Photo via @Canes on Twitter/X
By Spencer Knight – @stormsurge_pod / stormsurgepod.com
October 7, 2024
After going the entirety of training camp without making a single roster cut, the Hurricanes trimmed their roster from 40 to 25 on Sunday afternoon. Notable cuts included top prospects Felix Unger Sorum, Bradley Nadeau, and Scott Morrow, as well as defenseman Ty Smith. Veteran forward Sam Gagner was also released from his PTO. After these cuts, the roster consisted of 14 forwards, 9 defensemen, and 2 goalies.
And then on Monday, the Canes finalized their Opening Night roster ahead of the 5pm deadline. Defensemen Joakim Ryan and Riley Stillman and forward Jesper Fast begin the season placed on Injured, Non-Roster, while newly signed Bryce Montgomery remains on the roster for now (for cap purposes, more on that later). Up front, Jackson Blake was the final roster cut to get the team below the salary cap, meaning Brendan Lemieux, Tyson Jost, and Eric Robinson are the final 3 forwards to make the team out of camp.
Is It Koochie Time?
To no one’s surprise, Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov are the two goalies on the Opening Night roster. The real question is how will they be deployed? Dylan and I had a good discussion on this topic during today’s episode of the podcast (find your favorite listening platform here).
One option is to run with a 1a/1b approach that has been used more commonly over the past several seasons. Given his performance last year and his status as a veteran, Andersen would likely operate as the 1a and start between 45 and 50 games (barring an injury), while Kochetkov would start between 35 and 40. Of note regarding this idea, though, is that Andersen has started just 49 games in the last 2 seasons combined, compared to Kochetkov’s 42 last season alone. Andersen’s proclivity to get injured (happened in 3 of the last 4 regular seasons, and in the playoffs for his 1 healthy season) could cause the team to opt for another plan.
Kochetkov is clearly the heir apparent to the Hurricanes starting crease, and showed last season he can handle a half-season workload. The Canes may opt to go ahead and try him in a starting role this season, with reliable veteran Andersen operating as a true backup. In this plan, Kochetkov would likely start close to 55 games, while Andersen would be needed for under 30. We’ve seen that Kochetkov does best when he can string together multiple starts, while Andersen prefers rest. This option could be the best way to maximize the two needs.
New Look Defense
The top 6 defensemen to make the final roster are no surprise at all. The seventh I did not see coming, but makes perfect sense considering how the salary cap, and specifically LTIR, works.
But first, the guys we expect to play. Slavin, Burns, Orlov, and Chatfield return from last season, with Gostisbehere and Walker (Sean, not Scott) rounding out the group. I believe we will see Slavin and Burns together on the top pair once again, but beyond that we’ll find out on Friday. My gut says Walker and Gostisbehere partner up, with Orlov and Chatfield staying together. That said, I like the complementary play we could see with Gostisbehere and Chatfield paired up. It will likely be a fluid situation until one of the pairings can no longer be denied.
Is Bryce Montgomery really going to be the team’s 7th defenseman? It’s quite unlikely. He played in the ECHL last season and certainly seems better suited to reprise that role. But yesterday he signed his Entry Level Contract, and the dollar amount of that contract made him the ideal candidate to remain on the opening roster. I won’t bore with the specifics, but for those that are interested in more details can check out this article from PuckPedia.
No Prospects Up Front?
Back on the first day of Free Agency, GM Eric Tulsky hinted at larger roles for some of the younger players on the roster:
“Part of what we’re doing at this point is making sure (our younger guys) have an opportunity to step into bigger roles. We have some young players in the NHL who are ready to grow. We have some players who are just a bit away from the NHL who are ready to step into NHL roles. Seeing them continue to take steps forward is a big part of how we keep this going. Leaving them the opportunity is part of the job here. Ultimately, it’s a balancing act. We aren’t in a rebuild. We aren’t turning things over completely to the kids. But we do need to leave room for them to keep growing and keep assuming newer and bigger roles.”
Fast forward to today and Jackson Blake, the last of the top prospects still on the roster, is assigned to the AHL as the last roster move made. And truthfully, I’m ok with it.
The most likely landing spot for him would have been 4th line right wing. This role does not give him enough opportunity to continue his development. He’s played in a single professional game in his career. While it would be great to see him in a Canes sweater on opening night, it would be much less great to only see him out there for 6 to 8 minutes a night. He will be much better off playing top line minutes in Chicago, playing 18 to 20 minutes per game, playing on the power play and penalty kill, and have the opportunity to develop the entirety of his game.
Lining Them Up
Additionally, with how well Roslovic played in the preseason game against Tampa, the team is much more content playing him in the top 6 rather that pushing a top prospect up there. Roslovic in the top 6 allows the Canes to spread out their offensive attack across multiple lines. Below is how I see the forward lines coming together for opening night against Tampa:
| Roslovic | Aho | Jarvis |
| Svechnikov | Kotkaniemi | Necas |
| Martinook | Staal | Carrier |
| Lemieux | Drury | Jost |
Roslovic on the top line with Aho and Jarvis will be a nice complement to their play style. He doesn’t have to be the best defensive forward on the ice, as Aho and Jarvis are both excellent there, and he doesn’t have to be the most skilled offensively either. He is, however, quite capable at both ends of the ice and will find ways to be a great support to them.
This allows Svechnikov to shift to the 2nd line with Kotkaniemi and Necas. Kotkaniemi has had an excellent camp and looks poised to take a massive step forward offensively compared to last year. He has also improved in the faceoff dot, which should allow the team to be more comfortable with him taking draws. His solid defensive play combined with Necas’s speed and finish and Svechnikov’s power skating and shooting ability should make for a dangerous line.
Carrier will take Fast’s spot on the line with Martinook and Staal, and he’s looked great doing so. While sacrificing a bit of speed, his ferocity and strength will mesh well with the Jordans and this is the new Canes Identity line, setting the example for how the others ought to play.
Lastly, we have Drury centering some combination of Lemieux, Jost, and Robinson. I expect Robinson to be the 13th forward more often than not, but we’ll likely see a bit of a rotation. This line should provide solid depth with a bit of bite. Drury and Jost are both offensively skilled, while Lemieux and Robinson are more known for their aggression. Paired up against depth lines from other teams, I expect this line to win the battle more times than not.
Waiting is the Hardest Part
NHL Opening Night is Tuesday, but the Canes season doesn’t start until Friday when Jake Guentzel and the Tampa Bay Lightning come to town. Insert meme of Squidward watching the rest of the league play while he’s stuck inside. While the team certainly looks a bit different than it did last year, it should still be a competitive season, and I can’t wait for it to get started!
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