Fansided

Each NHL team’s biggest burning question in 2018

By Simon Vacca

EDMONTON, AB - OCTOBER 23: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers lines up for a face off against Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 23, 2018 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images)
EDMONTON, AB - OCTOBER 23: Connor McDavid #97 of the Edmonton Oilers lines up for a face off against Sidney Crosby #87 of the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 23, 2018 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. (Photo by Andy Devlin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 31
Next
RALEIGH, NC – OCTOBER 30: Scott Darling #33 of the Carolina Hurricanes is photographed during warmups prior to an NHL game against the Boston Bruins on October 30, 2018 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC – OCTOBER 30: Scott Darling #33 of the Carolina Hurricanes is photographed during warmups prior to an NHL game against the Boston Bruins on October 30, 2018 at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Carolina Hurricanes: Does the team have a legitimate starting netminder?

The Carolina Hurricanes have one of the best defensive cores in the NHL. Composed of the likes of Dougie Hamilton, Jaccob Slavin, Justin Faulk, Calvin De Haan, Trevor van Riemsdyk, Brett Pesce and Haydn Fleury, head coach Rod Brind’Amour has an extensive array of tools at his disposal for his first coaching gig at hockey’s top level.

Nonetheless, goaltending is a problem — and a potentially massive one, at that — as the team strains the edges of legitimate contention.

After a forgettable 43-game run over the course of the 2017-18 season, Scott Darling’s role as the Hurricanes’ starter has been called into question from critics all across the hockey world. The 29-year-old’s numbers were nothing short of underwhelming, as he recorded a mere 13 wins in 43 games, along with a 3.18 GAA and a .888 SV%. Eventually, he was left to split the crease with veteran netminder Cam Ward.

Enter the 2018 offseason. Ward left the Hurricanes after 13 years with the club and joined the Chicago Blackhawks. Petr Mrazek, in turn, was granted a one-year, $1.5 million contract — surely to serve as Darling’s backup. Curtis McElhinney was also claimed upon being placed on waivers after his two-year tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs came to a conclusion.

While the Hurricanes’ woes should not be blamed on Darling alone — after all, the players in front of him were far from convincing on a nightly basis — subpar goaltending is still a worry for many a Carolina fan. Mrazek has entered into the team’s ranks after a fairly appalling stint with the Philadelphia Flyers, with the hope that better days are on the upswing. McElhinney, too, will feel the burden of pressure in the wake of increasingly tough assignments being sent his way.

Each respective netminder will almost definitely have something to prove as the season advances. Look for the shadow of doubt to act as a source of motivation if the Hurricanes are ready to be taken seriously between the pipes.

Home/NHL