Stanley Cup winner prediction: Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes landed the best available trade deadline player we’ve seen in years. That is star winger Jake Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Carolina normally doesn’t make big moves like this when it comes to rentals, but the team chnged their mindset this time around and it could pay huge dividends. Guentzel will give the Hurricanes a true goal scorer as he has 34 goals, 24 assists and a plus-minus of +4 in 58 Playoff games in his career. Players like Guentzel who produce like he does in the playoffs simply do not grow on trees, this is greatness. Canes also landed forward Evgeny Kuznetsov at the trade deadline who is off to a pretty good start with the Hurricanes and has plenty of playoff experience. With goaltender Frederik Andersen recently returning from a blood clot issue, the Hurricanes are likely the biggest competition to the Florida Panthers in the East. Hurricanes are a great defensive team but throughout the past years they didn’t have that legit goal scorer to put them over the top.
This is a motivated group and since Rod Brind’Amour took over as the head coach, this group has developed something special and play with tons of heart. The core group of the Canes is no longer young and rising but has established themselves as premium players. With all the depth in place and growth within their own individual games, putting it all together is a must. The Hurricanes, as a team, want to win, and after multiple second-round exits and shortcomings, they know what it takes to get over the hump. Motivation will play a pivotal role in their success as they strive to erase the lingering bitterness of those defeats. Furthermore, its now or never for the Canes. They are great defensively, have great coaching, have great depth and now have Jake Guentzel. I am truly confident this is their year to win.
Hurricanes potential Lineup:
GUENTZEL- AHO – JARVIS
SVECHNIKOV – KUZNETSOV/DRURY- NECAS
MARTINOOK – STAAL- TERAVAINEN
LEMIEUX- KOTKANIEMI- FAST/NOESEN
DEFENSE
SLAVIN – BURNS
SKJEI – PESCE
ORLOV – CHATFIELD
GOALTENDER
ANDERSON
KOCHETKOV