Tim Donnelly says the top players for the Carolina Hurricanes – Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Seth Jarvis, among others – need to elevate their play on a consistent basis, and that the top players didn’t show up during a 6-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Donnelly points out that Rod Brind’Amour was quick to point out how the top players weren’t ready to play right from puck drop.
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Im going to preface this by noting anything can happen over the course of a season. We've seen teams barely squeak into the playoffs, get hot, and win/almost win the Cup (see 2012/14 LA Kings, 2019 Canes, 2022 Panthers, etc).
With that out of the way, this Canes team looks absolutely cooked RIGHT NOW. Don't let their current record fool you. I believe they reached their peak last year, and hungover from last year's Florida series in terms of making progress. They have regressed.
– Got rid of guys who bought into the system for guys who haven't/won't
– Abysmal goaltending situation – Freddie Andersen isn't reliable health-wise, and you can't keep riding an aging Raanta, who has an injury history of his own, like a rented mule. Kotchetkov isn't ready.
– Slow and aging guys well past their prime – Burns gets burnt on a regular basis. Last year was as good as he gets. Jordan Staal, who is barely a "captain" is often a liability on skates, and Brady Skjei who is almost non-existent.
– Power-play is an abomination – PP often looks disjointed and a complete waste of time. 5 shorties allowed? I lost count so I cringe when we go on the PP. Can you decline them??
– Our "elite" guys are often MIA in key stretches and only seem to show up when playing bottom-feeders
– I love Rod but his line pairings often leave me bewildered. Why the hell do I see Martinook on the first line? Orlov and DeAngelo are a debacle together. We never learn. However, I give Rod credit for getting the most out of a team of has-beens and role players at best. If this is Bill Peters' team, we're the Buffalo Sabres.
– Can't score – We have problems getting pucks into nets even though we outshoot our opponent by a 3:1 ratio. This is not a new phenomenon, but an eyesore that has spanned multiple seasons. 1 goal on 43 shots against Winnipeg? When your defense and goaltending are non-existent, your offense needs to fill in the gap and win you the 6-5 and 7-5 games. I feel lucky when we score 2.