With some key departures and some exciting additions, the Carolina Hurricanes look forward to the 2024-25 season to see what a somewhat new-look team can do. One area that will have some tweaks is the power play. Last season, Carolina finished the regular season second on the man advantage with a 26.9%.
The Stanley Cup Playoffs saw that number drop to 19.4% albeit with a smaller sample size. Carolina would like to have that regular season number remain around the same and see that playoff number (assuming they reach the playoffs) improve. So what does the Carolina Hurricanes power play look like this upcoming year?
New Faces and New Opportunities on the Carolina Hurricanes Power Play
The Hurricanes certainly lost some firepower on their power play this offseason. Stefan Noesen was great down low while Teuvo Teravainen could work the half-wall being equally as effective at distributing the puck as putting it in the net. Jake Guentzel and Evgeny Kuznetsov both had some success on the power play during their short stints and Brady Skjei spent some time there as well. But the first two mentioned are arguably the biggest ones lost. But with those guys out, Carolina also brought in some players that could provide firepower on the man advantage. They will also have to lean on some guys to step up as well.
The New Carolina Hurricanes Power Play 1 Quarterback
No new addition may be more potentially effective on the power play than Shayne Gostisbehere. Last season he had 29 points on the man advantage. By comparison, Brent Burns had 20 last season running the point. This is Gostisbehere’s bread and butter. An extremely mobile offensive defenceman who has great vision and a heavy shot. His ability to walk the blue line and create plays from the top should be a big help to Carolina’s power play. Carolina typically likes to shoot a lot on the power play. And while they absolutely have to have net front presence, Gostisbehere will be a good fit on the first power play unit.
Top Heavy Unit and Opportunities
When Carolina sets up their power play units this season, don’t be surprised to see PP1 more heavily loaded than PP2. What we have seen in the preseason, and will likely see at least at first, is Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Martin Necas, Seth Jarvis and Gostisbehere on PP1. This means that PP2 will likely feature Burns, Sean Walker, Jack Roslovic, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jack Drury. Dmitry Orlov may take some shifts here too. They also may utilize a big body like Jordan Staal down low.
This setup seems to say a few things. For one, PP1 will likely take the majority of the power play time. Most of the offensive firepower is concentrated there with four forwards and one defenceman. And that is ok. Carolina needs its power play working and once you score, it’s over. So load it up. This will also give big opportunities to players like Necas. He said he wanted more power play time and now should get it. Two seasons ago he put up 26 power play points and will be looking to replicate or improve that production. This could be a big opportunity for him.
The Trickle Down and Depth
But you also cannot overlook the trickle down effect this has on PP2. For starters, Burns has shown that he is still a very effective power play producer. Especially for a defenceman of his size, he has good hands, can move the puck and has no problem shooting. As he gets older, having more of a sheltered role on PP2 might not be a bad thing. Not to mention when you look at its composure, PP2 seems more of a unit that has a little more balance between goal scoring and preventing short handed opportunities. This gives PP1 some relief if they are unable to produce without being a liability.
In addition, it should not be overlooked the potential that Sean Walker can provide. Walker has proven to be a good two-way right-handed defenceman who can skate very well and has no problem jumping up offensively. In the preseason he has already shown that he can score on the power play as well with a big shot. This unit too can provide opportunities to Drury, Roslovic and Kotkaniemi as they each look to build their offensive numbers. Then there is the possibility of younger players getting a shot here like Felix Unger-Sorum, Jackson Blake and Bradly Nadeau.
The Test of Time
At the end of the day, it’s going to be chemistry and hard work that determines Carolina’s power play effectiveness. While they may have weakened on their power play forwards, they arguably have improved at the point. It may take some time for the new units to adjust and don’t be surprised if there is some tinkering as the year goes on. But Carolina’s power play may end up still working well with what they have while giving opportunities to many players.
Main Photo Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
