The 2021-22 season for the Carolina Hurricanes will be remembered for season-long progress and lingering thoughts of what could have been. Fixtures in the top five of power rankings all season long, the Hurricanes entered the playoffs with legitimate Stanley Cup aspirations. A bad game on a bad night ended those hopes. However, the franchise is relevant and the window to contend for a championship remains well open. Let's take a closer look at the past season and what awaits.
2021-22 Preseason Expectations
Carolina mildly surprised the hockey world by winning the Central Division title in 2020-21 with a +24 (36-12-8) during the Covid-19 abbreviated regular season. Traditional divisional play would resume in 2021-22 and while Carolina may not have been favored to win the division title, contending for first in the Metropolitan while emerging as a dangerous playoff team were reasonable expectations. After losing to the eventual Stanley Cup winning Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round of the playoffs, making it back to that round was expected.
2021-22 Season Results
The Hurricanes finished the regular season with the 3rd highest point total in the league. The 54 wins and 116 points are franchise records. After watching a ten-point lead evaporate, the Canes rallied with two wins at Madison Square Garden over the season's final three weeks to nail down a divisional title for the second consecutive season; the first time this has occurred in Hartford / Carolina history. After a hard-fought seven game opening round series against Boston, where the home team held serve throughout, the Canes dropped a Game 7 on home ice to the division rival Rangers, ending an opportunity to continue in the playoffs.
What went right
When Tom Dundon purchased the Hurricanes in 2018, he stated that he wanted the franchise to become relevant. Mission accomplished. In the four seasons under the triumvirate of Dundon, GM Don Waddell and Coach Rod Brind'Amour, the Hurricanes have qualified for the playoffs all four seasons. Waddell has built a balanced roster with a responsible financial plan and zero bad contracts. Brind'Amour has this team ready to play with high energy almost every single night.
The goaltending tandem of Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta was superb. Both joined the club as free agents, signing two-year contracts. During the first season, the duo combined to surrender a league low 202 goals, winning the Jennings Trophy in the process. Goaltending evolved from a position of concern to a position of strength.
The penalty killing was outstanding finishing first overall with an 88.0% kill rate. In fact, the Hurricanes were flirting with challenging the league record of 89.6% set by New Jersey in 2011-12.
The young core of the team continued to develop. Seth Jarvis, 20, did not look out of place on the top line. Sebastian Aho, 24, put together a 37-44-81 season, pacing the club in goals and points for the fifth consecutive season. Andrei Svechnikov, 22, recorded his first 30-goal campaign. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, 21, potted 12 goals while seeing limited minutes on the fourth line and looked more comfortable as the season unfolded.
Tony DeAngelo was stellar on the blueline. After allowing Dougie Hamilton to leave via free agency, there was a need to acquire an offensive minded blueliner. Carolina responded by signing DeAngelo to a one-year prove-it deal. DeAngelo have may worn down at the end and wasn't done any favors by having to face his former team in the playoffs, however, it's fair to say he exceeded expectations both on and off the ice. He capably filled the Hamilton role while making 8M less.
The Hurricanes outlasted Boston. Twice in the past three seasons, the Canes have had their season end at the expense of the Bruins. Clearing that hurdle was crucially important for the club and it got done.
What went wrong
For the fourth consecutive playoff season, the penalty kill imploded at the hands of a skilled opponent. It reached a point against the Rangers where a penalty felt like an automatic goal. Brind'Amour deserves a massive amount of credit for the success of the club during these past four years. With that, there's a discipline issue as the Canes had the second most minor penalties in the league and there just have not been enough timely adjustments to the specialty teams.
The power play was a disaster for the final two months of the season. There wasn't enough skating, puck movement or commitment to pass the puck into the slot. A struggling power play can be tolerated provided that the penalty killing does it part. Carolina was hugely deficient in the playoffs in both areas.
The loss of Frederik Andersen was painfully apparent near the end of the Rangers series. As great as Antti Raanta was in the first two games of that series, backup goaltenders tend to be exposed when they are overplayed. Sustained health for Andersen will be mandatory if this team is to advance further in 2022-23
The Game 7 loss to the Rangers will continue to sting. After home teams held serve for the first 13 games of the Canes playoff schedule, they had a bad game on a bad night. Carolina was capable of advancing and didn't. Those opportunities can be fleeting.
Reasons to be Optimistic
There is a blueprint for regular season success. They've won divisions two seasons in a row and the club doesn't figure to change too dramatically for next season. More development from Svechnikov, Kotkaniemi, Jarvis and a return to form for Martin Necas will help. The goaltending tandem is strong. The coaching staff has the full respect of the players and despite losing in the second round, this experience can help.
Reasons to be Pessimistic
Has this team hit their ceiling? Will the players continue to buy into Brind'Amour's message? Will the goaltenders remain healthy? Will Vincent Trocheck, Nino Niederreiter and Max Domi all leave and not be capably replaced? Will the Metro division close the gap? This was the season the Hurricanes had a path to contend for the Cup. Will that opportunity not come around again?
What this team needs
The first order of business is re-signing DeAngelo. He fit in exceedingly well with the team and he satisfies that offensive d-man role. Other clubs will be interested and he'll get paid.
The Hurricanes need to add more jam to the roster. There's an overall lack of physicality, especially at the forwards rank, and one player who provides that, Niederreiter, is a UFA. The back end of the defense will also need some work. Ethan Bear (RFA), Ian Cole (UFA) and Brendan Smith (UFA) will all need to be replaced or resigned. Smith, if he returns, will be due a most raise for a strong playoff run.
Carolina also needs to figure out the plan for the center position after Aho. Will the Canes pay 6M+ to retain Trocheck? If not, will Jesperi Kotkaniemi be promoted to fill the second line role?
2022-23 Expectations
The Metropolitan Division figures to have a different look in 2022-23. The Rangers can be expected to be strong again, while the Islanders are expected to rebound. The demise of the Capitals and Penguins may be premature. Perhaps, one of the Blue Jackets, Devils and Flyers surprise and contend for a playoff position. The Hurricanes figure to have one of the stronger clubs and are expected to make the playoffs and cause damage once there.
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