Carolina finished the season as one of the hottest teams in the Eastern Conference, jumping out of last place to within 4 games of a playoff berth. An impressive feat, when you consider that star goalie Cam Ward played only 47 games, while Erik Cole, Eric Staal and Tuomo Ruutu all sustained injuries and missed 10 games or more. They may not have shown it this year, but don’t forget, the Hurricanes knocked New Jersey out of the playoffs in the first round last year, and there are still plenty of the elements that made that team so successful on this one.
Offense: C Injuries hampered the Hurricanes’ offense throughout this season, but they still had four 20 goal scorers on their squad. Eric Staal is the unquestioned leader of this team, and was the team leader in points and assists, with 41 assists and 70 points in just 70 games. Jussi Jokinen led the team with 30 goals, while Brandon Sutter had a great sophomore season, scoring 21 goals and 40 points. Veteran Ray Whitney was rumored to be moving at the deadline, but ended up staying in Raleigh. If Whitney sticks around for next season and they can stay healthy, Carolina should be just fine up front.
Defense: D
The fact that Carolina was one of the worst defensive teams in the league this year was not just an indication of their struggles in net. Only two Carolina defensemen finished with positive ratings, and while Joni Pitkanen provides a good dose of offense from the blueline, they dealt a number of other veteran defensemen throughout the season, including Joe Corvo, Aaron Ward and Andrew Alberts. Chances are the Canes will be looking to add some depth to their blueline in the offseason.
Goaltending: C- Cam Ward is one of the top goalies in the Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, he played in only 47 games, and had only 18 wins. Michael Leighton had only 1 win in 7 appearances before being shipped off to Philadelphia. Manny Legace was passable while Carolina waited for Ward to get healthy, but without Ward between the pipes, the Canes just aren’t the same team.
Special Teams: D+ The Canes had the 10th worst powerplay and the 12th worst penalty kill in the league this year, and trading Matt Cullen to Ottawa won’t help them improve on either stat next season. However, with the injuries that hit so many of Carolina’s key personnel, it’s not difficult to see why they struggled in special teams situations.