Adam Proteau says the Carolina Hurricanes have questions about their new-look defense corps, their goaltending tandem and young star Seth Jarvis' upside.
Welcome to the latest edition of THN.com’s series of looking at the top issues facing each NHL team.
The focus now shifts to the Carolina Hurricanes, which continued to be a perennial Stanley Cup contender last season but once again suffered an early exit in the playoffs.
These are the key questions the Hurricanes face entering the 2024-25 season.
1. How will the Hurricanes’ losses on defense affect them?
The Hurricanes had one of the best, if not the best, defense corps in the NHL last season, but salary cap constraints forced out veteran Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei in free agency.
In their place, Carolina brought in experienced hands Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker. Although that trade-off still hurts the Hurricanes’ overall defense corps, there’s still more than enough know-how and talent to power this group to a top-two spot in the Metropolitan Division.
That said, Father Time will affect Carolina’s blueline soon enough, as veteran Brent Burns is now 39 years old, and Dmitry Orlov is entering the final season of his contract before he becomes a UFA. All in all, there’s a rapidly shrinking competitive window for this collection of D-men, but for this year at least, Carolina will once again have one of the better defense corps in the game.
2. Are Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen the best tandem in the NHL?
This is this writer’s opinion, of course, but while some would say Andersen and Kochetkov are right up there as one of the best goaltending tandems in the league, we’re not convinced.
The 25-year-old Kochetkov posted solid numbers last year, including a .911 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against average. Andersen’s numbers were better, although it was in limited action due to health issues, posting a 1.84 GAA and .932 SP in 16 appearances.
However, in the playoffs, Andersen’s save percentage dropped to .895 in 10 games, and Kochetkov had a .880 save percentage in one post-season game. Those numbers are not nearly good enough when Carolina knows it’s going up against great goaltending on divisional rivals, such as the New York Rangers and Islanders. Even having Jacob Markstrom on the New Jersey Devils now is worth paying attention to.
Andersen is entering a contract year this year, and at age 34, he’s got to show the team he’s worth a new extension. If he struggles, expect Hurricanes management to look elsewhere for another veteran netminder to work alongside Kochetkov. The Hurricanes are in win-now mode, and Andersen and Kochetkov must convert their regular-season successes to the post-season. There’s no more time to waste for them.
3. After Seth Jarvis signs his new contract, what does he do for an encore?
The 22-year-old Jarvis is an RFA at the moment, but nobody doubts he will get a lucrative raise from the entry-level contract he finished last season.
Jarvis’ 33 goals and 67 points were good enough for second place on the Hurricanes last season, and he’s nowhere near his prime, so it’s fair to expect him to get close to or past the 40-goal mark and point-per-game pace this coming year.
Jarvis is already one of Carolina's key drivers of offense, and there’s no reason he can’t improve on his 2023-24 numbers. As he matures into an elite forward, he’s got the skill and determination to hit new plateaus. The only question now isn’t when he elevates his game, but rather, how quickly he does it.
