The main focus is on the team and accomplishing the task at hand. For the Carolina Hurricanes, it is contending, so the goal is to hoist the Stanley Cup, ultimately. Team success is essential, and achieving the ultimate goal helps cap off the season. However, individual success can sometimes get lost in the big picture. In the upcoming 2023-24 season, three forwards have milestones that are within reach.
Martin Necas
It was only a matter of time before Martin Necas broke out of his shell. The skill and potential were evident, but it was never consistently put together. In his first three seasons, Necas never scored more than 16 goals in a single season and finished with 41 points for a career-high. The organization knew there was always more to give, and the hockey world saw it unleash during the 2022-23 season.
Necas popped off for a career season and scored 28 goals, 43 assists, and 71 points. This career year sees him closing in on two milestones as he enters the 2023-24 season. As it currently stands, he has 73 goals for a career total, and if he matches his output from this past season, he will score his 100th career goal. Every goal you score is impressive, but once you hit the 100 mark, it is special.
Necas is also 10 points shy from reaching 200 in his career. He is entering the final year of his current contract, so another big year is on the horizon. Not only is the young winger in for a milestone but so is one of the veterans on the roster.
Jordan Staal
It seems like a lifetime ago, the trade got announced that Jordan Staal was coming to Carolina. The Hurricanes captain has played over 1000 games in this league and has a lot of experience. Furthermore, he is just 27 games shy of reaching 1,200 for his career, and he currently sits fourth all-time in games played for Carolina.
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Like Necas, Staal can hit milestones when it comes to production. Given his role and the situations he plays in, it might be a challenging feat to accomplish. However, his line was the most productive in terms of generating offense, so it is not impossible. He has 275 goals and only needs 25 to reach 300 for his incredible career. Furthermore, the more significant milestone comes in the total points production.
Staal is 55 points away from hitting 700 in his career (645), but he is closing in on franchise records. He is 19 points shy of tying Jeff O’Neill for sixth on the all-time points list in franchise history. He scored 17 goals alone during the 2022-23 season, so reaching this feat will likely happen. He is one of the best players to represent the Hurricanes, and so is the next player who’s in line for a milestone.
Sebastian Aho
Sebastian Aho may be the greatest Hurricane when his career is over. In just a short span (seven seasons), he is already climbing the ranks in franchise history. Furthermore, he can make his mark and cement his place among the best in franchise history by hitting these milestones.
Reaching the 300-goal mark is unlikely, as he would need 72 goals to hit the mark. However, with another season of lighting the lamp in heavy doses, he can further climb the ranks in franchise history. Aho currently has 218 goals, which ranks fifth on the Hurricanes all-time list. One goal has him in a tie for fourth place alongside Blaine Stoughton. If he can hit the 32-goal mark this season, he can tie Kevin Dineen for third all-time in Hurricanes history. While the goal-scoring is a huge milestone, so is the point totals.
In Hurricanes history, Aho currently sits fifth all-time in points and is closing in on his head coach Rod Brind’Amour. He is just five points shy of tying Brind’Amour (473) and needs just 32 points to reach 500 points in his career. This would be a true testament to his success and consistency throughout his career.
Aho recently signed an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value (AAV) of $9.75 million. This is only the beginning for him, and he will climb higher ranks. These milestones are all reachable and will be celebrated.
Hurricanes’ Milestones Will Be Reached
These three forwards are critical to the team’s success and help execute on the ice. However, individually they are all on the cusp of doing something special. As a team, they have high hopes for a championship run, but the individual achievements should not go unnoticed.
Given the milestones labeled above, they are all reachable. It will be great to see these three players achieve these milestones as the 2023-24 season kicks off.