Here is how I think Carolina and Florida can make it back to the playoffs and maybe even the final four next year even though the Panthers have major cap issues to deal with and Carolina needs to figure out how to rework their offense.
Carolina Notable UFA’s: Vincent Trocheck, Nino Niederriter, Max Domi, Derek Stepan, Josh Leivo, Ian Cole, Brendan Smith
Notable RFA’s: Martin Necas, Steven Lorentz, Tony DeAngelo, Ethan Bear
Draft Picks: CAR 2RD, CHI 3RD, CAR 4RD, CAR 5RD, CAR 6RD, ANA 6RD, CAR 7RD, COLU 7RD
Why did they exit the second round.
The Hurricanes were able to win the Metro Division after a outstanding season in which they got 116 points and they were able to sneak past the Boston Bruins in 7 games in the first round but blew a 2-0 and 3-2 series leads in round two to the New York Rangers and wound up losing in 7 and while they played some really good hockey this year there are a few reasons I think as to why they left the playoffs in only the second round. First off was the fact that they couldn’t find their game while playing on the road in the playoffs. The Carolina Hurricanes were able to make to round two because they had the home ice advantage as they lost Game 3,4 and 6 in both the first and second round and it halted 2-0 and 3-2 series leads in both rounds and the fact that they couldn’t win one single game in 6 opportunities including twice to put the series away was really the biggest reason they are out of the playoffs in the second round in my opinion.
Secondly was the fact that in the second round their offense fell flat on their face. In the Bruins series they were able to score a lot of goals scoring at least 2 in every game and 3 or more in 4 of the seven games in the first round and then in the second round were only able to score 3 goals once and they were able to beat NYR because of their amazing defence and not because they were outscoring the Rangers, so the fact that the couldn’t score more then 2 goals in the second round is another reason they are eliminated. And finally would be the issues with having healthy goalies. The Hurricanes played all of their 14 playoff games without starter Frederik Andersen who was their starter in the regular season and a big reason why they had the least of goals scored against them and they had to start Antti Raanta in most of the games and while he played well, he didn’t play to Andersen’s level and when it mattered most in game 7 of round 2 he himself got injured and the Canes couldn’t defend with the 3rd string goalie in net so given the fact that they had injuries at unfortunate times were all reasons as to why Carolina exited the second round.
How can they improve in the offseason.
The Hurricanes were able to have a amazing season as they were able to hit a amazing 116 points and got past the Bruins in the first round but after their road woes hurt them in the first round it, wound up killing them in the second round as they wound up losing to the Rangers in 7 games and while they did have a very good year, I think that they can do a bit in the offseason to keep up being a dangerous playoff team.
First up is goaltending where I see them making at least one significant move in the offseason. One of the Canes undoings in the playoffs was the fact that they had two goalies who were both injury prone and both sustained injuries so I wouldn’t bring both goalies again next year especially since both are pending UFA’s. So in my opinion I think that they should keep Andersen as their 1A because he was the main reason they let in the lowest amount of goals in the NHL and I think if Andersen wasn’t injured then they might be playing in the Confrence Final so even though he has a injury riddled history and is entering the Final year of his deal I still think he will be the starter next year. And for Raanta I would think he gets traded because they need a different backup next year who won’t be entering the final year of their contract next year and after his good play as backup and brilliant play in the playoffs I would totally suspect that they will move him and get quite a good return for him. So then with now backup goalie I would think that they either bring in a goalie in free agency or via trade who they can have for the next few years so that if Andersen leaves next year they still have a goalie or the other option would be to bring up Kochetkov or Makiniemi to be the backup cause both had really good years in the AHL and Kochetkov had some NHL experience this year but I think that a young goalie as backup could also be there for Carolina. So to recap I think they keep Andersen as starter and move Raanta for a decent package and then either bring in a goalie with at least two years on his contract who is a decent backup or have Kochetkov be the backup next year with Andersen.
