While all eyes are on the NHL’s 4 Nations Face-Off, the Carolina Hurricanes are third in the Eastern Conference and seventh in the NHL. After 56 games, the Hurricanes are 33-19-4 (70 points) and 10 points back of the Metropolitan Division-leading Washington Capitals. Despite some rough patches, there is more good than bad through the first 56 games of the season. Here are three underrated Hurricanes who have helped the team reach 33 wins.
Jackson Blake
Heading into 2024-25, it was unclear if any of the Hurricanes’ top prospects would make the team out of training camp. There were rumblings about Bradly Nadeau, Felix Unger-Sorum, or even Scott Morrow making their case, as well as North Dakota native Jackson Blake.
Blake finished 2023-24 with 60 points for the University of North Dakota and was a top-three finalist for the Hobey Bake Award – the NCAA’s MVP. Many thought he would be reassigned to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL). However, like Seth Jarvis, who did it three seasons before, Blake gave enough of a reason for the Hurricanes to not reassign him to the AHL. His hard work paid off, and he is now in the top six on the NHL’s number-one forechecking and cycling team.
Related: Hurricanes’ Jackson Blake Should Be in More Calder Trophy Discussions
Now 56 games into his first full professional season, Blake has 11 goals and 20 points in 12:52 of average ice time per game (TOI). He also has a plus-3 rating despite bouncing around all the forward lines. He has seen time on both power play units, and Blake ranks third in goals (11) and eighth in points among NHL rookies.
On the Hurricanes, the 21-year-old is tied for eighth in goals with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and tied for 13th in points with Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin. He started the season on the fourth line, but since then, head coach Rod Brind’Amour has wanted to see Blake play more.
Over the last few weeks, he has mostly played with Sebastian Aho and Mikko Rantanen, which has helped his confidence in his game. He has been creating chances and playing well with his Finnish teammates. Right before the 4 Nations Face-Off break, Blake was moved back down the lineup when Jarvis was moved up to the top line, and he was still creating chances for the Hurricanes.
Blake’s development this season is why the Hurricanes kept him in Raleigh out of training camp. He is a Brind’Amour-type player, and he has turned a lot of heads in his rookie season. With the same amount of ice time as Jarvis, we could see another young star in the making.
Jordan Martinook
If there is one consistent thing for the Hurricanes, it’s their third line, which includes Jordan Martinook, who is again putting in the work. The 32-year-old Brandon, Manitoba native is having another impeccable season for the Hurricanes. After 56 games, he has 10 goals and 26 points with a plus-15 rating (career high). He has also been one of the most reliable penalty killers and even-strength players for Brind’Amour with only 10 penalty minutes. They say the best ability is availability, and Martinook is just that. He is only 12 seconds off of his career high in TOI of 15:38 (2022-23), averaging 15:26.
Related: Hurricanes’ Martinook Living His Best Life in 2023
The 2022-23 season saw Martinook set career highs in assists (21) and points (34). He is only five assists and eight points shy of tying those marks with 26 regular-season games left. His career high in goals (15) was set in 2018-19. Martinook has a good chance of setting new highs in all three categories this season, especially if he continues to stay out of the box. Martinook could see a 35-point season in 2024-25. He is in the first of a three-year, $9.15 million deal signed in July. So far, he’s been well worth it as the heart and soul of the team.
Together with Jordan Staal over the last two seasons, the duo has Brind’Amour’s trust to start most periods and be slated to lock down the best players in the league. Martinook being with Staal to shut down the best of the best is one of the most consistent things in hockey.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Jesperi Kotkaniemi was not thrilled with his 2023-24 season, finishing with 12 goals and 27 points and a minus-4 rating. He also averaged less than 13 minutes of TOI. In 56 games in 2024-25, Kotkaniemi has 11 goals and 26 points with a plus-7 rating while averaging 13:58 of TOI.
He has been the second-line center most of the season and seen time on the second power-play unit. It’s well deserved for the 24-year-old Pori, Finland native who needed to bounce back in a big way. His confidence has been high, and he is playing with a high level of physicality. He has thrown some well-timed hits and he’s seen his share of board battles. Finally, his face-off success rate is 50.5%, which marks the fourth season in a row of being over 50%.
Related: Hurricanes’ Jesperi Kotkaniemi Is in Make-or-Break Mode for 2024-25
Kotkaniemi is in the third year of an eight-year deal with an annual average value of $4.82 million. He has already matched his assist total from last season and is one point away from tying his 2023-24 total in 23 fewer games. He is also one goal away from tying last season’s high and eclipsing the 15-goal mark for the first time since 2022-23. With 26 games left, Kotkaniemi could surpass his 43-point season from 2022-23, although he would need to go on a heater to hit 17 points in the last 26 games. However, he should eclipse 35 points, at least.
Kotkaniemi has come into his own as a shutdown center. This season has been a building block for his game, and with the cap space going up for the next three seasons, his contract will be a sneaky steal for the Hurricanes if he can become that well-rounded shutdown center who wins board battles, delivers big hits, and wins tons of face-offs. This could be the season that Kotaniemi needed to regain his confidence and prove why the Hurricanes signed him to that eight-year deal.
All Eyes on the 4 Nations Face-Off
With the 4 Nations Face-Off Final on Thursday, the Hurricanes will return to action on Saturday when they face the Toronto Maple Leafs. There is still a lot on the line as Carolina looks to secure a higher seed in the Eastern Conference and get hot at the right time for a deep playoff run. While the 4 Nations has been a ton of fun, fans are ready for the NHL to return.
