Carolina Hurricanes: 2018-19 NHL Season Preview, Predictions
Projected Lineup
Italicized players are new. Rosters were created with the help of Roster Resource.
Forwards
Sebastian Aho – Jordan Staal – Teuvo Teravainen
Micheal Ferland – Victor Rask – Justin Williams
Warren Foegele – Martin Necas – Andrei Svechnikov
Brock McGinn – Jordan Martinook – Valentin Zykov
Depth forwards: Saku Maenalanen, Phillip Di Giuseppe, Greg McKegg, Lucas Wallmark, Janne Kuokkanen
Expect the Hurricanes to go a bit young as far as their forwards. This would be new, considering how most NHL teams prefer the “known” to the “unknown”. But the Hurricanes young forwards are really good and deserve a shot.
Their first line did very well last season, but it’s worth pointing out Aho and Teravainen did better without Staal. So maybe the Hurricanes should explore other options on the top line. Ferland has experience playing on the top line as a right wing, so he could get a shot there.
The second line is a bit questionable, as Rask is coming off a disappointing season. He did alright as far as possession, but he struggled away from Williams. If Rask can rebound, that should help. Ferland should be a nice option on the left side.
Their third line, if it’s as listed, is going to be sheltered, but should be a lot of fun. You have three talented young forwards, including their past two first-round picks. Foegele got a well-deserved cup of coffee in the NHL after scoring 28 goals in 73 games in the AHL. Necas has been dominant at every level and so has Svechnikov.
Zykov isn’t a traditional fourth line forward, but he needs to be in the NHL. He’s too darn good for the AHL at this point. Martinook and McGinn should help form an effective fourth line, which will be necessary with all the young players. Their depth forwards give the Hurricanes some strong options.
Defensemen
Calvin de Haan – Dougie Hamilton
Trevor van Riemsdyk – Justin Faulk
Depth defensemen: Haydn Fleury
I’m really curious to see what the Carolina Hurricanes do with their blueline because it’s stacked. Will they keep Pesce and Slavin, who have been extremely effective as a duo, together? Or will the new shiny car (Hamilton) get a shot with Slavin? Regardless of what they go with, they’ll have a pretty strong group of defensemen.
de Haan is an interesting guy to bet on, but if he’s healthy, he’s a very good defenseman. He’d benefit from having someone like Hamilton or Faulk playing with him, as offense is not his strong suit.
Goaltenders
Petr Mrazek
The Carolina Hurricanes have been plagued by bad goaltending in recent years. Don’t expect that to change in 2018-19, though maybe Darling will bounce back a bit. Mrazek should provide some competition for the top goalie spot and might even wind up winning it.