Carolina Hurricanes: 5 players under pressure next season
Carolina Hurricanes. Sebastian Aho. 4. player. 109. . Forward
Usually, a player being under pressure is a bad thing. But in Sebastian Aho’s case, it’s for a good reason. The 2018-19 season is his last year under his entry-level contract, which means he’ll be a restricted free agent after next season.
This will be Aho’s final chance to prove he’s deserving of a long-term commitment. In his first two NHL seasons, he has 114 points (53 goals and 61 assists) in 160 games. That’s pretty outstanding, but let’s put this in context. Since the start of the 2016-17 season, Aho ranks 59th in the NHL in points. He’s ahead of some pretty darn good players, including Logan Couture and Brayden Point.
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Aho will also be under pressure to improve. This is not his fault, as the Skinner trade has left the Hurricanes without known goal scorers. Sure, Andrei Svechnikov should be a huge help. But then again, he’s a prospect. An unknown. Aho and Teravainen are the only two returning players who scored at least 20 goals last season.
The Hurricanes have lacked goal scoring for so long. Aho is the guy they’ve been waiting for. The 2018-19 season is his time to erase any doubts the Hurricanes might have and to prove he’s fully deserving of a long-term extension.