Next to the defence where I don’t think they will change any of there top 4 this year. The Hurricanes had a amazing defence once again this year and I will start by saying that the Skjei and Pesce shutdown pair will remain as the Hurricanes second pair next year. These two players have done great since Skjei was brought in and they have not only been offensive but are their top shut down pair and with both still signed for two years I think that they can still be a good pair next year. Then I would suspect that Jaccob Slavin will remain the top defender in Carolina as he had a career high in points this season having just over 40 and is still signed for a few years and given his amazing play should absolutely remain their top defensemen and play on their top pair and I think that as much rumours about him leaving have popped up I do believe that the Canes and DeAngelo will come to terms on a extension. DeAngelo had a amazing year in Carolina almost getting his careee high this season with a astounding 51 points and I think that he would be willing to sign a extension as he is a RFA and I think would get a new deal that is between 3-4 Years and at a cap hit of around $4 and 5 Million dollars per year and I think that with his amazing fit on the top pair with Slavin that he would be back on that top pair next year and have no doubt he will get a contract extension. Now for the 3rd pair I don’t see Cole or Smith coming back on the defensive side as they are pending UFA’s and I also don’t believe Ethan Bear will be back. Bear was brought in last year to help offset the loss of Hamilton but DeAngelo filles that role nicely and by mid season Bear was being a healthy scratch as he only played in 58 games putting up 14 points and either they don’t qualify him and he leaves as a free agent or they move him to another team via trade but I am sure that he won’t be back with Carolina next year. And then they would need to go out and either sign or trad edit two or three defensemen who are capable of playing on the 3rd pair because I don’t see any internal options for the 3rd pair for next season and I think if they can get a bit of a younger forward who would fit well on the 3rd pair and then get a more older defensemen to pair with him then that would make their 3rd pair better then this year in my opinion. So to recap have Skjei and Pesce remain as your 2nd pair, have Slavin continue to play top pair minutes with DeAngelo who I believe will get a new contract as a pending RFA, then don’t bring your UFA’s back and either don’t qualify or trade away Ethan Bear who didn’t fit in well with the Hurricanes, and then bring in 2 or 3 new defensemen who can play on the Hurricanes 3rd pair and help this team and if they do these moves I fully believe they will be a even better defensive team then last year.
And finally to the offensive side where they are reportedly looking for a offensive upgrade and have two really big UFA’s to make a decision on. So Carolina’s offense dried up in the second round and should try to figure out how they can get their team to be more offensive next year but I wouldn’t touch the top line. After another good year from Svechnikov who had a career high 69 points in the regular season and Sebastian Aho who is now two years away from being a free agent and was a mere 2 points shy of a career high in points this year should both remain on the top pair for at least the next few years. And I would pair them with Jarvis who at the start of the year wasn’t even sure he would be a regular NHL player this year but finished the season with 40 points in 68 regular season games and was a regular in Carolina’s top 6 and after his staggering improvement I suspect playing him with Svechnikov and Aho would be a smart move. Now I would expect Captain Staal and Fast who made up 2/3rds of Carolina’s shutdown line and the 3rd line will both be back in the same role as shutdown 3rd line forwards even though there is uncertainty on their next contracts as they both are entering the final year, and I think that Teravainen will remain a top 6 forward and probably play on the second line on the left wing. Now I suspect that one and only one of the two big pending UFA forwards will remain and one will go as I think that Trocheck or Niederriter will stay with Carolina. Now I feel that if they were to sign Niederriter then he would go to play back on the third line and Kotkaniemi would take Trocheck’s spot on the second line while the Hurricanes would go out and acquire a scoring forward either via free agency or in a trade to improve their offense, or they let Niederriter go and sign Trocheck to a extension where he can keep on playing with Teravainen on the second line and have Kotkaniemi play on the third line where Niederriter was and then acquire the scoring forward to play on the second line. Now I think that you keep Martinook with Lorentz on the fourth line and then have either a young player like Bokk or Gubler play on the fourth line or maybe sign a veteran or two to play Martinook and Lorentz on the fourth line and finally I think that after Necas fell to being a 4th line player this year I think that Carolina trades him and uses him in a trade to acquire scoring forward as he is a good player but as a underperforming RFA might welcome a fresh start. So to recap keep Svechnikov, Jarvis and Aho as their top line for the next year, then have Teravainen play on the second line with Fast and Staal then back on the third line, then they either resign Niederriter to play on line 3 or Trocheck to Center line 2 but not both, have Kotkaniemi play in either second line Center or 3rd line wing depending on who is brought back and then bring in a scoring forward who can play on the second line and bring a nice scoring element to the Canes. Then have Martinook and Lorentz play on the fourth line with either a young player like Bokk or Gunler or sign a depth forward to work on the fourth line and trade away pending RFA Necas who could use a fresh start, maybe even in a deal for the new forward and I think that if they do all of this then then they can not only get back to the playoffs but even get to the Confrence Final next year.
