Usually, when breaking down a point per game player, people are happy to have that kind of production on the team, especially when that player is the highest paid and considered the team’s superstar. However, what if that should be the normal expectation and that everyone knows there is another level to the skillset? Regarding the Carolina Hurricanes, forward Sebastian Aho, is he one of those star players who people consider a superstar but isn’t hitting that next gear? After the recent three-game road trip, fans took notice of the lack of “game changer” when it comes to Aho. Let’s dive in…
Where Art Thou, Sebastian?
Going into the 2024-25 season, Aho’s contract went up to $9.75 million over the next eight seasons where it’ll expire in the summer of 2032. It went up from $8.46 million per season in his previous five years to $42.30 million. It may not seem much per season only going up $1.29 million annually. However, when you’re paid to be the team’s superstar player, there are expectations put on the player to perform at otherworldly levels. The 2023-24 season saw Aho have over 80 points for the third time in his career (89 in 2023-24, 81 in 2021-22, and 83 in 2018-19). He has shown flashes of being the superstar player that the Hurricanes know he can be. However, when you ask fans if he is consistent, they will say no. They are aware that Aho can be a streaky player and someone who starts the season at a slower pace.
Related: It’s Time to Call Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho a Superstar
Don’t get it wrong, the fans love the Finnish forward who is setting multiple franchise records every season. He will go down as the greatest Hurricanes player ever in many eyes of the fanbase. However, despite the slow pace that fans are accustomed to, this feels like a start to the season that even for Aho should be getting people’s attention. While he does have 14 points in 15 games, a .93-point-per-game pace, 11 of those are assists. Furthermore, his three goals come from either 3v3 overtime or an empty net tally. While they don’t ask how, they ask how many, in this case, the how many and how they are coming need to be addressed.
Aho’s goals-for percentage (GF%) in 15 games is 42.10%. That is lower than both of his linemates Andrei Svechnikov (47.1%) and Jack Roslovic (58.8%). Moreso, that is under Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s 62.50 GF% and Martin Necas’ 57.70 GF% who have been the Hurricanes’ biggest hitters to start the 2024-25 season. That is not a number to be at when he isn’t scoring goals, or even taking shots in multiple games. To be one of the lowest in the top six, and be paid as a face of the franchise player, you would expect a better GF% from a guy like Aho.
However, there is credit that does have to be given as well for Aho as he is tied on the team in points (14) with Svechnikov and does have two game-winning goals. The thing that keeps creeping up is how he can be invisible in some games or somehow can tally one or two assists but fans don’t remember much of them.
Related: Importance of Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho Getting 500th Point
During the three-game road trip that saw them travel to Denver, Las Vegas, and Utah for the first time, this was a prime opportunity to see Aho break out of the slow start and see the “putting the team on his back” type of game fans and the team is known to see from him. That was not the case in the Colorado Avalanche or Utah Hockey Club games. He managed a total of zero shots in a game where the Avs won 6-4. Furthermore, in the 4-1 loss to Utah, he had two total shots in almost 22 minutes of ice time that saw six power-play opportunities and 23 shifts. It is not ideal to see someone that people call a “superstar” only have two shots total in two of the three games on a road trip.
Given the fact that the Hurricanes don’t need otherworldly Aho right now, they need to have his line going. The fact that Aho and Svechnikov are the only negative players in plus/minus (both minus-3) while Roslovic is plus-3. Furthermore, with the new contract that just kicked in, Aho should be within the realm of where Necas is at right now with 25 points in 15 games and a 1.67 point-per-game pace. Not saying it has to be exactly that, but somewhere of what someone who is almost making $10 million per season as the highest-paid player should be. The Rod Brind’Amour system does not require someone to be a 100-point or more player, but Aho had 89 last season in said system. He can produce as a star player. But where is the superstar, taking over a game mindset that he has shown flashes of before? Getting one or two points every night is great, but doing it quietly or having two total shots in two games combined does not give a clear indication of someone who is just on a slow start.
Hopefully, Aho can right the ship and start playing with the fire of someone who is going to make his presence felt in a game. A game where he can shoot the puck at the pace of a Svechnikov or even Jackson Blake who had 10 total shots combined between the Golden Knights and Utah games. If so, then the Hurricanes will be even more of a force with a Finnish star center who is clicking on all cylinders. While I do like Aho and what he has brought to the Hurricanes, another gear needs to be reached.
Back-to-Back Weekend Set
The Hurricanes have a back-to-back this weekend against the Ottawa Senators (Saturday, Nov. 16) and the St. Louis Blues (Sunday, Nov. 17). The first game will be at 7 p.m. Eastern. It’ll be followed up by a 5 p.m. puck drop the next day. Both games will be on Fan Duel Sports Network and the radio at 99.9 The Fan. Let’s hope this weekend is the Sebastian Aho League Takeover set with hopefully four or five points in the next two games. Time to see “Seabass” as he is called to a game that puts the league on notice that he has awakened fully.
