Change Comes with the Carolina Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes will be an interesting team to watch this offseason after the New York Rangers eliminated them in six games in Round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

General manager Don Waddell has some big decisions to make. It was not the season the Hurricanes wanted to have. Despite finishing second in the Metro Division, the Hurricanes wanted more. It was hard to see them go down 0-3 and fall in six games after a bad third period in Game 6.

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Every team wants to win the Stanley Cup, but only one team can lift it. Carolina last lifted the Stanley Cup in 2006.

They have advanced to the Conference Finals three times, dating back to 2009, but have yet to win a game in the Conference Finals. Before we get to the free agents, their coach, Rod Brind'Amour, has been the talk of the coaching market.

However, it appears that Waddell and Owner Tom Dundon believe in Brind'Amour and his staff and will announce contract extensions for each of Kevin Weekes' head coach and his staff in the coming days.

The Hurricanes embody the way their head coach plays. If you had gone you would have seen a different style of play by the Hurricanes. Everyone knew that Brind'Amour wanted to stay. You are Carolina, and this group is very connected. He can benefit more than anything. Despite the program's talent, the Hurricanes lack a star.

Along with the coach, the Carolina Hurricanes have 13 players who will be free agents this summer. Nine will be unrestricted free agents, and four will be restricted.

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According to CapFriendly, the Hurricanes already have 13 players signed for next season, taking up $56.8 million in salary cap space. They have about $30.9 million in cap space to play with. Not all come back.

Carolina #Chaos offseason preview:
List: 13 (7F/3D/3G)
Cap Hit: $56.8M
Cap Space: $30.9M

Notable RFAs:
S Jarvis
M Necas
J Drury
D Coghlan

Notable UFAs:
T Teräväinen
J Guentzel
J Martinook
S Noesen
B Skjei
B Pesce
A Deangelo
J Chatfield
A Raanta

Draft:
1 of x1
2×1
The third time…

– CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) May 17, 2024

At the deadline, the Hurricanes decided it was time to trade the pending UFA players because their previous approach didn't work. The question is will the owner pay the dollars to keep the key players?

We know that there is a perception that the owner does not want to pay. You saw what happened with defenseman Dougie Hamilton. Hamilton ended up in New Jersey because the owner didn't want to pay $9 million to keep him. It could also be a trend to watch this summer for the Canes.

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Of the eight UFAs, DeAngelo, Antti Raanta, and Teuvo Teravainen are most likely to go to free agency. There is a possibility that Jordan Martinook and Stefan Noesen will do the same. But you have to think that Carolina will do everything possible to keep them.

However, the big question is what the Hurricanes do with deadline acquisition Jake Guentzel.

As NHLRumors.com reported via Dave Pagnotta of Season 4, the Hurricanes want to try to re-sign Guentzel. That's been their mindset since they acquired the Pittsburgh Penguins. Guentzel will lead the market.

Defenders like Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce will want to stay in Carolina as they are the core of that defense. However, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, it doesn't sound like the Hurricanes are willing to budge from the offer they made last year.

“Pesce didn't seem possible. They have told him what they intend to do last year,” Friedman said. “I think it was in the (five-year, $5MM AAV) range. It didn't work. I don't know that it has changed.”

So Pesce and Skjei could be out in Carolina, and that blue line will look different.

As far as RFAs go, you have to think Jack Drury and Seth Jarvis will get nice raises. Both could get bridge deals, while Jarvis could get a middling deal.

A name to watch is Martin Necas. On the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Elliotte Friedman said that GM Don Waddel will not be able to offer a contract to Necas, and they will look to trade his signing rights because Jarvis passed him up on the depth chart.

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And finally, do the Carolina Hurricanes stick with the goal they have or do they go in a different direction? We've seen how Frederik Andersen came back from bloodshed, but in the playoffs, especially in Round 2, he gave up some goals that cost the Hurricanes a series.

Andersen's .826 save percentage in the series wasn't good enough, and Waddel could consider finding a better playoff hitter in Carolina. The Hurricanes' goal has let them down every time they've been sent off.

So the Carolina Hurricanes have a lot of work to do this offseason, starting with the coach and down the line with free agents and pitching. It will be interesting to see how this team looks next season.