Hurricanes season preview: Gostisbehere, Walker bring new look on defense

The 2024-25 NHL season starts Oct. 4. With training camps underway, NHL.com is taking a look at the three keys, the inside scoop on roster questions, and the projected lineup for each of the 32 teams. Today, the Carolina Hurricanes.

Coach: Rod Brind'Amour (seventh season)

Last season: 52-23-7; second place in Metropolitan Division, lost to New York Rangers in Eastern Conference Second Round

3 KEYS

1. Forward depth

The Hurricanes have some holes to fill after losing forwards Jake Guentzel (signed with Tampa Bay Lightning), Teuvo Teravainen (signed with Chicago Blackhawks), Stefan Noesen (New Jersey Devils) and Evgeny Kuznetsov (mutually terminated contract). But the departures created opportunities for returnees Jack Drury and Jesperi Kotkaniemi to play bigger roles as well as newcomers such as William Carrier (signed six-year contract), Jack Roslovic (one-year contract) and Tyson Jost (one-year contract) and 19-year-old rookie Bradly Nadeau.

"We lost some good players," general manager Eric Tulsky said. "There's no doubt that creates some headwind, but we have a lot of good players coming in and a lot of young players who are getting better."

2. Reconfigured defense

Carolina will similarly have to piece together its defense after losing its second pair of Brett Pesce (signed with Devils) and Brady Skjei (Nashville Predators). Fortunately, Dmitry Orlov, a top-four defenseman with the Washington Capitals before signing with the Hurricanes in 2023, was already in place to move up from playing on the third pair last season. With the top pair of Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns intact, the Hurricanes will need to find the right fits on their bottom two pairs for returnee Jalen Chatfield and offseason additions Sean Walker (signed five-year contract) and Shayne Gostisbehere (three-year contract) with 21-year-old rookie Scott Morrow possibly competing for a job.

3. Goaltending stability

With some potential adjustment time required for the new defense pairs, goalies Pyotr Kochetkov (23-13-4, 2.33 goals-against average, .911 save percentage, four shutouts in 42 regular-season games) and Frederik Andersen (13-2-0, 1.84 GAA, .932 save percentage, three shutouts in 16 regular-season games) might be busier initially than last season when Carolina allowed an NHL-low 25.6 shots on goal per game. Andersen staying healthy after the 34-year-old missed four months last season with a blood-clotting issue would help, but the Hurricanes have a safety net with Spencer Martin also under contract.

ROSTER RUNDOWN

Making the cut

Nadeau, Jackson Blake, 21, and Felix Unger Sorum, 19, will be part of the forward competition during training camp and the preseason, but they might need some seasoning with Chicago in the American Hockey League. Nadeau, who led Maine with 46 points (19 goals, 27 assists) in 37 games last season, and Blake, who led North Dakota with 60 points (22 goals, 38 assists) in 40 games, each played one NHL game at the end of last season and will likely play for Carolina at some point this season. Unger Sorum, who had 15 points (three goals 12 assists) in 35 games with Leksands in the Swedish Hockey League last season, probably needs some time to adjust in his first season in North America.

"I think we are going to have a healthy competition in training camp," Tulsky said. "I think there is a very real possibility that one or more rookies make the team out of camp."

Most intriguing addition

Gostisbehere should fit in seamlessly and could help Carolina's power play after he had 29 power-play points (two goals, 27 assists) and 56 total points (10 goals, 46 assists) in 81 games with the Detroit Red Wings last season. The 31-year-old is already familiar with how the Hurricanes play; he had 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in 23 games with Carolina at the end of the 2022-23 regular season and three assists in 15 playoff games to help them reach the Eastern Conference Final before losing to the Florida Panthers.

Biggest potential surprise

Drury had 27 points (eight goals, 19 assists) in 74 regular-season games last season with the Hurricanes while averaging 12:17 of ice time. The opportunity to play more and in a more offensive role could lead to a breakout season. The 24-year-old showed he can produce more in the AHL in 2021-22, when he had 52 points (20 goals, 32 assists) in 68 regular-season games and 24 points (nine goals, 15 assists) in 18 playoff games to help Chicago win the Calder Cup.

Ready to contribute

Morrow could probably step into the lineup this season and not look out of place but will have to beat out a veteran to play regularly. The 21-year-old got plenty of collegiate experience playing three years at the University Massachusetts, where he had a team-leading 30 points (six goals, 24 assists) in 37 games as a junior last season before turning pro and playing his first two NHL games.

Fantasy sleeper

Gostisbehere, D (average draft position: 155.6) -- He led Red Wings defensemen in points last season, 14 more than Moritz Seider (42 points in 82 games), who was second. Gostisbehere tied for 13th among NHL defensemen in points was seventh in power-play points. He could compete with Burns for first power-play usage and bring exposure to high-scoring forwards Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas. -- Pete Jensen

PROJECTED LINEUP

Andrei Svechnikov -- Sebastian Aho -- Seth Jarvis

Jesperi Kotkaniemi -- Jack Drury --Martin Necas

Jordan Martinook -- Jordan Staal -- Jack Roslovic

William Carrier -- Tyson Jost -- Eric Robinson

Jaccob Slavin -- Brent Burns

Dmitry Orlov -- Sean Walker

Shayne Gostisbehere -- Jalen Chatfield

Pyotr Kochetkov

Frederik Andersen

Injured: Jesper Fast (neck surgery)