My Offseason Plan for the Carolina Hurricanes Prior to the 2022-23 Season

Another year has come and gone for the Carolina Hurricanes. After the best regular season in franchise history that saw the Canes win 54 games and earn 116 points, they were bounced in the second round for the second straight season in a seven-game series against the New York Rangers. There was plenty to like about the season and a lot of history was made, but the bitter taste of the loss to the Rangers is something that will be there all summer. Before then, there are some huge decisions to make with this team. Some big free agents need new contracts or they'll be hitting the market and looking for big paydays outside of the organization. I'm looking to break down many big aspects of the offseason, namely the draft and free agency. I'm going to give a brief overview of who is under contract going into next season before diving into the draft and free agency before giving my overview of what the roster could look like when the Canes take the ice at the start of the 2022-23 season. 

State of the Organization 

Forwards

Sebastian Aho (2 years x $8,460,250)

Andrei Svechnikov (7 years x $7,750,000)

Jordan Staal (1 year x $6,000,000)

Teuvo Teravainen (2 years x $5,400,000)

Jesperi Kotkaniemi (8 years x $4,820,000)

Jesper Fast (1 year x $2,000,000)

Jordan Martinook (2 years x $1,800,000)

Seth Jarvis (2 years x $894,167)

There are some impact players still under contract for the Canes including their top three in points from this past season (Aho, Svechnikov, Teravainen). The two notable contracts are the two youngsters from the 2018 draft that have each signed extensions in the last year and will be around for a while. Everyone else has one or two years left on their deals, which could also lead to some interesting trade discussions with all but Jarvis set to be UFAs once their contracts end. Most of these would be considered untouchable in my mind. The only guy in this group that I think could realistically be traded is Jesper Fast.

In the Minors

There are some interesting prospects in Chicago, but there are only one or two that I think could really be in contention for a roster spot next season. Jack Drury, Ryan Suzuki, and Noel Gunler lead the charge with other guys like Alexander Pashin, Tuukka Tieksola, Jamieson Rees, Dominik Bokk, and Vasili Ponomarev also floating around. 

Defensemen

Jaccob Slavin (3 years x $5,400,000)

Brady Skjei (2 years x $5,250,000)

Jake Gardiner (1 year x $4,050,000)

Brett Pesce (2 years x $4,025,000)

The team's three most important defenders are locked up for the next two to three seasons. There are few defenders better than Slavin in the league, while Skjei and Pesce were together for most of the season on the second pair. All three are on very friendly team contracts too. Each guy played well beyond their cap hit last season and I don't see a scenario where any of them could be moved. You won't find a trio of defensemen better than this one. Gardner's contract situation is interesting because he missed the entire season, but Waddell has said he's ready to play again. I think it's more likely that he'll be bought out, so he might not be on the team for long. 

In the Minors

The list of defensive prospects is a little lighter for the Canes. Scott Morrow is likely at the top of the list, but he's yet to sign a contract with the team after being taken in the second round last season. Jalen Chatfield saw time with the big club last season and earned a two-year extension, so I'd imagine that he'll likely be competing for a spot in the top six. Aleksi Heimosalmi, taken a few picks after Morrow, and Ronan Seeley are also under contract, though they weren't in Chicago this season. 

Goalies

Frederik Andersen (1 year x $4,500,000)

Antti Raanta (1 year x $2,000,000)

Both of last season's goalies are under contract for one more season. Both played better than their contracts, especially Andersen. After his performance in the postseason, I'd be interested to see if Raanta's name isn't floated around in trade rumors for a team that has an uncertain goalie situation. I wouldn't move him and go into next season with the exact same duo unless something amazing comes through that would be beneficial for the team.

In the Minors

At one point, the goalie room in Chicago was loaded. Unfortunately, most of the goalies are now either RFAs or UFAs. The group is highlighted by Pyotr Kochetkov, who saw time at the end of the season, winning the division-clinching game and winning a game in the postseason as well. The only other goalie under contract is Eetu Makiniemi, which would make for a formidable duo in Chicago should they start the season there next season. 

