2024 was a fun ride for Caniacs and their team from Raleigh. The Carolina Hurricanes finally went all in on a rental player in Jake Guentzel, added Evgeny Kuznetsov, and almost pulled off a comeback after being down 3-0 to the New York Rangers in the second round of the playoffs.
The summer months saw them lose some fan favorites in Brett Pesce, Brady Skjei, and Stefan Noesen to free agency. The 2024-25 season has seen players like Jackson Blake emerge as well as free agent pickup Jack Roslovic leading the team in goals.
In what many called a reset year for this team, let’s look at some New Year’s resolutions for the Hurricanes in 2025.
Resolution Number One: Make a Goaltending Decision
With Freddie Andersen having knee surgery in November, the Hurricanes have relied heavily upon Pyotr Kochetkov. The young goaltender sports a 14-7-1 record on the season with a .899 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.52 goals-against average (GAA). The biggest problem has been the consistency of his play. For every great game, it seems there is a goal he wants to have back. The potential to be a number-one goalie is there, but he is not quite there yet.
Related: Hurricanes Have Goalie Options With Tokarski & Trade Market
Dustin Tokarski seems to have solidified his position as the current backup after impressing on a professional tryout (PTO) with the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League (AHL). The journeyman goaltender is 2-1-0 with the big club and has played well. Will the Canes make a move at the position this season? Only time will tell but so far, it looks like they are okay with staying with the status quo.
However, after this season, the Hurricanes will need to find a goalie that they can rely on to pair with Kochetkov in a 1A/1B situation. Many thought that Andersen would be that guy this season but unfortunately got injured. The team will need to explore the trade market or free agency for a goaltender.
Resolution Number Two: Invest in Scoring Help
After Guentzel declined general manager Eric Tulsky’s final offer and decided to join the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Hurricanes were back to square one when it came to scoring. However, with Martin Necas going on a red-hot tear to start the season and Roslovic leading the team in goals, the damage has been minimal. But, Necas is starting to cool down. The Hurricanes need their top guys to continue to score. With Roslovic only on a one-year deal, he might get a significant raise elsewhere after this season that the Hurricanes might not match. Only time will tell.
But, let’s take a long-term look at this. With the cap continuing to rise and around $22 million in cap space to play with this summer, it would be nice to see the team get aggressive and give head coach Rod Brind’Amour an elite forward to play in the top six. Could the Hurricanes go after guys like Mikko Rantanen or Mitch Marner? They’ll likely have the cap room to do so. But probably not likely. They could also re-explore trade rumors that linked them to Elias Pettersson last season.
Whether it be via free agency or trade, the Hurricanes need to give Sebastian Aho more weapons to play with and be sniffing around the top offensive players this summer.
Resolution Number Three: Take the Next Step
The turnaround that Brind’Amour has inspired in this club has been astounding. The final weeks of the Bill Peters era might have been the lowest point ever for this franchise and fan base.
The team feels about as far away from that point now as it ever has. Brind’Amour became the fastest coach to earn 300 wins in NHL history. Now with six consecutive seasons with playoff appearances and at least a series win in all of them, the Hurricanes need to take the next step.
Whether with this team or the 2025-26 team, it’s time to see them move forward. Both times they have made the Eastern Conference Final in this run; they have been swept. The Hurricanes’ next step is to be competitive in that series and make the Stanley Cup Final.
What’s In Store for 2025?
As we flip the calendar from 2024 to 2025, only time will tell what this iteration of the Canes will bring. Many predicted the team would regress and to an extent they have as they currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division behind the Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils with 46 points via a 22-13-2 record.
The Hurricanes don’t get to ease into 2025 at all. They’ll take on the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Thursday night in Sunrise.
