2014-2015 Hurricanes Preview: Storm Brewing in Goal

Let's face it -- there are few teams in the NHL that epitomize the word "mediocre" more than the Carolina Hurricanes. Last season, the Hurricanes finished with a 36-35-11 record, good for second-last in their division and fourth-last in the East. They averaged 2.50 goals per game, ranking them 22nd out of 30 teams. They allowed 2.76 goals per game (19th), and their power play was a dismal 28th in the league (14.6%). Above all, they have missed the playoffs for five straight seasons after making it to the Conference Finals back in 2008-09. It's hard to imagine things getting any worse for the sad-sack Canes.

Fortunately, the team made some organizational changes at the end of last season, which could be a sign of better times to come. In April, longtime general manager Jim Rutherford was relieved of his duties after spending almost 20 years at the helm. He was soon replaced by franchise icon Ron Francis, who had spent several years with the Canes in a variety of roles after retiring as a player in 2004. One week after his hiring, Francis made his first move as GM, dismissing coach Kirk Muller and replacing him with former Detroit Red Wings assistant coach Bill Peters. Coming into the new season, these changes give the organization a little more credibility from a front-office standpoint. However, the team made few on-ice changes over the summer, and this year's roster will look all too similar to last year's squad.

Up front, the top two lines will continue to be anchored by the Staal brothers -- Eric and Jordan -- and flanked by top-six wingers Alexander Semin, Jeff Skinner, Elias Lindholm and Jiri Tlusty, although the rise of Nathan Gerbe (see below) could result in a guy like Tlusty winding up in more of a checking-line role. On defense, the Canes will continue with a top pairing of Justin Faulk and Andrej Sekera, with a likely bottom four of Ron Hainsey, Jay Harrison, Brett Bellemore and John-Michael Liles. Between the pipes, Cam Ward returns for his 10th season in a Canes uniform, however his role as undisputed No. 1 starter is no longer secure thanks to the solid play of Anton Khudobin last year. Expect to see a timeshare in goal to start the season until one guy steps up and claims the job on a full-time basis.

Overall, Francis and Peters could be in for a rough ride in their first season on the job. The team will need a return to form of both Staal brothers, as well as Semin and Ward, combined with the continued development of young guys like Skinner, Lindholm and Faulk, if they want to return to postseason relevance this year. Unless the stars are perfectly aligned in Raleigh this season, expect more of the same in terms of on-ice results.

The Big Guns

Eric Staal, C (RotoWire Position Rank*: #19): Staal took a small step back last season, finishing with 61 points in 79 games for the Hurricanes. Keep in mind, however, that a knee injury suffered at the World Championships the previous summer likely resulted in a slow start for Staal, who had just nine points in his first 18 games. Last season aside, Staal has been the key cog in the offensive wheel for the Canes in recent years. He enjoyed a very productive lockout-shortened 2012-13 season in which he scored 54 points in 48 games, and prior to that he had seven consecutive 70-plus point campaigns under his belt. Staal's name has been mentioned in trade rumours since the end of last year, however, he has expressed an interest in staying in Carolina, and should return as the team's No. 1 center alongside Alexander Semin and either Jiri Tlusty or Jeff Skinner. Given the dip in his point totals last year, he could turn out to be a real bargain on draft day, so don't overlook him. NOTE: Staal underwent hernia surgery in July, but is expected to be ready for training camp in September. Staal has only missed 17 games during his 10-year career, so durability isn't really a concern here.

*RotoWire Position Ranks reflected for points-based leagues*

Jeff Skinner, LW (RotoWire Position Rank: #7): On the surface, Skinner's 54 points last season -- his second-highest point total since his 63-point effort as a rookie three seasons earlier -- was a very positive development. First of all, he set a career-high in goals with 33, but more importantly, he played the majority of the season unhurt, following two seasons in which he was plagued by concussions. Unfortunately for fantasy owners, Skinner was maddeningly inconsistent last season, running from white hot (25 points in 19 games from Nov. 29 to Jan. 9) to stone cold (four points in 14 games from Feb. 8 to Mar. 21), so you never knew from day to day what kind of output you were going to get from him. On the bright side, however, we have now seen the kind of player Skinner can be when he's firing on all cylinders, which makes for a ton of upside given that he's still only 22 years old and not yet in his prime. From a fantasy perspective, he's a high-risk, high-reward type of player, so don't be afraid to draft him in the early to middle rounds of your draft. Make no mistake -- a breakout season is coming -- it's just a matter of when.

