Last season: 32-39-11; eleventh place in the Western Conference, did not qualify for Stanley Cup Playoffs
3 KEYS
1. Now or never
The Carolina Hurricanes have always been a team that has struggled to score goals, with last year being one of them with 207, the fourth-worst offence in the league. If the Vanes are going to have any success this year, then that pressure falls directly on the shoulders of star center Mathew Barzal. In 80 games last season Barzal scored 22 goals for a team-leading of 59 points. Mathew has been the man in Raleigh for 5 seasons now, and to be the man he needs to start playing like the man. Mathew needs to score at the very least a point-per-game pace if the Hurricanes hope to have any playoff hopes this year. The balance of the Canes season and his future lies on his stick.
2. Hold that spot
There’s no surprise that the Hurricanes have been rebuilding their defensive core through the draft with Luke Hughes (5th overall), Jamie Drysdale (4th) Noah Dobson (10th) and Ty Smith (14th). These four join Noah Hanifin and Rasmus Sandin to make up the D-core of the future. The problem is the future doesn’t also go as expected, As for the present, well only Hanifin and Smith are in the active lineup opening day. Skating beside them are a bunch of old fossils trying not to look like a turnstile and an amusement park. With an offensive core leaving the zone much earlier this year it’s a lot to ask of Zdeno Chara, Marco Scandella and Ian Cole
3. Goalies? We don’t need no goalies
The Hurricanes have begun the 2021-2022 season with two backup goalies manning the goaltending duties. Managing ice time and making sure the pair are rested between games is going to be the key if the Hurricanes can be successful or not. That’s also with the retiring question marks hanging over the head of one of them. When the GM gets his arrogancy that he can outsmart the SIM when the SIM has kicked his #@^ season after season after season. The Hurricanes must be betting on the idea that even a broken clock tells the right time twice a day.
Roster Changes
Players in
Alex Galchenyuk, Jeff Carter, Jordan Staal, Mats Zuccarello, Jason Spezza, Ian Cole, Zach Bogosian
Players out
Lucas Wallmark, Markus Sorensen, Carter Rowney, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Casey Cizikas, Colton Sissons
Hurricanes Lineup
'Canes 2021-2022 Season Preview
