The Saratogian (Saratoga, NY)

‘Canes surge into summer with confidence after playoff run

- AP Sports Writer

By Joedy McCreary RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) >> The Carolina Hurricanes enter the offseason confident of one thing: They shouldn’t have to wait another decade to return to the playoffs.

They hope their nucleus will make postseason appearance­s an every-year thing.

The Hurricanes made their first playoff berth since 2009 last much longer than most expected, advancing to the Eastern Conference final before they were swept by the Boston Bruins.

After getting a taste of postseason hockey, this largely young team wants to do it again.

“I think we all know now what it takes first of all to get to the playoffs, and to go through those tough series,” forward Sebastian Aho said Monday. “Now we’re even more hungry.”

There’s reason to believe this group has staying power.

The entire defensive corps — including young stars Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce — is under team control for next season, with six of them signed and Haydn Fleury a pending restricted free agent.

Key winger Teuvo Teravainen is locked up through 2023-24. Promising forward Andrei Svechnikov oozed with promise during his rookie season. Aho, who also will be a restricted free agent, looks to be a candidate to receive a long-term deal. He declined to discuss his contract status.

This core was responsibl­e for turning the franchise around and bringing entertainm­ent — both during and after games — to the rink.

They brought back those beloved Hartford Whalers uniforms for a couple of games. They broke out the “Storm Surge” celebratio­ns, those choreograp­hed on-ice parties after regular-season victories at home. They wore the jabs from curmudgeon­ly commentato­r Don Cherry as badges of honor — plastering his “Bunch of Jerks” insult onto T-shirts that sold for $32 at the team shop. They welcomed a live pig named Hamilton into the building for home playoff games.

And, of course, they played winning hockey — especially after the calendar flipped to January. Their record of 31-12-2 was thirdbest in the league and propelled them from last place in the division to the top wild-card berth.

“As the year went on, as the record shows, it was a lot of good results, and coming to the rink was a lot of fun,” defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk said.

A few things to watch entering the offseason:

THE CAPTAIN’S

The big question is whether 37-year-old Justin Williams will return for a second season as team captain with his two-year contract expiring this offseason. The three-time Stanley Cup winner known around the league as “Mr. Game 7” for his exploits in those final games brought credibilit­y and leadership to the dressing room and helped FUTURE steer the young team’s midseason turnaround. “I put everything I had into it this year, and if I have everything again, then I’ll be here,” Williams said. “I haven’t gotten that far yet.” THE GOALIES The Hurricanes have some decisions to make with both goalies — Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney — facing free agency. Mrazek accepted a one-year, $1.5 million deal last offseason to prove he’s worthy of a starter’s job, and the team snatched the 35-year-old McElhinney off the waiver wire when Scott Darling was hurt. They both played well enough to make Darling an afterthoug­ht, and now the question is whether either or both will wind up sticking around.

 ?? GERRY BROOME - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS ?? Boston Bruins’ Noel Acciari (55) chases the puck with Carolina Hurricanes’ Andrei Svechnikov (37), of Russia, during the first period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference final series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 16, 2019.
GERRY BROOME - THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Boston Bruins’ Noel Acciari (55) chases the puck with Carolina Hurricanes’ Andrei Svechnikov (37), of Russia, during the first period in Game 4 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference final series in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, May 16, 2019.

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