, it’s going to be here. And I think that you’re right. The the thing about Eers is he’s a carbon copy of what they’ve already got. He’s good player. He’s he scores good offensively. He’s not a heavyweight. He’s not a power forward. He’s just more offense. And like I said before, I think during the regular season, they’re going to be awesome. I they’re I would say they there’s a good chance they’re going to win the Metro Division. That’s how good they are and with her with the Caps taking a step back as I just said. So, you know that and we’re going to have to see the development of KARE Miller. Is he going to develop? Is he going to get better than he was with the Rangers? Because certainly with the Rangers, he took a step backwards last year. I think everybody expected a lot more out of him in New York in 2425 than they saw. Couple of other ads that I want to get to because this is going to fit in with the rest of the discussion. Mike Riley comes in from the New York Islanders as an unrestricted free agent and goalie Kaden Primo comes in a trade with the Montreal Canadians. You’re going to get into a little bit of a side story after that. a lot of RFA UFA resigns. Taylor Hall, Frederick Anderson, Eric Robinson are the notable resigns as UFAs for the Hurricanes. The restricted free agents that are resigned. Logan Stanovven, as Neil had mentioned his name before, eight years, 6 million on average. Ryan Suzuki, the brother of Canadians captain Nick Suzuki, and Skyler Bindore, the center, the son of head coach Rod Bindore. So, little bit of an interesting thing here in that Kaden Primo and Skyler Bindore are going to be playing together and both of them have fathers that played for the Hurricanes. And this is amazing. Their fathers were traded for each other. And that put Rod Bindore into the Carolina Hurricanes to be the captain who held the Stanley Cup over his head when they won it in ’06. And of course that sent Kaden Primo’s father, Keith Primo, to the Philadelphia Flyers. And so for those two guys to play, it’s a second generation of Hurricanes for sure. I’m sure there’s a lot of pressure on Skyler Bindmore though when your dad is behind the bench. That must be something very unique. It’s so that we’ll see how that all turns out. Kaden Primo had some real good nights with the Montreal Canadians. So, let’s see if he develops, but they’ll be depending on that for their future. The Keith Primo Rod Bindore trade took place in 2000. And of course, Keith Primo, not to digress here, but he had some heroics scoring in that five overtime game for the Flyers against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs of that year. Let’s talk about the drops here because this is significant. In addition to tomorrow going to New York in the Keadre Miller deal, Brent Burns signed to the UFA with the Colorado Avalanche. And perhaps even more significant, Dmitri Olaf sides as a UFA with the San Jose Sharks. So when you look at the collective here, they lose Burns, Olaf, and a prospect in Marorrow and they gain Keandre Miller and Mike Riley. So where I’m sitting here, their offense is definitely better with the addition of Eers. The defense is worse and the goalending has not been truly addressed. It looks like it’s going to be Freddy Anderson, Pota Kachchekov, and then we’ll see what Kaden Primo can bring. But this is still not elite goalending in my opinion to get the Hurricanes anywhere beyond where they have topped out in recent seasons. Agreed. In the playoffs. So, let’s take a look at the defense. Here’s one of my worries for the Carolina Hurricanes on this and I want to see how this turns out. Brent Burns has been there for quite a while is a great example. The young players for the Hurricanes is first at the rink, last to leave. Workout ethic like nobody’s business. They weren’t going to resign him. He signs a one-year deal in Colorado. Now, we all know why. Because of his age. That’s what But when you lose a leadership person like that, let’s see how that affects their locker room. You’re right about Orlof as a defenseman. He wanted a long deal. He couldn’t get it in Carolina. He got it in San Jose. Morrow goes to the Rangers in the Kandre Miller deal. If you remember, Morrow and Nikeshan both had little cameos in the playoffs. Obviously, they felt that Alexander Nikkesh was the guy they wanted to hold on to. Yeah. And they let Morrow go to the Rangers in the Miller trade. So their defense looks like this. Kandre Miller, Jacob Slavven, you got to think, is their number one guy now. Alexander Nick is their young guy up and coming. Big question mark. Jaylen Chatfield has proven himself to be a good top four defenseman. You’ve got Shane Gosses Bear who’s a great power play defenseman for the point. And then Walker, who is also a very good top six defenseman. Mike Riley slips in, I guess, as their number seven as he was in and out with the Islanders after being claimed on waiverss from Florida. Their defense is going to be a question mark until it’s not a question mark because with Brent Burns and Orlov gone, I want to see how that affects this team. And like you said, with the goalending being suspect as