With the offseason chugging along and the excitement of the NHL Entry Draft and free agency waning, hockey fans are left anxiously awaiting next season. Here at Last Word on Hockey, we have been exploring some different “bests” from teams during the dog days of summer. Best players by number for a few teams, top captains, best and worst sweaters, and top first-round draft picks are some of the select rankings our writers have been exploring. As an ode to the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, here for the Carolina Hurricanes, we are looking at the all-time starting lineups based on nationality.
A few parameters to this list to get us started. This will be a starting lineup so two wingers, one centre, two defencemen, and a goalie. The player must have played in the NHL with the Hurricanes (not looking at Hartford Whalers or prospects). The assessment comes from the players best performance with, and impact on, the Hurricanes, not over his career if he played with other teams. We have looked at the Finnish and Swedish starting lineups so far. And today we look at a country that Carolina has not shied away from drafting players out of as of late. This is the all-time Hurricanes Russian starting lineup.
Carolina Hurricanes All-Time Russian Starting Lineup
The Hurricanes have had no problem of late looking at Russia when drafting, trading for and signing players. Dmitry Orlov signed as a free agent last year and the Hurricanes took a chance to acquire Evgeny Kuznetsov at the trade deadline this past season. Andrei Svechnikov is the most notable Hurricanes Russian draft pick of late but Alexander Nikishin may end up being a really close second. Even just in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, the Hurricanes selected six Russians out of their ten total picks. But this was not always the case.
The Hurricanes have not had an overwhelmingly Russian lineup throughout their existence and even during the Jim Rutherford days seemed to shy away from drafting Russians. There were certainly some hopeful prospects that didn’t pan out (Valentin Zykov and Sergei Tolchinsky) and some who came in to the team with high expectations but ultimately faded away (Alexander Semin). But nevertheless, there are some interesting names on this list.
Andrei Svechnikov LW – Evgeny Kuznetsov C – Sergei Samsonov RW
Dmitry Orlov LD – Oleg Tverdovsky RD
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Ok so why would we include a guy who played one partial season on the all-time list here? One is because there are not too many Hurricanes Russians in history and even less when it comes to the centre position. We may could have listed Alex Semin here but for starters he’s not a centre and also his departure compared to Kuznetsov’s is very different as far as organizational feeling and impact. Here’s why Kuznetsov starts this list.
Kuznetsov had a good career with the Washington Capitals that included a Stanley Cup Championship. But as he had some off-ice struggles, his on-ice production significantly fell. He ultimately found himself out of the lineup until Carolina decided to take a chance on him at the 2023-24 trade deadline. It was a low risk (third-round draft pick given), high reward type move.
Time in Carolina
While Kuznetsov didn’t all of a sudden jump back up to his 2019 self, he did provide a style and level of play that most were not familiar within Carolina. His ability to slow the play down and control it was sort of a ying to Carolina’s typical high-flying, heavy forechecking yang. It seemed fitting that he scored the Hurricanes first goal of the 2023-24 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He really seemed to be enjoying hockey again after struggling in D.C. And the fans, players and coaches all seemed to like what he brought.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t truly a fairy tale story. Rod Brind’Amour healthy scratching him against the New York Rangers was a little confusing for example. And then there were questions after the season about where he may fit going forward. Ultimately, he and the team decided to part ways. The reason he fits this spot is because at his departure, most of the sentiment among fans and players was disappointment to see him go and hope that it was best for him. This was not a cap related buyout by the team for example (see Semin). His brief moment in Carolina brought some excitement and joy to those around.
Andrei Svechnikov the Best Russian in Hurrices History
Andrei Svechnikov may already be the most notable Hurricanes Russian player of all-time. At 24 years old, the 2018 second-overall pick has become a core piece of the current Hurricanes team. Ever since he played his first season in the NHL after the Hurricanes drafted him, Svechnikov has been electric. A power forward with a strong shot and somewhat overlooked playmaking ability makes Svechnikov an almost indispensable part of this current Hurricanes squad.
In six seasons with Carolina, Svechnikov has hit the 20-goal mark every year but two. One of which he only played 56 games and still managed 19 goals. With 316 points, Svechnikov sits in the top twenty all-time in points for Carolina. But more than just point totals, Svechnikov came to Carolina right at the time that the winds started to change. His arrival marked the beginning of Carolina digging out of mediocrity and into a position of true Stanley Cup contention.
While he still is looking to improve and help the team further, Svechnikov’s skill and competitiveness has had a huge impact on the team. When it comes to skill, Svechnikov has shown that by pulling the first ever lacrosse style goal in the NHL. And then continued to do it twice more…
At the start of the season, not one player had scored a lacrosse-style goal.
ANDREI SVECHNIKOV (@ASvechnikov_37) HAS NOW DONE IT TWICE. pic.twitter.com/PpEyWWGubz
— NHL (@NHL) December 18, 2019
He has the ability to play a Rod Brind’Amour, physical game that makes his value to Carolina even that much more. An unfortunate injury kept him out of the 2022-23 Stanley Cup Playoffs and slowed down his return even this past season. But with a full healthy offseason, Svechnikov should be poised to go even further.
Sergei Samsonov
Sergei Samsonov played four seasons for the Hurricanes from 2008 until 2011, although two were partial seasons in Carolina. After the Boston Bruins selected Samsonov in the first round of the 1997 NHL Entry Draft, he put up some decent seasons before bouncing around a few teams. Ultimately, Carolina picked Samsonov off waivers from the Chicago Blackhawks hoping to get some offensive help. It turned out to be a pretty good move for Carolina.