Florida Notable UFA’s: Claude Giroux, Mason Marchment, Noel Acciari, Maxim Mamin, Joe Thornton, Ben Chiarot, Robert Hagg, Markus Nutivaara
Notable RFA’s: Eetu Luostarinen, Alexsi Heponiemi, Lucas Carlsson, Matt Kierstad, Jonas Johansson
Draft Picks: FLO 3RD, FLO 4RD, FLO 5RD, FLO 6RD, TOR 6RD, FLO 7RD
Why did they miss the playoffs.
The Panthers has one of the best NHL season in a long time as they hit a astounding 122 points this year which was good enough for the top spot in the NHL and the President Trophy and while they had a bumpy start in round 1 against Washington they were able to win 3 straight and the series but it came to a screeching halt in round 2 as they would get swept by the back to back champions Tampa, so while they had a pretty good year there are a few reasons why I think that the Panthers fell in the second round. First I think that their offense drew a blank and could not find their scoring touch they had in the offseason. The Panthers had a absolutely phenomenal offense this year putting up a staggering 337 goals in the regular season but it really dried up in the playoffs and the only reason they got out of round 1 was because of the outstanding play from Verhaeghe and Giroux but when it came to round 2 the offensive struggles showed as they only scored three times against Tampa and the big guns didn’t produce at all as Barkov only had 7 points, Huberdeau had 5 as well as Ekblad and only Verhaeghe, Giroux and Reinhart scored more then 2 goals in the playoffs so the offensive woes really in my opinion were the leading reason they were eliminated. Secondly would be the fact that their power play was a absolute flop in the postseason. After having a pretty good power play in the regular season (tied for 5th at 24.4%) they found out that they couldn’t put the puck in the net in the postseason as they went 1 for 31 on the power play in the playoffs for a mere 3.2% and didn’t have a power play goal in their first 8 games and while they were able to get by Washington without a PPG it was a completely different story against Tampa. And finally the fact that the Lightning plainly out willed the Panthers to a series win. The Bolts had the complete will to win in round two as they were winning more board battles and blocking a ton of shots whereas the Panthers never played at that next level in round two and weren’t able in my opinion to get a leg up on Tampa in the series and these are the three biggest reasons why the Panthers were eliminated in the second round.
How can they improve in the offseason
The Panthers had a pretty awsome season as they had the best record in the NHL this year to win the Presidents Trophy and had a legitimately scary offense and while the offense slowed down in round one against the Capitals but the heroics of Verhaeghe led them to their first series win in a long time but their success was short lived in the second round as they faced their state rivals and badly lost getting swept by Tampa with their offense nonexistent, but here is how I think they can improve so that they can get back to the playoffs next year.
First with their goaltending as I know a lot of people might want change at this position but I would say they make no moves to the goaltending position. Now I know that reports have come up recently that stated that earlier in the current season the Panthers were trying to move on from Sergei Bobrovsky and that they would continue to try and do so this offseason but a Bobrovsky trade in my opinion is not in the cards. Bobrovsky had what I would say as his best year in a Panthers uniform this year as he had a 2.67 GAA and a .913 SV% which were by far his best stats in his 3 year tenure with the Panthers and had a decent playoffs too, as he had a 2.70 GAA and a .910 SV% and 4 wins in 10 playoff games but due to his enormous cap hit of $10 Million dollars over the next 4 seasons and the Panthers cap at just under $4 Million dollars this year there have been rumours that the Panthers are better off without him. Now if they were to consider a trade like this then I would suspect they would have to retain somewhere between $2.5-3 Million dollars on his contract to make a trade work because a team would not want Bobrovsky over $7.5-8 Million dollars for the next four years. Then you trade him and while you have Knight you would still need another goalie probably somewhere between $2-4 Million dollars per year, so you have just saved between $3-5.5 Million dollars but have dead cap on the books and not as good a tandem as this year so in my eyes I suspect that at least for this year that Bobrovsky will be the 1A goalie. Then I would keep Knight as the backup as he has been a outstanding backup and I think is ready to start taking more games away after playing in 32 this year and having good numbers. He was drafted in the first round which many goalies aren’t and can play brilliantly and is a year away from needing a new deal so I would keep him as 1B and see if he can keep up with playing as good as Bobrovsky has been recently. So to recap as much as there has been speculation out there about a Bobrovsky move, I think Bobrovsky will stay as 1A and Knight will continue to play behind him as 1B.
