Burnside: 10 Storylines Entering 2022-23 For The Carolina Hurricanes

RALEIGH, NC. -When we set out to outline the top 10 storylines surrounding the Carolina Hurricanes for the coming season, one of the jokes internally was that we better wait until the last minute - because with the Hurricanes things change pretty quickly.
It's a fair point, so with that in mind here are the top 10 narratives of the team's 25th anniversary season in North Carolina. But you'd better hurry up and read them because, well, things always seem to be a bit fluid around the team.

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Brent Burns, Motor Home And All, Are In The House

One of GM Don Waddell's top off-season priorities was to replace the hole vacated by Tony DeAngelo, a restricted free agent who was traded to Philadelphia at the draft. DeAngelo was a catalyst to the team's power play success, chipping in 51 points in 64 games. The production came on top of being one of the team's best players in a first-round series win over Boston, even if he seemed to struggle with his emotions in the second round against his old teammates from New York. He finished with 10 points in 14 playoff games. So, big skates to fill.
Safe to say that the addition of veteran Brent Burns more than fills that void and stands as one of the team's most important off-season moves. Burns has more points than any NHL defenseman since 2013-14 and looks to start the season paired with Jaccob Slavin, giving the team an imposing top pair on the blue line.
"We're still a pretty young team," Waddell said. "Our best players are young players and as you can continue to let them grow and supplement them with some key veterans, I think that's important for your franchise. The Burns thing, he might be 37 by his birth certificate but he doesn't play like it. He's one of the top fit guys on our team coming in here."
Within days of consummating the trade with San Jose Burns was in Raleigh, bought a house, returned home to collect his family and his motor home and was back on the ice with his new teammates.
"He lived in his motor home for the first month, so that was a real commitment from his end to get here, get his family situated and start training with our guys," Waddell said.
Burns, who has played his entire career in Minnesota and San Jose, admitted the newness of everything is a bit daunting - even for a veteran player. However, that's something he's embracing.
"Yeah, everything's different than what I thought it was going to be," he said during a training camp chat. "I know it's not easy. I think it really puts into perspective how hard it is for guys who get traded during the season. Everything that's happened so far has been as smooth and good as possible."
"Everything's been great, but yeah, I mean it's little things. Your typical spots to eat, your drive, activities, house, all those things. I think you just get comfortable, you take things for granted," he added. "I think that's one of the big things, why it's been good for me to have a fresh start and have nerves and a little bit of fear for the first time in a long time. I think it's part of it. I think it's going to take time, but this is a really special group of guys. I could tell that pretty quickly. It's a special place and I've been really lucky."

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Max-imizing the scoring and other Pacioretty things

One of the most disappointing parts of the Hurricanes' seven-game, second-round series loss to the New York Rangers was the inability to find enough scoring overall, and timely scoring in those critical moments after they had taken a 2-0 series lead. With the departure of DeAngelo, Vincent Trocheck (signed in New York with the Rangers) and Nino Niederreiter (signed in Nashville), Waddell made one of the off-season's biggest moves acquiring proven sniper Max Pacioretty from cap-strapped Vegas for future considerations. The fact Pacioretty suffered a torn Achilles tendon during pre-camp training was definitely a buzzkill, but the team has already pivoted to looking forward to his return in February, which makes him a de facto trade deadline acquisition months before the zaniness of trade deadline.
Waddell called Pacioretty, who has five times scored 30 or more goals in the NHL, the night before surgery.
"I said I feel terrible for you, but we can't change it now," Waddell said. "We're going to work with you to make sure we get you back as quick as possible, as safely as possible and get ready for that stretch. I've already said if his timetable is what we think it is in February, it's like our trade deadline acquisition where you don't have to go out and get somebody. You already have somebody you know is going to be a top performer for you."
"The depth is what I'm really kind of keen on," Waddell added. "We put ourselves in this position now where you lose somebody like Pacioretty for six months it's not like you're season's over. We shouldn't miss a beat. We should keep on going and when he comes back it's a big plus."

The Opportunity Wagon Stops Here

So, one man's mangled Achilles tendon is another man's chance to play top-six minutes and skate on the power play. The reality of the Pacioretty injury is that it creates all kinds of opportunities for youngsters like last year's rookie star Seth Jarvis, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Martin Necas, Jack Drury, newcomer Ondrej Kase and perhaps even Ryan Dzingel who returned to Carolina looking for a chance to re-establish his career. All of those players have high-end skill and all of those players feel they have something to prove to establish themselves, or re-establish themselves as bona fide NHL offensive players.
"It's going to give some of the young guys more of a chance," Waddell said. "This is where you get these opportunities and if you take advantage of it, you don't worry anymore and you know you're always going to have a good spot in the lineup. I think competition is good."
"The depth that we have right now is probably the most we've ever had at every position. That feels good going in," Waddell added.