Draft 

The Canes entered the draft with eight picks, three of which they acquired through various trades. The notable missing picks would be their first and third-round picks that they gave in compensation for signing Jesperi Kotkaniemi via their offer sheet last offseason. The Canes ended up making seven picks. They acquired a fourth-round pick this season in the trade sending Tony DeAngelo to Philadelphia where they also lost a seventh-round pick. They also traded away a sixth-round pick to Chicago for a sixth-round pick next season. Here is a quick review of the team's picks. 

2nd Round, 60th overall- LW Gleb Trikozov (Omsk 2, Russia)

3rd Round, 71st overall (from Chicago for the 91st pick last season)- LW Alexander Perevalov (Yaroslavl 2, Russia)

4th Round, 101st overall (from Phiadelphia Tony DeAngelo)- D Simon Forsmark (Orebro, Sweden)

4th Round, 124th overall- RW Cruz Lucius (US NTDP, USA)

5th Round, 156th overall- D Vladimir Grudinin (CSKA 2, Russia)

6th Round, 171st overall (from Anaheim with Jani Hakanpaa for Haydn Fleury)- G Jakub Vondras (Plzen, Czechia)

7th Round, 205th overall (from Columbus for Gregory Hoffmann)- D Alexander Pelevin (Nizhny Novgorod 2, Russia)

Right off the bat, the big thing I noticed is that the Canes were not afraid to take Russian players despite the ongoing political issues that many Russian-born players could have in the future. It was a hot-button issue for teams in the first round and would explain the lack of Russians in the top 32 and why they fell so far. While I don't know much about the players the Canes selected, it was generally agreed that Gleb Trikozov falling to the Canes at the 60th pick was a steal as well as Alexander Perevalov at 71. They got a little bit of everything with their picks and while we likely won't know about this glass for a few years, it will be exciting to watch these guys come up through the system. 

Where Our Free Agents Stand After the Draft

RFAs

Tony DeAngelo- traded to Philadelphia for a 2022 4th, a conditional 2023 3rd, and a 2022 2nd

The big news of the draft for the Canes was the trade that sent DeAngelo to the Flyers for three picks. The Canes also sent the 220th pick in this season's draft to the Flyers. While the trade didn't come as too much of a surprise among those that had been reading the rumors, it was an interesting move for the Canes. Philadelphia has signed him to a two-year contract worth $5 million per season, so he'll be in the same division for at least the next two seasons. Some believe this is a bit of an overpayment for a one-dimensional player and while that could be the case since the Canes clearly didn't offer him a contract of that size, it leaves some questions for the Canes, especially on the power play. Could this be leading to a big signing? I'm not heartbroken by the trade, but I am very curious. 

Martin Necas (14 goals, 26 assists, 40 points in 78 games, 5 points in 14 playoff games)

He faced a lot of criticism for his play at various points this season despite finishing in the top ten in scoring on the team. The first three months of his season weren't terrible, picking up seven goals and 18 points before the calendar changed to 2022. From that point, he only added seven more goals and 22 points in 50 games. The problem was his lack of scoring, enduring two long goalless droughts of 18 and 15 games in 2022. Despite these problems, he's still an extremely skilled forward, and the talks of trading him seem to be a little overblown. Unless the trade gets the team a bonafide scorer, there's no need to let him go. Then it comes down to how much he's willing to take to stay with the team. He's expressed an interest in playing center moving forward after playing on the wing all season. I'm not sure what his camp will be looking for, but I'd imagine it would be somewhere in the ballpark of $4-5 million, which would seem a bit rich after a down season. I don't expect this to be long-term, but I do expect a deal to get done.

