Free agency is over, so rosters are beginning to take shape. The additions that have been made have filled the necessary holes and helped round out the lineup. For the Carolina Hurricanes, that remains true, as general manager (GM) Don Waddell was busy this summer. He made it his mission to add to this core group and brought in new faces in all areas of the ice. One area in particular that saw extra additions is the defense corps. It is one of the deepest positions on the roster, so let’s look at the potential pairings as the season draws near.
Pair One: Brent Burns and Jaccob Slavin
One thing Waddell has done magnificently well over the years is finding someone to play alongside Jaccob Slavin. To lose Dougie Hamilton was a crushing blow, but bringing in Tony DeAngelo softened it. DeAngelo, alongside Slavin, formed a stellar pair as they handled the heavier minutes during the 2021-22 season. More changes came after the 2021-22 season, but Waddell upgraded on the blue line once more. Coming to the Hurricanes was Brent Burns in a trade with the San Jose Sharks, and this was precisely the upgrade the team needed.
Burns and Slavin were not only the best pair on the Hurricanes, but also one of the best in the league. Among pairs that logged 100 minutes together, the duo was a force at both ends of the ice. They finished 30th in expected goals for per 60 minutes (3.36) and 35th in expected goals against per 60 minutes (2.2). As a pair, they did a great job at generating offense, as well as suppressing the opposition and limiting their chances.
The top pair was dynamic and controlled the puck more often than not. Burns and Slavin finished with an extraordinary Corsi For (CF%) of 61.87 and always found a way to get the puck toward the goal. In addition, getting shots through traffic (60.44 Fenwick Percentage) was huge, as 1,091 attempts found their way to the goal unblocked. The Hurricanes boasted a solid offensive attack last season, and the top pair was a large part of it. Together they generated 66.18 expected goals for and, as a result, factored into 52 goals for when on the ice. What made this pair special was their performance in the high-danger area of the ice. As a duo, they out-attempted the opposition 312-199, so they excelled tremendously in this regard and generated high-quality chances. Furthermore, as good as they were together, they had good seasons individually.
Burns went on to set the franchise record for most points in a single season for a defenseman (61) and broke the record DeAngelo set the season prior. Slavin took a step back production-wise and finished with seven goals and 27 points, which was 15 points fewer than his career high in the 2021-22 season. This pair is exceptional and should remain intact heading into the 2023-24 season.
Pair Two: Dmitry Orlov and Brady Skjei/Brett Pesce
This is where the question mark comes in, as two players on this second pair are on expiring contracts. Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce anchored the second pair for the 2022-23 season. Together the duo was nowhere near as dynamic and effective as the top pair mentioned above. Among defensive pairs that logged 100 minutes together, the two finished 71st in expected goals for per 60 minutes (2.99). This ranked near the bottom among all Hurricanes pairs that logged 100 minutes. However, the duo did its job of generating offense and creating chances as they finished with a CF% of 58.37, and did a great job getting pucks through traffic. They were good offensively together but struggled defensively.
Related: Hurricanes’ Defensive Depth Better With Dmitry Orlov
In addition, they finished 51st in expected goals against per 60 minutes (2.24), which was the highest among all defensive pairs for the Hurricanes. Furthermore, when they were on the ice together, the two finished with 50.55 expected goals against and were on the ice for 51 goals against. It is never a good sign to finish right at your expected rate, which is why Waddell added reinforcements.
Waddell loves his defensemen and added reinforcements to bolster the back end. One of those players was Dmitry Orlov. He is a steady top-four defenseman and excels at both ends of the ice. His style of play and ability to transition the puck forward fits the system Rod Brind’Amour likes to run. In addition, he is just as responsible defensively as he is offensively.
Pair Three: Jalen Chatfield and Tony DeAngelo
What will make this third pair unique is its complementary factor. Brind’Amour likes to pair an offensive-minded player with a defensive one, which you have here. Newly signed DeAngelo will have his second stint with the club, but will slot on the third pair and not the top pair. Instead, he will play alongside Jalen Chatfield, who has emerged as a superb defensive defenseman with great shutdown ability.
DeAngelo is not known for his defensive play, but he makes up for it with his ability to transition and create offense. For a team that is searching for added offense and goal scoring, having him on the back end fits the bill. He is coming off back-to-back double-digit goal seasons and finished the 2022-23 season with 42 points. With him being able to lean heavily on his offensive game, Chatfield can play clean-up defensively.
Chatfield is an exceptional talent and has emerged as a critical player to the Hurricanes’ blue line. He finished last season with 33.75 expected goals against, which was the fifth-fewest on the Hurricanes’ defense. He is a guy who hustles and always finds a way to make the proper defensive play. When the 2022-23 season concluded, he finished with 63 blocked shots, 28 takeaways, and 78 hits.
This is the perfect complementary defensive pair and shows how deep this team is on the back end.
Hurricanes’ Depth Shows
Built from an area of strength, the Hurricanes’ defense is deeper this season than last. The pairs will look similar to last season but will have new faces that help complete the back end and make it stronger.
It remains to be seen if the Hurricanes opt to rotate seven defensemen to begin the season, but nobody on this roster deserves to sit in the press box. One of Skjei or Pesce could be traded at some point, which could clarify things further regarding the constructed roster.
This roster is more profound on the back end, and any combination is an advantage to the Hurricanes when on the ice. October cannot come fast enough, so we can see how well these pairings perform.