Cam Ward, G (RotoWire Position Rank: #35): Ward started just 28 games for the Hurricanes in 2013-14, recording a 10-12-6 record, 3.06 GAA and .898 save percentage. For the second consecutive season, Ward missed large chunks of time to an assortment of injuries, and was actually supplanted by Anton Khudobin, who wound up posting excellent numbers on his way to becoming the team's de-facto No. 1 starter, leaving Ward on the outside looking in. By the end of the season, Ward's name became the subject of several trade and buyout rumors, however at this point it does appear that Ward will remain with the team, and barring the unexpected, will likely open the season in at least a timeshare with Khudobin for the starter's gig. However, don't be surprised if Ward is once again relegated to the backup role at some point as the season progresses.

On the Rise

Nathan Gerbe, LW (RotoWire Position Rank: NR): After spending the previous five seasons in Buffalo, Gerbe enjoyed a very productive first season in Carolina. With 16 goals and 15 assists in 81 games, he matched the career-best 31 points he notched three seasons ago with the Sabres, and also saw his average ice time rise by almost four minutes per game (from 12:30 to 16:24) skating on the Canes' third line with Patrick Dwyer and Riley Nash. Gerbe also set a new career-high in power-play points with seven, after not seeing any meaningful PP time the previous two seasons with the Sabres. After he re-signed with the Hurricanes on a two-year, $3.5 million extension in June, look for Gerbe to fulfill a similar role in the lineup for the upcoming season. For those of you in deeper formats, Gerbe represents decent fantasy value as a late-round selection.

Justin Faulk, D (RotoWire Position Rank: #22): Last season, Faulk set career-highs in points (32), games played (76), shots on goal (152) and blocked shots (102), while proving to be one of the Hurricanes' better blue line options, playing on the top defensive pairing alongside Andrej Sekera. In return, the team inked Faulk to a six-year, $29 million contract extension in March, which should keep him in Raleigh long term. From a fantasy standpoint, perhaps the biggest knock against Faulk is his supporting cast, as the 'Canes are one of the weaker teams in the league offensively (2.50 goals per game in 2013-14; 22nd in the league), giving him few high-scoring teammates to dish the puck to every night. However, at just 21 years old, Faulk has not yet hit his prime and figures to keep getting better.

Anton Khudobin, G (RotoWire Position Rank: #22): Khudobin, who originally signed a one-year, $800,000 contract with Carolina in July 2013 to be Cam Ward's backup, got the chance to become the Canes' No. 1 starter last season when Ward wound up missing large chunks of time due to various injuries. In fact, during these stretches, Khudobin played so well that once Ward was healthy enough to play, he was relegated to No. 2 duty most of the time. By season's end, Khudobin owned a .926 save percentage -- fourth-best in the entire NHL -- along with a 19-14-1 record and 2.30 GAA. Re-signed to a two-year, $4.5 million contract in March, Khudobin will likely open the season in at least a timeshare with Ward for the starting goalie job. Given Ward's history as the team's top guy the last few seasons, we expect he will at least be given a shot to win back the starter's role this year, however we think Khudobin remains the odds-on favorite to become the team's de facto No. 1 goalie at some point as the season progresses.

Two to Watch

Alexander Semin, LW (RotoWire Position Rank: #30): Semin was once again a disappointment to fantasy owners last season, recording just 42 points in 65 games, his lowest level of output since his 2007-08 campaign with Washington. It's important to note that injuries have always been a factor for the otherwise talented Russian, and he has never played a full season since breaking into the league back in 2003-04. Assuming he starts the season in full health (he underwent wrist surgery at the end of last season), Semin should be ready to reprise his role as top-line right winger for the 'Canes, likely alongside Eric Staal and either Jiri Tlusty or Jeff Skinner. The bottom line? Semin still has point-per-game potential, however, a relatively weak supporting cast plus the potential for injury tends to limit his upside. Draft with caution.

Andrej Sekera, D (RotoWire Position Rank: #49): With 44 points in 74 games, Sekera was in the midst of a career year before suffering an abdominal injury in early April that required season-ending surgery. Nonetheless, he finished with career bests in several categories, including goals (11), assists (33), blocked shots (127), hits (54) and power-play points (15). His transformation into an offensive force during his first season in Carolina was a surprise, considering he rarely gave glimpses of that during his previous six seasons in Buffalo. By all indications, Sekera figures to come into training camp fully healthy and resume his role on the Canes' top defensive pairing alongside Justin Faulk. Still, we'd like to see another 40-plus point season from Sekera before telling you he belongs among the top defensemen in the league. The downside is that Sekera scored fewer than 20 points in five of the six seasons he was with the Sabres, and we're not quite convinced he won't revert to his previous form this upcoming season. Don't bet the farm on him just yet.

