Welcome again, girls and gents, to the newly revived first version of the Carolina Hurricanes weekly roundtable sequence. This can be a sequence that began a number of years in the past, the place myself (Alex), and the opposite THW Hurricanes writers would speak all issues ‘Canes hockey – from storylines to roster strikes, some foolish questions, and all the things in between — something goes right here. Shifting ahead, I might be joined by Zachary Martin and Alessandro Seren Rosso in discussions as we hope to make this enjoyable and fascinating sequence a daily prevalence.
Because the season approaches, there are some storylines surrounding the Hurricanes that might be fascinating to observe develop as coaching camp and the common season will get underway. So, naturally, the boys determined to debate a number of the extra intriguing topics and break down potential eventualities of how issues might play out – from all the things like goaltending to prospects, and a possible coaching camp shock – we’ve obtained you lined. So let’s get into it.
Matter 1: Who Ought to Be the Canes 1A Goalie — Pyotr Kochetkov or Frederik Andersen?
Zach Martin: Pyotr Kochetkov must be the 1A goalie for the Hurricanes throughout the 2024-25 season. He completed final season with a 23-13-4 report with a .911 save share (SV%) and a 2.33 goals-against common (GAA) in 42 video games (40 begins). He was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month in February and proved he was the most effective rookie goalie on the season as an entire. Final season, he completed tied for the league lead amongst all rookie netminders with 23 wins and 4 shutouts. To indicate how far more spectacular he was, Kochetkov completed with the Japanese Convention’s finest SV% amongst all rookie goalies.
The Hurricanes and head coach Rod Brind’Amour leaned closely on him for many of the season with Frederik Andersen out as a result of blood clots and Antti Raanta struggling within the web. Andersen might be 35 years previous and is susceptible to being injured for lengthy stretches over the past three seasons, minus final season for blood-clotting. That being mentioned, it’s time to run with Kochetkov as the primary starter (1A) for the upcoming season.
Alex Ohari: I agree with Zach. I’m actually hoping that Kochetkov will present as much as camp, win the job, take the reins and run with them. Andersen is now on the cusp of his thirty fifth birthday, and at this level, we all know each what he’s and what he isn’t. I’m fairly assured in saying that together with his well-documented playoff “limitations”, he’s not a goaltender which you can count on to win a Stanley Cup with. He’s adept sufficient to supply a top quality time-share throughout the common season, however traditionally he’s by no means been a man who’s excelled when the strain is on. In the meantime, Kochetkov simply turned 25 and will simply now be getting into the prime years of his profession. We’ve additionally form of reached the purpose of his improvement arc the place it’s time to essentially see what you’ve got on this man, and discover out if he may be the reply in purpose for the following 5-10 years.
Matter 2: Who’s Your “Darkish Horse” Decide to Make the Opening Evening Roster?
Ohari: I’ll go together with Jackson Blake. The mixture of uncooked talent and maturity in his sport makes him a man who I believe can earn Brind’Amour’s belief at a younger age. He was only a Hobey Baker award finalist in NCAA hockey, so to name him a “darkish horse” is probably not honest — however he was a fourth-round choose in 2021 and is listed at solely 172 kilos, so he’s not precisely a man who’s been thought-about an NHL lock. Regardless, his progress at North Dakota was nice to observe. He has very high-level arms, imaginative and prescient, poise with the puck and endurance. His launch can be very fast. Actually, he’s a little bit of a magician offensively, and the Hurricanes would profit from his creativity of their top-nine. And contemplating that his father Jason is a veteran of over 850 NHL video games, it’s secure to imagine that Blake has unbelievable assist and steering behind him.
Associated: Carolina Hurricanes’ Prime 5 Prospects for 2024-25: Preseason Version
Martin: My darkish horse prospect choose to make the opening night time roster is Russian winger, Gleb Trikozov. The 20-year-old Omsk native had 39 factors in 49 video games spanned over the MHL and VHL in Russia. He’s no stranger to scoring as he had 5 factors in 5 video games throughout the 2022 Hlinka-Gretzky Cup for the Russia U18 squad. What makes Trikozov a powerful ahead at a younger age is that he’s obtained wonderful imaginative and prescient, which provides him time to see performs creating to provide his staff the most effective probability to attain. He is a great participant who sees the ice extremely effectively and might make the most of his skillset to both arrange a teammate or take a well-placed shot. Trikozov was the speak of rookie improvement camp for the Hurricanes again in July the place everybody was shocked by how effectively he developed final season. If he has a stellar prospect showcase in Tennessee and preseason, there may very well be a case there to leap his manner right into a roster spot.
