The Carolina Hurricanes have fallen from contenders to pretenders

Credit: Andrei Svechnikov (© James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports)

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In my eyes, the Carolina Hurricanes just went from Stanley Cup contenders to pretenders in the span of four days.

Carolina was shut out Saturday by the Vegas Golden Knights. And then again Sunday by the New Jersey Devils. Even more telling, in the previous game against Philadelphia, the Hurricanes could only manage to find the back of the net once in a 1-0 win over the Flyers.

That’s one goal in the past 94 shots for Carolina. Now, I understand my opinion might come across as a knee jerk reaction. But I’ve long thought the Hurricanes were something of a mirage. That no matter what the fancy stats said, Carolina had holes in the lineup.

It comes down to this: I simply do not think the Hurricanes have what it takes to win the Stanley Cup. And the past week has reinforced my belief that Carolina is heavy on compete level, but short on talent.

And you know what? I hate it. Because I like almost everything about the Canes. I think the team has a bunch of players – in different stages of their careers – worth rooting for. And I love the lunch pail identity that’s been fostered by universally respected head coach Rod Brind’Amour.

The Hurricanes attack opponents in waves. They hound the puck on the forecheck and defend relentlessly. But something is missing. And that something has been hiding in plain sight for years.

Carolina simply doesn’t have the offensive firepower. There isn’t one Hurricanes player that can take over a game single-handedly. And to me, that’s the X-factor every contending team has.

Go down the list. Boston has David Pastrnak. Tampa Bay has Brayden Point. Colorado has Nathan MacKinnon. Toronto has Auston Matthews. New Jersey has Jack Hughes. And so on.

Listen, I think Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho is an amazingly talented hockey player. I love watching him. And I think Andrei Svechnikov – who is currently out of the lineup due to injury – is pure entertainment. But let’s face it: it’s a problem when your team’s leading goal scorer, Aho, is currently 40th among league leaders. And the second place guy, Svechnikov, might be out for the rest of the season if his ACL is, in fact, torn.

You know who’s 11th in scoring? New York Islanders forward Bo Horvat. How about 18th? New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier. And what do those players have in common? Both were traded in-season this year.

If the Hurricanes wanted Horvat or Meier, they had the assets to make a trade work. Carolina has plenty of draft picks and some worthwhile prospects and roster players. Yet the team largely stood pat at the March 3 trade deadline, adding only defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere and a reclamation project in former Oilers second-overall draft pick Jesse Puljujärvi.

I was skeptical yet willing to see how things played out for Carolina. But it’s become increasingly obvious to me that the Hurricanes didn’t do enough to improve. Especially considering Max Pacioretty – who was supposed to be the missing piece of the offensive puzzle – won’t be back this season after tearing his achilles tendon for a second time.

Midway through the season, Carolina’s power play was languishing near the bottom of the league. Through Feb. 1, the team ranked 22nd league-wide with the man advantage. And although it has since improved drastically – mostly thanks to the emergence of Martin Necas – the team was in a position where a player like Horvat would have helped tremendously.

But now a new problem has arisen: the Hurricanes are struggling to score at even strength. In fact, since Jan. 1, the team is 28th in scoring during 5-on-5 play. And now with Svechnikov out indefinitely with a knee injury, Carolina is in a bad spot.

When teams around the NHL – especially in the Eastern Conference – spent at the trade deadline to acquire depth, Carolina largely held firm. And I think the team is particularly vulnerable to injury because of it.

That’s where Meier comes in. The Swiss-born player would have been a perfect fit for Brind’Amour. He plays with an edge and can flat out score. Meier is a complete player. And I think the Hurricanes would have been wise not only to acquire the winger, but extend his contract.

Admittedly, New Jersey put together a compelling offer for Meier. But if there’s a will, there’s a way when it comes to making trades in the NHL. I find it hard to accept the Hurricanes stuck to their measured approach and refused to take a swing this year at the deadline. Especially considering the team already has 43 wins in 64 games.

The other key thing that I can’t get over: I’m not sure how Gostisbehere fits. He’s gifted offensively and a dynamo on the power play. But his defensive shortcomings are well documented. And aside from a great first couple games as a Hurricane – when Gostisbehere had two goals and two assists in contests against the Arizona Coyotes and Tampa Bay Lightning – it hasn’t been pretty. He’s a team-worst minus-5 in his past four games. Can Carolina hide him at even strength? It might not be possible.

I can understand why the Hurricanes wanted a boost in offense from the blueline. But now they have two defenseman – Brent Burns and Gostisbehere – that are bound to make the goaltending corp nervous. Thankfully Burns is usually flanked by defensive partner Jaccob Slavin. But Gostisbehere doesn’t have the same safety net.

To me, I would have much rather seen the offense added to the forward unit. Horvat would have been a perfect fit. And Meier would have been an outstanding consolation prize. Instead, the Canes are betting big on their scoring-by-committee approach. Which sounds good in theory. But rarely plays out in reality.

I will, however, make one prediction: Pyotr Kochetkov will be a major factor in the postseason. Somehow, someway, he’s going to play. Antti Raanta and Frederik Andersen haven’t been able to stay healthy. And I think Kochetkov has an ‘it’ factor that neither of his goalie partners possess. He’s the goalie of the future in Carolina, but I also think he can make a difference now.

There is so much to envy about the Hurricanes franchise. A dedicated if not unconventional owner. Great leadership. Strong play on the ice. Amazing tailgate barbeques before every home game.

But unless a new offensive hero emerges, or the goaltending racks up a pile of shutouts during the Stanley Cup playoffs, I don’t see the Canes making it out of the Eastern Conference.

I hope they prove me wrong.

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The Carolina Hurricanes have fallen from contenders to pretenders

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