Two to Avoid

Patrick Dwyer, RW (RotoWire Position Rank: NR): At one point in time, Dwyer was a decent scorer in the minor leagues, having recorded at least 40 points in three of the four full seasons he played in the AHL, but that success has since not translated to the NHL level. Last season -- his sixth with Carolina -- he scored just 22 points in 75 games, and has never scored more than eight goals in a single season. Dwyer averaged roughly 15 minutes in ice time last season playing on the Canes' third line with Riley Nash and Nathan Gerbe, although he was used briefly on the second line alongside Jordan Staal at one point. Overall, Dwyer is carving out a role for himself as a checking-line winger and will probably never develop into the top-six scorer the 'Canes envisioned he would be back in the minors. Those in deeper formats can feel free to draft him based on his 25-point potential, but there's little upside beyond that.

John-Michael Liles, D (RotoWire Position Rank: #166): Liles spent most of last season playing for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. He played just six games for the Maple Leafs before being traded to Carolina in January, and saw an increased workload for the Hurricanes, averaging roughly 20 minutes of ice time in 35 games. Unfortunately, Liles' best days as an offensively-creative defenseman appear to be behind him. In his seven seasons with Colorado, Liles averaged 39 points per season and broke the 40-point barrier three times; in the past three seasons, however, he has notched just 45 total points for the Hurricanes and Leafs in 139 combined games. On a positive note, he has two years left on his contract and will likely stick around long enough to mentor the young, up-and-coming blueliners the Canes have on their roster, like Justin Faulk (22) and Ryan Murphy (21). He will likely play on the Canes' second or third defensive pairing this upcoming season and see a decent amount of power-play minutes. Just don't expect a huge spike in his offensive totals.

Don't Overrate

Jordan Staal. C (RotoWire Position Rank: #62): Let's face it -- when Staal was traded from the powerhouse Pittsburgh Penguins to the lowly Carolina Hurricanes three seasons ago, very few (if any) observers expected him to start putting up career numbers. And so far? No surprises. In his second season with the 'Canes, Staal managed 40 points in 82 games, the second-lowest per-game point total of his career. Even more troubling, he finished the year with just a single assist in his last 10 games. All in all, there are really only two positive things you can say about Staal's season last season, and neither of them are particularly fantasy relevant. First, he improved his defensive zone play, raising his plus-minus rating to plus-2 from minus-18 the year before. Second, he managed to stay healthy for yet another full season -- he's now played a full slate of games in five of the past seven campaigns. Fantasy owners will certainly be looking for more to brag about this season, but don't hold your breath. At this point, the only real upside is that Staal might start clicking with some of the younger talent on the team, like Jeff Skinner or sophomore Elias Lindholm. If that were to happen, Staal has a shot at another 50-plus point season, similar to what he was producing with the Pens.

Jiri Tlusty, LW (RotoWire Position Rank: #52): Tlusty, who had meshed so brilliantly with Eric Staal and Alexander Semin during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season (38 points in 48 games), was not able to duplicate the same kind of success last year, registering fewer points despite more games played (30 in 68). In fact, Tlusty was so ineffective at the start of the season -- having been held scoreless in 11 of his first 13 games -- that he was subsequently relegated to fourth-line duty for several weeks before missing nine games due to an emergency appendectomy in December. Tlusty finished the season on a relatively strong note, with two goals and two assists in his last three games, but it remains to be seen what his role will be this year. With new coach Bill Peters set to take over the reins, there could be some line juggling involved that once again sees Tlusty playing on a checking line to start the season. Don't overvalue him on draft day.

Top Prospects

Haydn Fleury, D (RotoWire Prospects Rank: #34): Fleury, selected by the Hurricanes with the seventh overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, is a big, strong, fast and smart defender who will likely become a top-four rudder on the Carolina blue line. Currently, his greatest asset is his world-class skating ability, and that's why you may have heard comparisons to the likes of Jay Bouwmeester. He's that good. But unlike JayBo, Fleury isn't afraid to make hits and use his body, too. It's actually hard to predict his fantasy upside because he's still developing his offensive game and his confidence. But it's safe to say he'll be at least become a second-pairing, second power play-unit minute-muncher for a decade or more. And if he capitalizes on his extraordinary hockey sense, he could be a No. 2 guy. There's long-term fantasy value in that.

Victor Rask, C (RotoWire Prospects Rank: NR): A former second-round pick by the Hurricanes in 2011, Rask, 21, seems to be on the cusp of an arrival to the parent club. The 21-year-old supplied 16 goals and 23 assists over 76 games with AHL Charlotte last season, his second in the minors. After an impressive showing in the annual prospects tournament in Traverse City, Mich. in September, Rask will be given the opportunity to earn a roster spot with the 'Canes out of training camp. He'll face some stiff competition for the spot, and would more than likely be relegated to a third- or fourth-line role in his rookie season, if he makes the squad.