Matter 3: Who’s an “Beneath the Radar” Prospect to Watch Carefully This Season?
Seren Rosso: Within the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) this season, all eyes might be on Alexander Nikishin. The 22-year-old has been a standout within the league, main all defensemen in factors for 2 consecutive seasons. Within the 2022-23 marketing campaign, after his transfer to SKA, he amassed 55 factors in 65 video games, adopted by a powerful 56 factors in 67 video games within the 2023-24 season. His accolades embody being named the KHL Defenseman of the Yr and incomes a spot on the KHL All-Star Group. Nikishin’s measurement (6-foot-4, 215 kilos) and puck-moving skills make him a formidable presence on the ice. His offensive prowess, mixed together with his defensive expertise, makes him a well-rounded participant.
One other participant whose inventory is rising is Alexander Siryatsky. The 2024 fourth-round choose is having a robust preseason with Metallurg Magnitogorsk, and lately recorded an help in a preparation sport. Contemplating his current enhancements, he now has a good chance to be one of many two rookies in Metallurg’s lineup for the upcoming season. Furthermore, his coach within the KHL, Andrei Razin, is thought for his wonderful skills with younger gamers – simply final season, Danila Yurov and Nikita Grebyonkin skilled vital progress underneath his management, each serving to lead the staff to a Gagarin Cup triumph.
Ohari: My choose is 2022 third-round draftee Alexander Perevalov, however not precisely as a result of I believe he’s about to have an explosive season. I’m holding a detailed eye on him as a result of I really feel he actually must take a leap ahead in his improvement. He took a step again final season, splitting time between the KHL and VHL (which is the Russian equal of the American Hockey League) however was unable to determine any rhythm or identification as accidents slowed him down.
There’s no denying that Perevalov has a ton of talent in his bag. His puck dealing with, playmaking, and skating skills are all high-end, however that hasn’t translated to manufacturing above the Russian junior degree but. Throughout 43 KHL video games, he has simply 5 factors — and whereas deployment isn’t favorable for NHL-affiliated youngsters in that league, in the event you’re billed just about solely as an offensive weapon and also you’re not offering offense — then what are you doing? The excellent news is that he’s solely 20 years previous, so there’s nonetheless loads of time for progress, however I’d hope for him to begin turning the nook this season. He was only in the near past minimize from Avangard Omsk’s KHL roster in camp, so he’ll be beginning off with Omskie Krylia within the VHL. Ideally, he’ll develop into a driving offensive power for that membership and power his manner again as much as the KHL.
Martin: Ronan Seeley. The 22-year-old Yellowknife, NT native has an enormous alternative to capitalize on the reunion of the Chicago Wolves and the Hurricanes. Going into the ultimate 12 months of his entry-level contract will see him be a restricted free agent after the season, and he might be with different high-level prospects to assist him safe an extension.
What makes Seeley an excellent defenseman is that he makes great reads of advanced rushes, coping with hand-offs and mini-2-on-1s. Moreover, he has an excellent mixture of anticipation and confidence on and off the puck. He’s an aggressive, assured defender who makes use of his off-puck consciousness to tie up attackers. That together with the timing to cease the opposition in transition to attenuate danger is an enormous plus. He’s additionally bodily alongside the boards to separate opposition forwards from the puck. Anticipate an enormous 2024-25 season from somebody who might make the Hurricanes roster at some point in his profession.
Last Ideas
As I discussed nearer to the beginning of this piece, the three of us plan to supply this type of joint evaluation on a fairly frequent foundation, every time there are ample storylines to cowl. To the readers – in the event you ever really feel like you’ve got a query that you simply’d wish to see mentioned in a future section, be happy to succeed in out to any of us on X and we’d be comfortable to oblige!
