Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
NHL Power Rankings #27: Carolina Hurricanes
Much like the Maple Leafs, the Hurricanes are undergoing a major rebuilding stage. Just like Toronto, Carolina’s doing a pretty darn good job of doing it. The Hurricanes have gone from having not just a talentless team but a talentless farm system to having a better team and one of the best farm systems in the NHL. This is what drafting wisely can do for you.
Jordan Staal, Eric Staal, and Jeff Skinner are one of the more underrated forward lines in the NHL. However, once you get past that trio, there’s nothing to write home about. Elias Lindholm is an exciting player to watch, but other than him, Carolina doesn’t have any other forwards to get excited about.
Carolina made a wise trade in obtaining Eddie Lack from the Vancouver Canucks. Lack is an above average starter who is definitely an upgrade over Cam Ward, who hasn’t been good in years. Where Carolina really stands out is their blue line. Justin Faulk is one of the most, if not the most, underrated blueliners in the NHL. Haydn Fleury could form an elite top pairing with Faulk as soon as this season.
Things are definitely getting better in Carolina. However, now they’ve got to focus heavily on their forwards. Their blue line is most likely set for the next few seasons thanks to stellar drafting.
Next: #26