For the second time in three years, Carolina fell to Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals. This time, the ‘Canes won a game, but that victory came when they trailed 3-0 in the series. Until that W, Carolina had lost 15 straight contests in the ECF, so a victory is a moral one. The current roster is set up to remain in contention for several years, and while a few holes have been closed, some remain.
Carolina’s offensive and defensive performances were relatively close to the prior year. The Canes tallied 13 fewer markers and allowed 16 more, but the relative numbers were relatively close. While the squad was better offensively 5×5, the power play took a massive hit, dropping from second in the NHL at 26.9 per cent success rate in 2023-24 to 18.7% and 25th last year. The penalty kill also was off from 2023-24, dropping from an 86.4% success rate t0 83.4%, but the team moved from second to first in the league rankings.
Advertisement
GM Eric Tulsky has shown a willingness to be aggressive in the trade and free agent market while coach Rod Brind’Amour has his stamp on this team. During last season, Tulsky acquired Mikko Rantanen, who was to solve their offensive woes as their playoff sniper, from Colorado. Then when Rantanen balked at signing a long-term deal, he was flipped to the Stars in exchange for Logan Stankoven, two first-round picks and two third-round selections.
This off-season, Tulsky went further big game hunting. First, he agreed to a sign-and-trade with the Rangers, dealing first and second round picks plus Scott Morrow for Miller, who has tremendous raw talent but has struggled in his own end with mental and physical mistakes. Look for Miller to blossom like another ex-Ranger, Brady Skjei, did under Brind’Amour. Second, he signed Ehlers, long-rumored to be a Carolina target, to six-year, $51 million contract. Ehlers gives the ‘Canes a solid scorer from the wing.
In the past, ss Aho went, so went Carolina, but that could change given the scoring depth that now exists. His production fell of 15 points from the prior year with his goal production declining by seven. Driving that decline in output was a nearly 50% decline in high-danger changes from his average of 87 the past three years to 46 last season. Unless he finds a way to raise his shot quality, Aho could finish with under 30 goals for the second straight campaign.
Seth Jarvis, Aho’s linemate, had another solid year with 67 points for the second straight campaign. He was outstanding during the playoffs with six goals and 10 assists in 15 games, tied for eighth in NHL scoring. Both Jarvis and Aho should benefit from the presence of Ehlers, who has a strong chance to set a new career-high in points.
Advertisement
Svechnikov missed the 50-point mark for the first time in four years during the regular season, and he’s also missed at least 10 games in three straight campaigns. He rebounded to tally 12 points in 15 playoff games but the myriad of other scoring options could limit Svechnikov’s upside. Blake had a solid rookie campaign with 34 points and signed an eight-year, $45 million contract extension with the Hurricanes in late-July. Boding well for the future is Blake’s ice time spiked toward the end of the year, as he averaged 16:40 per game from the beginning of March onward. A spike in goals and assists is likely for Blake.
Stankoven’s value likely drops a little bit compared to when he was in Dallas. With so many mouths to feed, he may slot into the third line. Stankoven signed an eight-year, $48 million contract extension with the Hurricanes – seeing a pattern – on July 1. The long-term upside is there, Stankoven just may need time to reach it.
Slavin showed in the 4 Nations Cup that he is one of the best defensive defensemen in the league. Don’t expect a ton of offense from Slavin, who should end up between 25-30 points. The Ghost has tallied between 41 and 56 points the last four seasons, potting most of those points on the power play. Similar should be the case this season, though Carolina has other options they can deploy on the man-advantage. On that list is Miller and Nikishin, who is a true offensive defenseman and the future top point producer from the backline for the Canes.
Injuries have plagued Andersen the last few seasons and 2024-25 was no different, as he was limited to just 22 games. He wasn’t elite, posting a 13-8-1 with a 2.50 GAA and a .899 save percentage, but was the team’s #1 netminder down the stretch and in the playoffs. Andersen signed a one-year extension in May to stay with the Hurricanes for 2025-26. He will split time with Kochetkov, who went 27-16-3 with a 2.60 GAA and a .897 save percentage over 47 regular-season contests. Look for the two to split starts, impacting the value of both, but Andersen’s injury history makes him a risky bet.
Advertisement
Carolina finds gems in the draft almost every season. They traded both of their first-round picks, selecting goaltender Semyon Frolov and centers Charlie Cerrato and Ivan Ryabkin in the second round. Nikishin is the team’s prospect followed by Bradly Nadeau with Morrow in New York.
The Canes have a ton of scoring options up and down the lineup, making them a fantasy goldmine. On defense, target Nikishin and Ghost while Andersen and Kochetkov will both be viable options in net, just not #1 goalies.
Prediction:
If Florida is the class of the East, Carolina is just behind. The Canes are a well-balanced team but need a second line center. Beyond that, hard to find any fault with this team, especially if Nikishin ends up as good as anticipated.
Advertisement
The Hurricanes should get scoring up and down most of the lineup. Aho will have competition from Jarvis and maybe Ehlers to lead the team in points. Stankoven, Svechnikov and Blake provide secondary scoring while Staal does a little bit of everything. Nikishin will lead the defense in points and contend for the Calder. Kochetkov will see more starts than Andersen, notching between 25-30 wins.
All stats courtesy of naturalstattrick.com, moneypuck.com, hockeyviz.com, allthreezones.com, hockey-reference.com, eliteprospects.com unless otherwise noted.