Steven Lorentz (8 goals, 5 assists, 13 points in 67 games, 0 points in 5 playoff games)

Though he spent most of his season on the fourth line, he saw more consistent time in his second season. His eight goals are up from the 2020-21 season and he broke double-digit points for the first time. He's looked at as a sparkplug-type player to bring energy from the bottom line. He's not likely to go out and score a ton of goals, so you'll have to determine how valuable he is if he's going to be a fourth-line player. He's not a player that is going to break the bank, so a deal shouldn't be hard to come by. I don't see this being more than a year or two. If a new contract is offered and he accepts, he'll be a UFA at the end of it. He's also arbitration-eligible, so the two sides may opt to let it get to that point. 

Ethan Bear (5 goals, 9 assists, 14 points in 58 games, DNP in the playoffs)

Bear missed the postseason after getting surgery on his foot, so he wasn't able to make more of a case during the postseason. He was in and out of the lineup quite often as a healthy extra. He wasn't always the most consistent player when in the lineup. He surely had his great moments, but he also tended to disappear in a game that he was in. There's a good chance he's not on the team next season, but I also feel like that would be giving up on him too quickly. I think the Canes are primed to have some names step up and be ready to step into his spot next season.

RFAs in the Minors

I won't speculate what the team will decide to do with the RFAs that weren't on the roster last season. There are six players in the minors that are set to become restricted free agents, led by a pair of defensemen, Max Lajoie and Joey Keane. They'd be crazy to let either of them go because they could easily be competing for a spot on the roster next season and could be the extra defenseman to begin the season. Outside of that, it's a toss-up. 

UFAs

In the lead-up to the draft, General Manager Don Waddell mentioned in a press conference that all six of the Canes' UFAs (Vincent Trocheck, Nino Niederreiter, Max Domi, Derek Stepan, Brendan Smith, and Ian Cole) will likely be hitting the market on July 13. There is no reason to project any of them return before the 13th, but I am hopeful we'll see Niederreiter return. Of the Canes' bunch, he's the player that I think is the most valuable being a winger that can score. Trocheck will be missed up the middle if he does opt to sign elsewhere. This would mean an upgrade at center will be needed among the top-six forwards. 

UFAs in the Minors

After a Calder Cup-winning season for Chicago, there are some intriguing names in the AHL that could hit the market. Most of the big names are among the forward group. The trio of captain Andrew Poturalski, Josh Leivo, and Stefan Noesen headline the group, and while it's hard to speculate who will be staying, I could easily see at least two of these guys staying. The other notable name on the list is goalie Alex Lyon, who played phenomenally all season for the Wolves. 

The Canes' Needs

While others might think differently, there are two big things that the Canes need to prioritize this offseason when free agency starts on July 13th. First, the team needs a bonafide goal-scorer that can plug into one of the top two lines to play with the likes of Aho, Svechnikov, Jarvis, and Teravainen. That has been a problem in the postseason in the last few postseasons. The offense has gone dry when the team needs it the most and it has cost them at times. Second, regardless of whether the Canes end up trading DeAngelo or not, the Canes need a defenseman that is capable of quarterbacking a power play. The team didn't play well with the man-advantage in the postseason and as great as Slavin is, he's not exactly the best option for the second unit. Some of the best options are going to be found through trades, but those are extremely hard to predict. I'll only be looking at UFAs because signing RFAs can be tricky.

My Favorite Players on the Market

F Andrew Copp (27, 21 goals, 32 assists, 53 points in 72 games with Winnipeg/New York)

Copp put together a career season, setting new career-highs in most major offensive categories. His play with Winnipeg to start the season made him a highly sought-after player at the trade deadline. The Rangers would win the chase for him and they were rewarded handsomely. In 16 contests at the end of the season, Copp had 18 points, including eight goals, then was a major part of the Rangers' run to the Eastern Conference Final, with eight goals and 14 points in 20 games. The risk you run with Copp is that you're banking on this season not being a one-time thing. His numbers have been trending up the last few seasons, but this was his first 20-goal season. He's not exactly the top-tier goal-scorer you're looking for. You won't likely be breaking the bank to get him and he can plug into any place in the lineup. He was a menace against the Canes, so who better to get onto your team so you won't have to worry about facing him when it matters. 