it has been for the last couple of years, their defense has got to be good to cover up if in fact on nights when something goes in that shouldn’t go in. I’m going to be interested to see how Mike Riley does because he had the heart ailment. He had another issue health-wise last season. I think this is a good under the radar pickup by the Hurricanes and general manager Eric Tolski. And before I let the Hurricanes go, we’re talking about their offense. And I certainly don’t want the Kings fans angry at us because Seth Jarvis continues to be an outstanding center for the team. 32 goals, 35 assists, and 67 points. But again, Neil, right or wrong, this team is better or are they just the same as they were a year ago with No, I think they’re better offensively, Vic. I think that we’ve haven’t talked a lot about Jackson Blake. They gave him a big long contract. They really believe in him. He certainly showed signs last year. So when you talk about Eers, Aaho, Shretnikov, Jarvis, Blake, and then you’ve got the guys that can chip in on the third and fourth line like Martin Nook and Stall and Stanovven. They got a great group of forwards. They really do. I don’t question their forwards at all. And if anything’s going to carry them to the Metro Division crown, it’s going to be those forwards. They’re question marks. And guys, everybody has question marks. Everybody, let’s not get that. Let’s make that straight. The question mark is still in goal and now they’ve got question marks on defense because they made changes. They made changes to Brent Burns is gone. K. Andre Miller is in. Mororrow is gone as a seventh. Nikes was kept and has gone to San Jose because he couldn’t get a long enough contract with Carolina and he was also a great guy on the point. They must feel they’re okay with Shane Gospare who is a good point man on the power play. So in my mind that’s their question marks. I anticipate they’ll be in the running for first place in that division. Yeah, but what about after that? I can’t predict. I don’t think I don’t think they’re built like a playoff team. That’s the question then. They’re built like a playoff team, but they’re not built to be a Stanley Cup team. It’s just No, exactly. They’re Yes. They don’t play playoff hockey all year long like the Florida Panthers do. They play regular season hockey and they’re very good at it. But when the playoffs come and they get against an opponent who plays playoff hockey, they don’t have the ability to switch to playoff hockey. Work still to be done there, I believe, before we get to the trade deadline sometime next March.
In this Summer Coolers edition of NHL Wraparound, hosts Neil Smith and Vic Morren break down the Carolina Hurricanes’ offseason, their consistent regular season success, and the lingering concerns that have prevented them from reaching the Stanley Cup Final—despite three Conference Final appearances in the last seven years.
The Canes finished second in the Metro Division with 99 points in 2024–25 and made quick work of New Jersey and Washington before falling to Florida in five games in the Eastern Conference Final—again.
Neil and Vic analyze the team’s latest acquisitions, including the high-profile signing of Nikolaj Ehlers from Winnipeg, and the trade for K’Andre Miller from the Rangers. They also examine what’s lost with the departures of Brent Burns, Dmitry Orlov, and Scott Morrow, and how the defense corps now leans heavily on Jacob Slavin, Alexander Nikishin, and Jalen Chatfield.
The episode also features a fascinating side story: Rod Brind’Amour’s son Skyler Brind’Amour and Keith Primeau’s son Caden Primeau are now teammates—23 years after their fathers were traded for each other.
IN THIS EPISODE:
[00:00] Summer Coolers intro: Carolina Hurricanes outlook
[00:36] 2024–25 season recap: Regular season strong, playoffs stalled
[01:10] Forwards set: Ehlers, Aho, Jarvis, Svechnikov, Blake, Martinook
[02:00] Defense changes: Miller in, Burns, Orlov, and Morrow out
[03:00] K’Andre Miller’s fit and the high cost of acquisition
[03:43] Goaltending concerns: Freddie Andersen, Pyotr Kochetkov, Caden Primeau
[05:00] Re-signings and RFA updates: Suzuki, Skyler Brind’Amour, Stan Coven
[06:00] The Brind’Amour–Primeau trade connection, 23 years later
[06:50] Jacob Slavin’s leadership and Shane Gostisbehere’s PP role
[08:00] Are the Hurricanes truly better than last year?
[09:00] Why Carolina dominates the regular season but stalls in May
[10:30] The need for playoff-style hockey to break through
[11:00] Final verdict: Metro favorite—but Cup contender?
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
Carolina remains one of the NHL’s most consistent regular-season teams, but hasn’t been able to convert that into a Stanley Cup Final appearance.
Nikolaj Ehlers’ signing adds another skilled forward, but may not be enough to change the team’s playoff identity.
The defense is in transition, with Burns and Orlov gone and K’Andre Miller’s growth now a key variable.
Goaltending remains a concern, and a major question mark heading into 2025–26.
Carolina must learn to play playoff-style hockey earlier—and more consistently—if they hope to get over the hump.
