The Carolina Hurricanes are determined to reach the Stanley Cup Final in the upcoming season. Despite the challenges they faced in the 2023 postseason, the Hurricanes have made significant additions to their roster.
Going into the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Hurricanes had to deal with injuries to key players. Offseason acquisition Max Pacioretty suffered an Achilles injury, while star winger Andrei Svechnikov was out for the season with a knee injury.
Nevertheless, the Hurricanes had a strong playoff run, defeating the New York Islanders and the New Jersey Devils. Unfortunately, they were swept by the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final.
Even before the offseason acquisitions, the Hurricanes were considered one of the top NHL teams. However, they made several moves during the offseason to further enhance their roster.
Here are the key moves the Carolina Hurricanes made during the 2023 offseason:
One of their underrated signings was winger Michael Bunting in free agency. Bunting had an impressive couple of seasons with the Toronto Maple Leafs, tallying 112 points (46 goals and 66 assists) during that time. Bunting expressed his excitement to join the Hurricanes, aiming to help them take the next step towards winning the Stanley Cup.
Bunting is expected to play on the left wing of Carolina’s top line alongside Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, a role he is familiar with from his time with the Maple Leafs.
In addition to Bunting, the Hurricanes made a significant move by signing defenseman Dmitry Orlov in free agency. The team has been working on improving their defense, and Orlov will join Brent Burns as the top defensive pairing. Orlov had a career-best season, scoring 36 points (seven goals and 29 assists) while splitting time between the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins.
The Hurricanes signed Orlov to a two-year deal, which is favorable considering he is 32 years old. With the likes of Burns, Brady Skjei, and Brett Pesce, the Hurricanes have a formidable defensive core. In the 2022-23 season, they allowed the second-fewest goals-per-game and had the second-best penalty kill percentage in the NHL.
Playing alongside such talented defensemen will only enhance Orlov’s performance.
Furthermore, the Hurricanes opted to keep their goaltending duo intact for the upcoming season. Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta both signed shorter-term deals. Andersen has been impressive when healthy, boasting a record of 56-25-4, with a goals-against average of 2.29 and a save percentage of .915 since joining the Hurricanes in 2021.
However, injuries have been a concern for Andersen, limiting him to 86 games over two seasons. If he can stay healthy in the upcoming season, the Hurricanes have great potential.
With the addition of new players and a roster that already includes Aho, Burns, Svechnikov, and Martin Necas, the Hurricanes have a talented and deep team. Their success will depend on their ability to avoid injuries throughout the season. If they can stay healthy, a run at the Stanley Cup is within reach.
