CONCERNS IN CREASE
EVEN THOUGH Carolina made moves at the trade deadline, the Hurricanes still have a bounty of picks thanks to past deals. The most lucrative was the first-rounder acquired from Toronto in order to launder Patrick Marleau’s contract through the waiver wire. This follows up a supersized 2019 draft that saw the Canes make 12 selections. IMMEDIATE NEEDS: Goaltending was a weakness this season, though it did make a folk hero of ‘EBUG’ David Ayres. Carolina needs better performances – and cleaner bills of health – from Petr Mrazek and James Reimer. Neither Alex Nedeljkovic nor Anton Forsberg were the answer, so it may be a matter of waiting for goalie-of-the-future Pyotr Kochetkov, unless Carolina makes a move on the trade front. LONG-TERM NEEDS: Eventually this team will need to get tougher to play against as Ryan Dzingel, Jordan Martinook CAP SITUATION: The Canes have too many top-four defensemen. It was fine this season after injuries to Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce, but their return creates a salary logjam – even if Sami Vatanen walks as a UFA. Luckily, Carolina doesn’t have major contracts to deal with, though Warren Foegele is coming off his rookie deal. Defensemen Joel Edmundson and Trevor van Riemsdyk are UFAs, and so is heartbeat winger Justin Williams.
IN THE SYSTEM 2020-21: If next year isn’t Jake Bean’s season, it may not be in the cards – at least not in Carolina. The 2016 first-rounder has continued to develop with AHL Charlotte, but his skilled services on the blueline aren’t exactly needed right now. DID YOU KNOW: Despite being five years younger, Canes prospect defenseman Anttoni Honka outscored older brother and fellow JYP blueliner Julius Honka 19-15 in Finland’s Liiga this year. and Nino Niederreiter head toward free agency. Top prospects such as Ryan Suzuki and Dominik Bokk are finesse guys, while Stelio Mattheos and Morgan Geekie aren’t mashers, either.