Seth Jarvis Act II

Jarvis was so good last season - his points per game of .59 was eighth among all NHL rookies who played at least 41 games - that we felt he deserved a separate category. In some ways Jarvis' rookie season was the textbook evolution that all teams aspire to with their youngest players. After impressing at rookie camp and then making the big club out of training camp, Jarvis played a small role, sometimes in and out of the lineup, over the course of the first third or so of the season. But as time passed he earned more and more opportunities from head coach Rod Brind'Amour and the coaching staff. He finished with 17 goals, 40 points and by the end of the playoffs he was arguably the team's best and most consistent forward. So, now what? NHL teams all know well the story of rookies who take a step or two backwards in their sophomore year as they struggle to maintain consistency and meet growing expectations. While there is certainly a greater sense of comfort and a sense of place this year, Jarvis has made it clear he expects nothing to be given to him.
"It's nice to have a little more sense of comfort. Last year it was up until basically Christmas I didn't know where I was going to go or what was going to happen," Jarvis told us.
But he understands the culture in Raleigh does not include resting on laurels.
"Yes, it's nice to come in with a little more sense of comfort but my mentality and the way I come in here is the same still," Jarvis, 20, said. "I've got to work for everything. I've got to make sure I come in here every day and do little extra things just to keep progressing forward and keep improving my game."

Jarvis Redux?

While we're on the subject of Jarvis, who looks to start the season playing on what many would regard the team's top line with Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen, there looks to be room in the opening night lineup for another youngster in Jack Drury, 22, who was the 42nd pick in the 2018 NHL Draft. Unlike Jarvis, who made the big club out of junior, Drury has proven pretty much all he can at the American Hockey League level and was a catalyst to the Chicago Wolves' run to a Calder Cup championship last spring. During training camp Drury was in the Hurricanes' main group, which included pretty much anyone with NHL experience and anyone with a legitimate shot at making the team. Drury downplayed his place in that group, although he did say the experience along with Wolves teammates and Canes hopefuls Jalen Chatfield and Stefan Noesen is invaluable.
"I think we all built a lot of confidence off of that run last year," said Drury, who had 24 playoff points in 18 post-season games. "That helps you coming in here. Believe in yourself a little bit more and I think on top of that they have a great group here, such a good leadership core. The leaders on this team do such a good job including everyone. I'm grateful for that."
Drury is a natural center and based on early line options during training camp could be the fourth line pivot, although his skill set suggests he can move easily up and down the lineup. Not that he's looking too far ahead.
"It's a skill I've kind of learned in the past, how to stay present and not to look too far into the future. I'm grateful for those experiences because it's helped me out a lot right now where I'm not looking too far ahead just really staying day by day," he said.

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The Captain And The Captain's Future

You might have thought the fact Jordan Staal is entering a contract year, with all that brings with it, might have meant a place higher up in this list. But given how Zen both management and the player feel about this dynamic, it seems like a footnote more than anything else. Still, at some point and likely sooner than later, long-time agent Rick Curran and Waddell will hammer out a deal that makes sense for both sides.
"He's our leader on the ice. He's been a great player for us. He's a great person and we want him to play for however many years he's going to play and finish his career as a Hurricane," Waddell said.
"I think we'd both rather get something done sooner than later so it's not a distraction. But it's not like either one of us are sitting there, 'oh we've got to get this done today.' I feel confident we'll get something done," he added.
We caught up with Staal to talk about the coming season and reminisced about his first camp in Pittsburgh, when he was still just 17 and living for weeks at a downtown hotel.
"Chicken fingers were really good. Clam chowder I remember being good. I abused that menu pretty good," Staal said with a laugh. "I didn't leave the room a ton. I didn't know what was going on really. Walked down to Subway now and then."
Now he's watched Jarvis go through a similar thing last season and remains the cornerstone in the locker room when it comes to helping head coach Rod Brind'Amour implement his plan and that means beyond this coming season.
"I feel comfortable with where I'm at and I understand where the team's at. I know I can have a role here for a while and I want to be here and it'll work out," Staal, 34, said. "I'm not really worried about it whether it happens now or later, however it works I believe it's going to get done and I feel like I have some more to give in this game."

Go Time For Martin Necas

Earlier in this list we referenced the fluidity of the forward group with Pacioretty out until February. But herein we look at two particularly interesting players, not just for the coming season, but beyond. First everyone is aware of the struggles for Martin Necas and how there was a lot of talk about what his future might look like in Raleigh as he came to the end of his entry level deal in the off-season. Trade? Sign? As it turned out the Hurricanes signed the 12th overall pick in the 2017 draft to a two-year deal with a $3-million annual cap hit. Now, after scoring 14 goals and collecting 40 points in 78 games he's looking forward to taking a step up the evolutionary ladder this year, which is exactly what the organization is hoping from Necas as well.
"Last season was tough for me," Necas, still just 23, said. "I didn't do things that were expected from me and of course I expected way more from me as well. Some seasons are just like that. I was kind in a slump especially in the second half and it was kind of hard to get out of it. But now I signed here for two more years. I'm very excited for this team because it looks like we have a great group. It's always nice to play for a team that has ambitions to win the Stanley Cup. I feel like we have a good chance and I'm really excited."
Necas is a natural center who expressed his desire to play down the middle at the end of the season, but it seems from early training camp results that he will begin the season on the wing, likely with Jesperi Kotkaniemi in the middle and Andrei Svechnikov on the other wing. Regardless of where he lines up the expectations are definitely high for the skilled forward.