Ondrej Palat (31, 18 goals, 31 assists, 49 points in 77 games with Tampa Bay)

The most intriguing part of Palat joining the team is his championship pedigree. While I don't think it should be everything you base your decision on, it should be part of it. Looking at Palat's career numbers, he's one of the most consistent players on the market. His 18 goals this season were the second-most of his career and he cracked 40 points for the third-straight season. He added 21 points in the postseason for the Eastern Conference Champions, the highest total in his postseason career. This is another case of a player that likely isn't going to put up the high goal totals, but he could slot into the middle-six and make some waves. He's likely going to ask for a contract larger than the $5.3 million deal he just finished, so it might be a little too much for a player that is over 30 years old, but if he'd agree to a short-term deal, it might be worth taking a flyer on him. 

Mason Marchment (27, 18 goals, 29 assists, 47 points in 54 games with Florida)

It's hard to take a lot of stock in one season, especially when he's yet to play a full season in the NHL, but he was just about a point-per-game player and could slot well into the third line with someone like Jordan Staal. 54 games are his career-high, so you'd be throwing some money at a guy that hasn't proven himself outside of this past season. He only scored three goals in the postseason, so the well dried up a little, but that goes for most of the Panthers' team. He'll be worth at least a couple million dollars and could primarily spend time in the middle six. He likely isn't an upgrade over Niederreiter but he doesn't really need to be. He needs to fit a role and I think he could serve as something similar to compliment the captain and Fast. 

John Klingberg (29, 6 goals, 41 assists, 47 points in 74 games with Dallas)

I'm not particularly impressed with the crop of UFAs as far as how they'd fit with the Canes. Of all the names that could fill a need for the Canes, Klingberg stands out. They mulled over the idea of acquiring him at the deadline this season, but he stayed with the Stars for their run. He's easily the best offensive option of the defensemen available and could be a huge influence on the power play. He had the same number of points as DeAngelo on the power play this season (20) with just one fewer goal. Compared to DeAngelo, his numbers are pretty similar, DeAngelo just played on a better team to help some of the underlying metrics. This would be a slam dunk option for the Canes should they be looking for a top-tier offensive defenseman. 

The Opening Night Roster

Assuming that everyone under contract remains with the team until Opening Night and that Jake Gardiner plays after missing all of last season with an injury, the Canes will eight forwards, four defensemen, and two goalies ready to go. This leaves plenty of spots open for the team to fill. This is my prediction for the lineup once Opening Night rolls around on October 12 when the Canes host the Blue Jackets. 

Teravainen-Aho-Jarvis

Svechnikov-Kotkaniemi-Tarasenko

Martinook-Staal-Fast

Lorentz-Drury-Leivo

Slavin-Klingberg

Skjei-Pesce

Gardiner- Chatfield

Andersen

Raanta

There are a couple of big names on the roster that I've added. Vladimir Tarasenko and John Klingberg are easily the two biggest additions. There is way too much talk about the Canes being interested in both guys that it seems like it could really happen. I'd imagine that Necas would be included in any Tarasenko talks, hence his omission from the lineup. I think it'd be crazy for him not to be on the team if a deal for Tarasenko doesn't happen. Klingberg would likely cost a lot of money to get, but he is probably the best defenseman on the market and he would fit a need for the Canes. I've also included three guys from the Chicago Wolves that deserve a chance on the roster. Jack Drury and Jalen Chatfield feel like obvious choices, but I think Josh Leivo deserves a chance after tearing up the AHL last season. It would require the Canes to sign Leivo since he's a UFA this season, but it shouldn't cost them too much. In all honesty, I have no clue what the Canes are going to do. This is my favorite time of the year because I love seeing familiar names in new places. The carousel is fun to watch.