Next on the defensive side I think they will make some changes to the group but not many big ones in this offseason. First I would say that they continue to have their best defensemen in Aaron Ekblad to play on the top pair as he is still signed for a few years and I think that he is still there best defender. Then I would have Mackenzie Weegar continue to play top pair minutes with Ekblad after having a career year in goals and points this year as he had 44 Points and I know he is a year away from being a UFA but I do believe a extension is more likely then him being traded so I would say he stays. I also predict that Forsling and Gudas remain the 2nd pair as both are on relatively good deals and Forsling I think is a very underrated defender and is a really good player and he plays really well with the more physical Gudas so even though they could move one of them I think they remain to play on the second pair. Then I would move Montour who I think is going to be a cap casualty as he has 2 years left on his contract at a $3.5 Million dollar cap hit and you can’t have a 3rd pair defensemen being your second highest paid defensemen like Montour’s and given the amount of cap space they need I have a feeling that he will be a cap casualty and be moved. Then sign two defensemen to ply on the 3rd pair but with their limited amount of cap space those two cap hits combined would have to equal less then $3 Million dollars and after that they should also give a young player a shot to play on the 3rd pair such as Carlsson or Kierstad but I think they will be a couple of additions to the bottom pair. So to recap have Ekblad and Weegar continue to play on the top pair with a extension to be discussed, then also keep Forsling and Gudas as the second pairing while they move Montour who will become a cap casualty and bring in two cheap defenders who can play on the 3rd pair and also give a younger player like Carlsson or Kierstad also have a chance to play on the 3rd pair and if they do all of this I think they would have a pretty good chance to be a good defensive team next year.
And finally with the offense as I feel that due to their cap problems that they won’t make too many changes to their forward group. So to start I would say that Barkov and Verhaeghe who are entering the first year of their new contract extensions will continue to play on the top line after Barkov had a outstanding regular season and Verhaeghe was by far the best player in the playoffs and I also think that keeping Duclair on the top line would be smart because even though Duclair isn’t as offensively gifted as the other two he is still signed at a reasonable cap hit for the next few years and I think would do great with those two. Then I would have Huberdeau and Bennett play on the second line as those two have spent the majority of the time together since Bennett was acquired by Florida a few deadlines ago and I would think that Bennett will probably Center and Huberdeau will play wing after having a amazing year putting up 115 points and I don’t see the Panthers exploring the trade market for him because I think a extension is a much more likely scenario so that duo will definitely play on line 2. Then after a great rookie year where he had 44 points in 65 regular season games I believe that Anton Lundell will continue to be a impactful 3rd line Center for the Panthers as he showed this year that he is a great NHL forward and I think that Reinhart will join him on the third line after a successful first year in Florida where he had a career high 33 goals and 82 points in the regular season mostly playing with Lundell and I don’t see that changing next year. Then to fill out the top nine I would say that young rookie Grigori Denisenko will take a spot and mostly likely on the 3rd line as he had a pretty good year in the AHL and on top of that is a very good cheap forward which they desperately need and then go out and get a free agent forward or a forward in a trade as I feel if they could get a forward who can play a middle six role decently and come with a cap hit of somewhere between $2-3.5 Million dollars I think they would take that and if it is at around that cap hit I could see them bring back Giroux, but if he wants more money then I seriously see them adding a different middle 6 forward. Now to create the cap space they need I think they will gladly move on from the Patric Hornqvist. Hornqvist is entering the final year of his deal at a cap hit of $5.3 Million dollar cap hit and I think that even though he is a really good bottom six forward his contract will make him a cap casualty and I think I’d they could move his entire cap hit to a team like Buffalo or Arizona it would be preferable, but I think they could retain up to $1.3 Million on his deal which would make the contract at $4 Million and I think more teams would be interested to that and they would still clear a lot of cap space but I can’t see Hornqvist be with the Panthers next year. Then I would have Lomberg and Luostarinen who is a RFA who should both be on relatively cheap contracts and are really valuable players should definitely be fourth line players and then to round out the team sign a couple of depth players in free agency who can challenge for a fourth line spot or maybe have one of their young forwards such as Heponiemi, Noel or Schwindt also challenge for a playoff spot to get more youth in this team in cheaper deals. So to recap have Barkov center Verhaeghe and Duclair on the top line with Huberdeau and Bennett keep on going on the 2nd line and have Lundell and Reinhart to lead the strong third line. Then to round out the top nine have Denisenko play on one of the lines and have the other filled with a new middle six forward who isn’t to expensive and can play well, then move Hornqvist somewhere to get out of the final year of his contract and have Luostarinen and Lomberg play on the fourth line this upcoming year with a cheap veteran who could get signed or maybe one of the three younger players mentioned above who I think are ready for NHL opportunity and if they do all of this in the offseason I have no doubt that the Panthers should not only be back in the playoffs but maybe getting into the final 4 next year.
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