Go Time For "KK"

Which brings us to Kotkaniemi. A year ago the third overall pick in the 2018 draft was coming off a whirlwind summer that had seen him sign an offer sheet while still a member of the Montreal Canadiens. It was an offer sheet the Habs did not match. Another natural center, he played up and down the lineup and at both center and wing, but Kotkaniemi has settled back into what appears to be a natural fit down the middle. Having signed an eight-year extension with a $4.82 million annual cap hit there's little doubt about the team's plans for him long-term. But exactly how he fits into the lineup, well, that's one of the more interesting and frankly pivotal narratives of this coming season as he is going to get every opportunity to prove he's a top-two NHL center.
"I think for sure it was a little easier to come here this year. Knew all the systems and all the guys pretty much," Kotkaniemi said. "Last year everything happened so fast and in such a short time. But you know when I catch up with the guys and the systems last year, it was really good. Now when I came here I knew everyone so it's obviously I couldn't wait to get back here."
He knows that even though he remains one of the younger players on the team at 22, that's not a crutch vis a vis his development. "I think I just want to take that next step forward," Kotkaniemi said. "Prove to everyone, prove to myself, that I'm able to play those bigger minutes, be productive, and at the same time get some points, but mostly play a good two-way game at the same time."

Paul Stastny, Swiss Army Knife

Sometimes the missing piece isn't necessarily a high-profile fit but rather the proper fit. Veteran forward Paul Stastny fits that mold, and especially when Pacioretty was laid low early on Waddell looked for a subtle way to help fill the offensive void. Voila, Stastny who, at age 36, is coming off a 21-goal campaign with Winnipeg. Before Stastny signed a one-year, $1.5 million deal, he and Waddell and Brind'Amour spoke candidly about what his role might be in Carolina. Or rather his roles, plural.
"When we were signing him, we were talking to him for a long time," Waddell said. "Rod and I were saying he's a utility knife as far as he can play pretty much anywhere. I know probably his best position is center."
But he may end up playing the wing, as per some of the aforementioned discussions about the fluidity of this lineup. Stastny knows that. He doesn't particularly care. And he took a good long, measured look at his options before signing with the Hurricanes.
"I've been through it. I know it's a long season," Stastny said during a recent interview. "I know there's going to be line juggling to see what works. I talked to Rod and at this point in my career, if I play wing, you're playing with a good centermen. If I'm playing center, you're playing with good wingers. If you look at the roster here I think it's not just top-heavy. I think you have four lines that can all play, all bring something different to the table and ice time is spread out pretty evenly. That's why I think that's why this team's so hard to play against. Everyone comes at you."
If we had to guess we'd say Stastny ends up playing on a line with Jordan Staal and Jesper Fast to start with, but that he'll get a chance to work his way up and down the top nine and onto one of the two power play units.

And Finally, The Goaltenders

Last season, of course, was the ultimate in goaltending yin and yang. The Canes went with a completely new goaltending duo of Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta and Andersen roared out of the gate after the Canes signed him as an unrestricted free agent, winning his first eight starts. Raanta played meaningful games, most notably in the second half, as the duo won the William M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the NHL. But Andersen injured his knee late in the regular season and missed the entire playoffs. Raanta, playing the most playoff games in his career, delivered yeoman work in relief but was banged up by the end of the second round. Our good pal Mike McKenna at Daily Faceoff.com has the Hurricanes as the fifth-ranked goaltending tandem in the NHL and with good health no reason to expect the team shouldn't be in the hunt for another Jennings. There's also the presence of uber prospect Pyotr Kochetkov, who wowed them at the American Hockey League level with the championship Wolves. He also performed well in his first NHL competition when pressed into service late in the regular season.
"We're in a different situation now with Kochetkov coming," Waddell said. "We think we should be in pretty good shape there for a long time, too."
As for looking ahead to what a healthy Andersen/Raanta tandem might provide in the playoffs or conversely wondering what might have been had the duo been at full health? Woulda, coulda, shoulda.
"It's always back of your mind about all of your players, particularly key positions like that, but again, I can't do anything to prevent it," Waddell said of the injuries, especially to Andersen. "What's going to happen is going to happen. The good thing is Freddie put in a great summer, came in here, he's well-healed and very prepared. You hope that things that have happened in the past are behind him," Waddell said. "You can say the same thing for Raanta because he had some history with injuries. He came in here and missed a couple of games here and there, but played I think the most games in a row at a critical time for us. What's happened in the past is the past. I keep saying it. Moving forward we just feel like the position we're in gives us the best chance right now to take that next step."
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