For the eighth straight year, the Carolina Hurricanes missed the playoffs last season. The highlight of the season was an impressive showing during the month of March when the Hurricanes won 10 of their 17 games and all of a sudden became a steady competitor in the Eastern Conference Wild Card race. Carolina would fall flat in April and be eliminated from playoff contention, finishing the season with a record of 36-31-15. The off season for Carolina saw some great additions to the team along with minimal departures. Here is a look at the changes and what is in store for next season.

Notable Departures:

Eddie Lack- Goaltender:

Lack has served as the backup goaltender in Carolina for the past two seasons. He didn’t pan out the way the Hurricanes would’ve liked him to after his terrific season in Vancouver during the 2014-2015 season. Last season, Lack registered a record of 8-7-3 with a goals against average of 2.64 and a save percentage of .902. He was traded to Calgary in the off season.

Ryan Murphy- Defenseman:

Murphy was drafted by the Hurricanes in the 2011 NHL Draft with the 12th overall pick. In his junior career, Murphy was an offensive defenseman but his success in the juniors didn’t carry over into the NHL. Since the 2013 lockout season, Murphy has worked his way in and out of the Hurricanes line up, never playing more than 50 games a season. With his time with the Hurricanes, Murphy registered 6 goals and 31 assists in 151 games.

Bryan Bickell- Left Winger:

Bickell only played 11 games with the Hurricanes last season, his only season with the team due to pain in his shoulder and leg. He would be diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. In his last ever NHL game, the Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers went into a shootout with the scored tied at 3. Bickell was the first to shoot in the shootout and scored. It was his third time shooting in a shootout and it was his first shootout goal. He retired the day after and finished his career with 66 goals and 70 assists in 395 games.

Notable Newcomers:

Scott Darling- Goaltender:

Darling has been a member of the Chicago Blackhawks for the past three seasons serving as back up to Corey Crawford. He’s helped Chicago reach the playoffs each season and won a Stanley Cup in 2015. With his time with the Blackhawks, he’s put up magnificent numbers. Last season, he appeared in 32 games and finished with a record of 18-5-5, a goals against average of 2.38, and save percentage of .924.

Justin Williams- Right Winger:

Williams is a familiar face for Hurricane fans. He was a member of the Hurricanes from 2004 to 2009 and helped them capture their first Stanley Cup in 2006. Since then, Williams has won two Stanley Cups with the Kings and has been given the nickname “Mr. Game 7”; he recorded points in all three game sevens the Kings played during their run to the cup in 2014. Last season, Williams tallied 24 goals and 24 assists in 80 games.

Marcus Kruger- Center:

Kruger has made a name for himself by playing as a solid two-way forward. He was a member of the Chicago Blackhawks from 2011-2017 and won two Stanley Cups with them. He was a fourth liner with the Blackhawks last season and recorded 5 goals and 12 assists in 70 games.

Trevor van Riemsdyk- Defenseman:

Trevor van Riemsdyk is a two-way defender who has been a member of the Chicago Blackhawks for the past three seasons. He won a Stanley Cup in 2015 with the team. He played in 58 games last season and registered 5 goals and 11 assists.

Projected Offensive Lines:

Line 1: Skinner-Staal-Teravainen

Line 2: Aho-Rask-Williams

Line 3: Stempniak-Ryan-Lindholm

Line 4: McGinn-Kruger-Nordstom

Projected Defensive Lines:

Line 1: Hanifin-Faulk

Line 2: Slavin-TVR

Line 3: Dahlbeck-Pesce

Projected Goaltenders:

Starter: Darling

Backup: Ward

The 2017-2018 Season Story: Are The Hurricanes Finally a Playoff Team?

The Hurricanes currently have the longest playoff drought in the NHL. This off season the Hurricanes acquired some valuable pieces for their team and all these players have playoff experience along with Stanley Cup wins. Carolina’s lineup is infused with young blood playing alongside a hand full of veterans. Now, four players on the team are 30 or over including Derek Ryan, Justin Willaims, Lee Stempniak, and Cam Ward. At the end of last season they made a run for a post season position but now the question is will the pieces in place be enough to get them back into the playoffs?

Prediction:

Now the Hurricanes currently have a terrific roster with guys who have made it to the playoffs that can mentor the younger cast on the team. My prediction is that the Hurricanes will still miss the playoffs but only by a few points. The Hurricanes have the ability to reach the 40 win mark, especially with the goaltending duo of Ward and Darling; with teams like the Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, and even the New York Islanders, the Hurricanes won’t be able to outperform their Metropolitan Division opponents and will fall a tad short of the Wild Card slot. With an extra year to develop and gain more experience for the team, the Hurricanes should return to post season play in the 2019 season.