Hockey fans, we made it. It’s finally October as the calendar flips to where hockey games officially count. Regarding the Carolina Hurricanes, we’re only 10 days away from their opening night game on Friday, Oct. 11 vs the Tampa Bay Lightning. While sights are still on training camps and the preseason, who are the players that could break out for the team during the 2024-25 season? While some will keep an eye on Andrei Svechnikov having a comeback or even Seth Jarvis having an even bigger season after a career year, these are three players who might fly under the radar and could have an impactful season for the Canes who look to make their seventh straight playoff appearance.
Jack Drury
The 2024 summer has been one that forward Jack Drury will remember for a long time. July 17 saw him sign a two-year extension for $1.725 million per season that runs through 2025-26 where he becomes a restricted free agent (RFA) at 26 years old. Last season, he had a career year setting new highs in games played (74), goals (eight), assists (19), points (27), power-play goals (two) and power-play points (seven). It was more than worth the extension for the guy who the Hurricanes took 42nd overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
While he looks to be slotted on the fourth-line one again on opening night, Drury looks to be the main driver on that line which could include Tyson Jost or Eric Robinson on his right side and Brendan Lemieux on his left. However, if Jackson Blake keeps his current form going, we could see the 2024 Hobey Baker finalist on that line with the Harvard product.
Related: Hurricanes 2024 Offseason Wishlist Item #1: Re-Sign Jack Drury
General manager Eric Tulsky saw the growth in Drury last season and it was a no-brainer to bring back the New York native. After the news of the team extending him, Tulsky stated, “Jack took tremendous steps last season to solidify himself as a key part of our forward group. He is an extremely hard worker at both ends of the ice who can be relied upon in all situations, and we are excited to watch his continued growth in Carolina.”
That is some high praise from the organization that has invested a lot of time into Drury. He has proven that he can move well with the puck and push the play in transition. Furthermore, his underrated speed can help him gain the edge on zone entries versus opposing defenses. It’s easy to see he has better-than-average puck touch and vision in the offensive zone. His hockey IQ needs to be given more credit than it does by the way he can read plays in transition and keep plays alive in the offensive zone. He has shown that he has the hockey sense to be used in various roles for the Hurricanes in Rod Brind’Amour’s system when given a chance. He is someone who has a high compete level and is not afraid to get physical. Don’t be shocked if we get at least 10 goals and 35 to 40 points this season from Drury.
Sean Walker
We move over to the blue line as newcomer Sean Walker has seemed to fit in right away since jumping on the ice in Raleigh. In his preseason debut in the Hurricanes’ 8-2 win on Friday, Sept. 27, he had a goal and two assists to have three points in the game. It unofficially led the team in that game. Talk about a debut for the 29-year-old Keswick, ON native. Walker joined the Canes on July 1 after signing a five-year, $18 million deal that pays him $3.6 million annually through the 2028-29 season.
Related: Hurricanes’ 3 Up, 3 Down: New Blue Line Duo, Prospects, Camp Injuries & More
Walker finished the 2023-24 season with a career-high in goals (10) and points (29) while tying his career-best in assists (19) split between the Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche. Furthermore, he had a plus-11 between the two teams which gives a breath of relief to the Canes fanbase as he is someone who plays solid defense while working on the offensive side of his game.
During the first week of training camp, Walks (Walker’s nickname from the team), has voiced how he is already establishing chemistry with his defensive partner Shayne Gostisbehere. He stated, “We’ve been paired up together these first couple of days, so just working through it, having that trust together and just buying into the game plan is going to really help us be successful. I think bringing in Shayne and I – they just want us to play our games. They don’t want us to change our identity, just be the players we can be out there, stick to our strong assets and buy into the game plan and I think we’ll be successful.”
What also has helped Walker get into a groove early on in camp and the preseason is how Brind’Amour and his staff have been working on implementing strategies that fit in well with player types. “I think all the things we’re working on right now fit my style of play,” said Walker. “Rod’s been talking about fast transitioning, putting the stress on them and taking it off us, and that’s been something I’ve been trying to put into my game throughout my career. I think I’ll just fit into the system really well, so it’s been really good so far.”
If the three-point night is any indication of something we could see from Walker in 2024-25 for the Canes, we could see the newcomer on the blue line have 12 to 15 goals, 22 assists, and 34 to 37 points. That being said, a career year for Walks in year one in Raleighwood?
Jordan Martinook
The final piece is someone that some wouldn’t consider for a “break out”, but hear me out here. Jordan Martinook had a solid 2023-24 as a whole for the Hurricanes tallying 14 goals and 32 points in 82 games played. It gave him back-to-back 30-plus point seasons in his career. However, he will be coming back for a tad over $3 million per season with his new three-year extension and it will give him the sense of calm to not worry about going anywhere anytime soon. Overall, that was a great deal for both sides. There had to be a way to keep the glue of the team around as an alternate captain and a leader of this team.
Related: Don’t Look Now but Hurricanes Martinook Is Electric So Far in 2024
When asked about Martinook, Tulsky went on to say, “Jordan is the heart and soul of our team, and he has played a pivotal role in changing the culture here over his six years as a Hurricane. He is such a reliable presence for us both on and off the ice, and we are thrilled to keep him in Raleigh for years to come.” The Hurricanes kept a veteran of the team in a leadership role and Martinook stays in a place that he’s called home since the 2018-19 season.
If Martinook can carry the momentum from back-to-back 30-point seasons along with the ease of being in Carolina for the next three seasons, we could see a huge year for Marty. There is a good chance that he could finish the upcoming 2024-25 season with 17 goals, 20 assists, and 37 points which would all be career highs for the Brandon, Manitoba native.
Honorable Mentions
One of two honorable mentions is Jesperi Kotkaniemi who has been mentioned a fair amount over the offseason. The sky is the limit for Kotkaniemi as he has the potential to be the player people hoped he would be. If he starts the 2024-25 season like he did last October when the team was struggling, he could have a huge bounce-back season and score 40-plus points for the Hurricanes again. If he has consistent linemates in Necas and whoever is in the second-line left-wing spot, he could even have a chance for a 45 to 50-point campaign. However, he cannot have another down season going into next summer.
The other one is Jack Roslovic who has seen a fair amount of first-line ice time with Jarvis and Sebastian Aho recently. While he is not known for piling up points throughout a season, the 25-year-old Columbus, Ohio native joins the Hurricanes on a one-year, $2.8 million deal. He hopes to fit within the organization that saw many changes over the offseason. One of the aspects of his game that can benefit him and the team is his high-end speed. If he is paired with Aho and Jarvis for the majority of the season, there is a great chance to see 15 goals, 25 assists, and 40 points from him this upcoming season. Furthermore, if he can achieve that, be assured there could be an extension with the Canes in the works if he can reach those marks in his first season with them.
Regular Season Hockey Is Back, Soon
As it’s now October, the wait for the regular season is drawing to a close for the 2024 offseason. While there were many changes for the Hurricanes over the summer months, we are close to being done with speculating and just watching hockey games that matter in the standings. Congrats Caniacs and hockey fans, we made it to the best month of the year.
