Carolina Hurricanes 2020 NHL Season Preview: Odds and Predictions

Founded: 1972 (as the Hartford Whalers), 1997 (as the Hurricanes)

Home Arena: PNC Arena – Raleigh, N.C., 18,680 capacity

Championships: Stanley Cups: 1, Conference titles: 2, Division titles: 3

Owner: Thomas Dundon, Peter Karmanos, Jr.

General Manager: Don Waddell

Head Coach: Rod Brind’Amour

Team Captain: Vacant (former captain Justin Williams took a leave from the NHL)

Offense

The Carolina Hurricanes were the cult hit of the 2019 season, drawing people in with their post-game celebrations and going further in the playoffs than anyone thought they should have. They had one of the strongest second-halves of the season, much like the eventual Cup-winning St. Louis Blues, who are one of the Top 4 NHL Division Rivalries to Watch in 2020. The Canes finished the season with 243 goals – good for 16th in the league. They were 15th for even-strength goals and 19th for power-play goals. The power play definitely had its struggles last season as the Hurricanes finished with a 17.81 percent success rate – good for only 20th in the NHL. However, they were a tough team to play against in terms of pressure as the Hurricanes peppered a total of 2,822 shots against their opponents. That shot-total led the entire league last season.

The Canes offseason started strong, garnering an A grading from many NHL pundits when it came to their drafting in a year where Carolina made 12 picks. The Hurricanes were also able to keep the team’s future in mind while also adding a veteran presence. The Canes made a deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs to take on the final year of Patrick Marleau’s contract. Carolina also received Toronto’s first-round draft pick for 2020. The team had one of the more promising offseasons this year, and it wasn’t just in the offense department.

Check out also: Who are the 2020 Stanley Cup Favorites?

Defense

Last season, the Carolina Hurricanes found themselves in seventh-overall in the entire league for allowing the fewest goals against (they were sixth-overall when it came to even-strength goals against). The team was also towards the top of the pack when it came to the penalty kill as the Canes ranked 12th for the fewest power-play goals scored against. Their penalty-killing unit finished eighth in the league with a 81.59 percent success rate. The team also allowed the third-least amount of shots against and finished with a team save percentage of .906.

Outside of the draft, only two defensive additions were made to Carolina. One was the acquisition of Gustav Forsling from the Chicago Blackhawks but the team lost Calvin de Haan in the process. That said, their defense core is still one of the strongest. Then, only days ago, the Carolina Hurricanes were able to sign former Toronto defenseman Jake Gardiner. The defensive pairing possibilities are endless with this team as Gardiner joins Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin, Justin Faulk, Brett Pesce, Trevor van Riemsdyk, and Jake Bean. This also makes the powerplay more dangerous from the blueline and gives them the potential to rack up a few shorthanded goals next season as well. It’s a good time to be a goalie in Carolina.

Goaltending

As mentioned earlier, the Carolina Hurricanes allowed very few shots last season and even fewer goals against. Goaltender Petr Mrazek had a strong season last year alongside backup Curtis McElhinney. Mrazek posted a 23-14-3 record during his first year with the Canes and had a .914 save percentage. McElhinney went 20-11-2 during what was also his first season with the club. He posted a .912 save percentage in 2019.

Unfortunately for the team, but to little surprise, the team was not able to hang on to both goaltenders. While Petr Mrazek was able to reach a new deal with Carolina, McElhinney opted to head to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning (and who could blame him?) To fill the gap, the Hurricanes let go of third-string goalie Scott Darling to the Florida Panthers in exchange for James Reimer. Reimer had a rough season in Florida last year but has shown in the past that he is able to bounce back and play through adversity. It would be safe to say, however, to expect Mrazek to pick up a slightly heavier workload this season.

Projected Stars

It’s not the most obvious prediction, but forward Ryan Dzingel could be poised to top all previous career highs next season with Carolina. After spending much of his career with the floundering Ottawa Senators, Dzingel was able to stretch his legs when he was traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets and, eventually, with Carolina. A player always on the cusp of a breakout, Dzingel joins a Carolina team already stacked with a slew of talents such as Teuvo Teravainen, Sebastian Aho, and Jordan Staal. Last season, Dzingel still managed to pull off 44 points in57 games with the Sens and added 12 more points in Columbus.

Stanley Cup odds for 2020

Oddsmakers have the Carolina Hurricanes amidst the middle of the pack heading into 2020. Their odds to win the Stanley Cup sit at +2100. The O/U for their regular-season point total sits at 94.5 points. They sit as -167 favorites to make the playoffs next season and are a +135 to miss.

If you are in New Jersey, go to 888Sport NJ or Fox Bet NJ to bet on the Carolina Hurricanes. For more NHL odds head to DraftKings if you are in either New Jersey or West Virginia. Good luck!

Team Total Points in the Competition – Regular Season

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Will the Carolina Hurricanes make the NHL playoffs?

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Stanley Cup Winner – Carolina Hurricanes Odds

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