Training Camp is officially underway, and the rosters have been set. The Carolina Hurricanes roster is set in stone for the most part, but a strong showing at the prospect showcase may say otherwise. It is intriguing to see which guys showcase their abilities and make it tough on the coaches not to give them a roster spot. As for those who likely have a solidified roster spot, there is a new-look power play (PP) in Raleigh this upcoming season. It is an area that needs improving, and this unit could be a reason why it does.
Desperately Needing a Better Power Play
It is no secret that special teams were a glaring issue for the Hurricanes during the 2022-23 season. The talent was there, and the personnel was lethal on paper. However, the PP for the Hurricanes finished 20th in the league, which was good for a 19.8% success rate.
Related: 3 Keys to a Successful Carolina Hurricanes Season
There can be a ton of different factors that plagued them during their PP opportunities. At 5v5 play, the club finished with the third worst goals above expected (-31.15), which also lingered into their power play time. During the 2022-23 season, Carolina generated 47.54 expected goals when given the opportunity with the man advantage. As a team, they scored 43 and finished with -4.54 goals scored above expected (fifth worst). Rarely did the Hurricanes ever give up a goal shorthanded, but the ability to cash in on their chances is glaring.
There are vital additions to this club, primarily Tony DeAngelo, who will be tasked with helping the struggling PP. DeAngelo was a crucial part of the power play during the 2021-22 season and will look to reignite it once again. Entering training camp, here is what the new look PP was like on day one.
Forward Group
For the first power play unit, head coach Rod Brind’Amour loaded it with offensive firepower. The three forwards to represent the power are Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, and Andrei Svechnikov. All three are perfect complementary players to one another and will make this power play click.
Svechnikov is that big body presence and can make life hard for the goaltender as he goes to the high-danger area looking for rebounds and deflections. This is an area that the Hurricanes lacked and missed that front-net presence as the season progressed. The Hurricanes fired the most shots from the low-danger area (400), only seeing 59 come from the high-danger area. With him in the fold, that area should see improvement. Aho is a premiere passer, and his playmaking ability is off the charts. Being able to draw the attention of opposing defenders allows Jarvis to get open. He has shown to have a good shot and is not shy about generating offense. As a trio, these three were the most impactful in developing goal-scoring chances. Here is where they ranked:
- Aho: 6.0 expected goals (3rd)
- Jarvis: 5.01 expected goals (4th)
- Svechnikov: 7.54 expected goals (2nd)
Jarvis was among the leaders in expected goals on the roster, but capitalizing on his chances was a struggle. He finished with zero power-play goals and is poised to bounce back. Aho and Svechnikov helped pave the way for the team on the PP. The next area of the lineup is what will help make this unit click on all cylinders.
Defense Pairing
This top unit is loaded with offensive firepower from the blue line. DeAngelo comes in right where he’s meant to be on the top unit and will be paired alongside veteran Brent Burns. Both are capable of providing offense from the back end and in bunches. Also, Burns set the franchise record for most points for a defenseman in one season.
Burns was not bad on the power play. He has a cannon of a shot from the blue line and is unafraid to put the puck on the net. He had the most shot attempts of any defenseman on the PP (89) and did a great job of getting pucks on the net through traffic. However, the unit needs improving and reinforcements next to Burns have arrived.
DeAngelo may not be the best player defensively, but he is a wizard with the puck and can quarterback a PP unit. In fact, the Hurricanes’ PP unit was more successful with him than without him. Throughout his career, he has amassed 72 assists and 11 goals with the man advantage. That type of production and player is precisely what this team needs. He set a career-high in power play points with the Hurricanes in 2021-22 (20) and nearly matched that this past season with the Philadelphia Flyers (19).
The Flyers are not the same type of powerhouse club as the Hurricanes are, so his replicating that success is a testament to his abilities. He finished with 2.6 expected goals and 19 points, which would have been second on the Hurricanes this past season. Playing alongside Burns will give him more opportunities to generate offense and, with a better-supporting cast, will increase his production individually. The new-look unit is loaded and will be a unit that sees an increase in production.
This Will Work
It is only day one of training camp, but the new look PP unit looks great. The unit is complemented well with talent and looks like a nightmare to match up against. The forward group has the talent and the firepower and should pick up where they left off last season.
The back end has reinforcements and gives the team two highly offensive, talented defensemen. Every player on this unit is a threat, so whoever has the puck will draw more attention. That will leave an open man, and that player can bury the puck. The expectation is to be better, and this unit will help make it better.