Now Samsonov didn’t all of a sudden go from waiver pickup to Hart Trophy contention, but he did give Carolina another element to their offence. The 5′ 8″ Russian was one of those players who had to overcome his size deficiency by being shifty on the ice. And Samsonov was in fact shifty with great hands. In 2008-09, he put up 48 points for Carolina as they secured a playoff spot. Samsonov loved to play with the puck and developed great chemistry that year with Finns Tuomo Ruutu and Jussi Jokinen. There was some magic there, even if just for a moment.
He put up eight points in 17 playoff games that year including factoring in on the overtime game-winner in game three of the second round versus his old team (Boston). Ironically, the last time Samsonov saw the playoffs before that year was with the Edmonton Oilers against the Hurricanes in the Stanley Cup Championship in 2006. It was fun to watch Samsonov play in Carolina. As time went on Carolina traded him in 2011, but his impact during those few years was felt in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals run.
Dmitry Orlov
As far as Hurricanes Russian defencemen, the list is pretty short. Anton Babchuk had some good offensive seasons in his two years with Carolina. While his booming shot was his most notable asset, there wasn’t too much else to see there. He was also born in Kiev that is now Ukraine, formerly of the USSR, so there is some question about what you would consider his nationality. In any event, we start the defence with one of Carolina’s newest Russians.
Dmitry Orlov signed with Carolina during the 2023 offseason. A Stanley Cup Champion with the Washington Capitals, Orlov came to Carolina as one of the biggest name free agents that year. On paper, Carolina’s already stacked defence looked even stronger with Orlov. In addition, signing Orlov came as somewhat of an insurance policy knowing that Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce were both UFAs after 2023-24.
While things started a little rocky, Orlov settled in and developed really nice chemistry with Jalen Chatfield on the team’s third pair. As far as expected goals percentage goes, they were Carolina’s best pairing (that consistently played together) with 59.4% during the 2023-24 regular season. Orlov may not have quite lived up to his high price tag ($7.75 AAV) in year one, but he ended up putting together a decent season. He had 26 points and showed glimpses of some top-level clutch ability. None was better than his top-corner snipe with just over 30 seconds left against the Arizona Coyotes to give Carolina the win.
While Orlov doesn’t have multiple seasons in Carolina, he still sits as one of the best Hurricanes Russian defencemen of all-time.
Oleg Tverdovsky
Oleg Tverdovsky is an interesting name with connections to both the 2006 Stanley Cup Championship team and the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals team. Originally a second overall pick of the Anaheim Ducks, the Russian defenceman bounced around the leauge with a few teams and was involved in numerous higher profile trades. This included bringing Teemu Selanne to Anaheim as well as Tverdovsky’s inclusion in a trade with the New Jersey Devils for Anaheim to receive Petr Sykora. During his second stint with Anaheim he was a reliable defenceman who was logging heavy minutes and received a few Norris Trophy votes. He then won a Stanley Cup with the Devils in 2003. Interestingly, Mike Commodore, who would be a big part of the Hurricanes Stanley Cup Championship team, was involved in Tverdovsky’s trade to New Jersey as well.
To Carolina and Beyond
As Tverdovsky came towards the end of his career, he signed with Carolina for the 2005-06 season. A veteran defenceman who could provide some stability on the back end, he played in 72 regular season games and put up 23 points that year. He only played in five playoff games en route to a Stanley Cup. While he wasn’t a main piece of that playoff run, he was still part of that winning team and helped provide the team needed depth and experience on the back end.
After that season, he was involved in a trade with the Los Angeles Kings that saw the Hurricanes acquire another defenceman in Tim Gleason. Gleason would later become a big piece of the Hurricanes run to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009 and is currently an assistant coach. So while Tverdovsky’s on-ice performance for the Hurricanes was solid in a depth role, his intertwining in the fabric of Hurricanes history gives him a special place on this list.
Pyotr the Great
In net, the Hurricanes Russian lineup will look to none other than Pyotr Kochetkov. While Anton Khudobin had some decent seasons for Carolina, Kochetkov is the winner here. Drafted in the second round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Kochetkov came to Carolina with the hopes of becoming the goalie of the future. Full of fire, Kochetkov showed progression every year since Carolina drafted him. He had decent size for a goalie 6′ 3″ but really looked to his athleticism to shine. Goalies develop at different rates, and no one path fits all. But Kochetkov carried a steady development path from KHL to AHL to NHL.
Over his first three NHL seasons, with only three starts in his first one, he had eight shutouts. This puts him tied for the top five in Hurricanes history for shutouts with Frederik Andersen. And he did this in 69 games played which is the lowest played among the top six. With a .910 SV% and 2.37 GAA over this span, Kochetkov showed that he can play in the NHL. And that he would likely be Carolina’s goalie of the future. At the end of the 2023-24 season he split starts with Andersen which seemed to work very well for both. Maybe that should have continued in the playoffs but you never really know.
As much as Kochetkov has statistically shown he can man the net in Carolina, his emotion on the ice and personality off it captured Hurricanes fans. Whether it’s jarring with Brad Marchand or using his flying pokecheck on Brady Tkachuk in a shootout, Kochetkov is not afraid to show some fire in net. He should continue to solidify Carolina’s net for years but has already shown himself as the all-time Hurricanes Russian goalie.
Main Photo Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
