Needless to say, given those names, it\u2019s been a hot minute.<\/p>\n
As crazy as January\u2019s score was, what was even more bonkers was the opponent the Hurricanes beat; the team that has been their kryptonite for the past three seasons. Led by Nikolaj Ehlers, who scored a hat-trick, with dominating plays from the defense to take control of the game, the final score was cathartic for fans who\u2019ve seen too many losses to the Panthers.<\/p>\n
#4 \u2013 Jesperi Kotkaniemi is Still a Hurricane<\/p>\n
After the Hurricanes were knocked out of the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals by the aforementioned Panthers, many fans and analysts alike believed they had seen Jesperi Kotkaniemi\u2019s final games in a Hurricanes sweater. Then, as the season began and trade rumors soared, his name was cast into the water, awaiting a bite. He was even scratched for a handful of games until he was brought back into the mix due to Eric Robinson\u2019s injury<\/a>. Some teams were rumored to have taken some nibbles at the opportunity, but shockingly, Eric Tulsky didn\u2019t reel anything in.<\/p>\n In a league starved of depth down the middle, Kotkaniemi is a quality centerman. Though his contract was once unsightly, the rising salary cap has begun to justify the $4.82M annual price tag just a bit.<\/p>\n Although he spent a significant amount of time on paper centering the second line, he never truly centered that line in Carolina. Jordan Staal\u2019s third line was technically operated as the second line per ice time, and still is. Perhaps the lack of production from Kotkaniemi during those seasons muddied the perception of his talent on stats sheets and has led to the lowered desirability in the trade market.<\/p>\n #3 \u2013 Andrei Freakin\u2019 Svechnikov<\/p>\n After he returned to play following the tear and recovery of the ACL in his right knee, it was clear \u2013 and expected \u2013 that Andrei Svechnikov would need time to get back into the swing of things.<\/p>\n As part of the process of trying to find his game, his play suffered, and earlier this season, he was placed on the fourth line as a result of it. The moment led to uncertainty for the Hurricanes\u2019 power forward, and rumors of trades from top insiders<\/a> hit social media like a hammer (though they were later refuted<\/a>).<\/p>\n However, when he was given a step up to Jordan Staal\u2019s third (or second, or whatever you want to call it) line, his game got the spark it needed. Eventually, after consistent performances, he was brought to the top line and has been on fire since.<\/p>\n With just 57 games played this season, he has already surpassed the previous two seasons in goals, with 21. Additionally, January marked a career high for him in scoring totals in a calendar month, with 19 points. Currently, for the team, he sits second in goals (21), just behind linemate Seth Jarvis (25), and second in points (49), behind his other linemate Sebastian Aho (57).<\/p>\n #2 \u2013 Division Leaders Despite Injuries<\/p>\n For some reason, this season has been brutal in the NHL. Many teams have dealt with injuries, and one of those lineups heavily impacted by injuries has been the Hurricanes.<\/p>\n Only recently was the defensive core able to see its full assembly, as roster mainstays Jaccob Slavin, Jalen Chatfield, Shayne Gostisbehere, and K\u2019Andre Miller missed a combined 72 games due to injury.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the forward group also suffered notable injuries, as Jordan Martinook, William Carrier, Seth Jarvis, and Eric Robinson have missed a combined 35.<\/p>\n In total, between just those eight players, 107 games have been missed due to injury. And that doesn\u2019t even count other notable players, such as goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov, who is expected to remain out until at least the end of the regular season<\/a> after undergoing hip surgery, and Charles-Alexis Legault, who spent three months out of play<\/a> due to recovery from a skate cut.<\/p>\n However, the Hurricanes have managed success in spite of the adversity they\u2019ve faced. Currently, they sit atop the Metropolitan Division and third in the league (78 points), just behind the Atlantic Division\u2019s Tampa Bay Lightning (also 78 points) and the Central Division\u2019s Colorado Avalanche (83 points).<\/p>\n #1 \u2013 The Brandon Bussi Show<\/p>\n By far, the biggest surprise this season for the Carolina Hurricanes \u2013 and perhaps the NHL as a whole \u2013 is the breakout success of the 27-year-old, left-handed goaltender Brandon Bussi.<\/p>\n Though too old to be considered a rookie or eligible for the Calder Memorial Trophy (thanks in part to 1990\u2019s 31-year-old Calder winner, the legend Sergei Makarov), Bussi has turned heads the same as any bright-eyed and bushy-tailed rookie would, as he has notched an insane 23-3-1 record in his first NHL season.<\/p>\n Originally claimed by Carolina off waivers from their rival Florida Panthers, he was acquired as a safety net (no pun intended, honestly). When Cayden Primeau hit the waiver wire, Tulsky snatched Bussi in preparation for the inevitable claim of the goalie they traded with the Montreal Canadiens for over the summer. A wise prediction from the Hurricanes\u2019 general manager, as the Toronto Maple Leafs did just that, pulling Primeau back to Canada.<\/p>\n With a complete unknown on the opening night roster, not many were sure what to think.<\/p>\n But no one really had much time to think before he hit the ice in the Hurricanes\u2019 third game of the season.<\/p>\n Since then, he\u2019s matched and broken record after record, from the Hurricanes\u2019 longest winning streak to claiming multiple spots as the \u201cfastest goalie to x number of wins\u201d in NHL history. It\u2019s been a wild ride.<\/p>\n Even still, with just 27 games under his belt, his play remains a small sample size. It will be fascinating to see how he gets back to his game after the 20-day Olympic break, but one thing that is sure is that he\u2019ll have Caniac nation cheering him on as he strives towards more wins, one shot at a time.<\/p>\n \t\t![\"avatar\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1771423886_711_ab783896b73f675bc93cb7c5b0a070ee9f363e9b6b751c7e80dcfd1fd7431eb5.png\")
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