Panthers are still better.

Didn’t ask

Don't care

Still not a championship team.

Cup winners are built down the middle at centre and in goal. Those are the most important positions in the game. Carolina is weak at both of those. Aho is a solid 1B. Kuznetsov and Kotkaniemi are maybe 3A’s, and Staal is a 3B… Andersen and Kochetkov are backup goalies that collapse in the playoffs. That’s not the formula to win a cup.

I don’t see why Carolina didn’t go after Lindholm harder with what they paid for Guentzel. They didn’t need a wing, they need another centre.

Out second round.

Until theu have to resign everyone, pretty sure they'll resign Sammy boy and let Brandy walk this summer

That's just hilarious. I just don't even know where to start

A lot riding on Kuznetsov - big gamble imo. If he’s Kuznetsov from cup win 6 years ago - huge win. If he’s the same guy he’s been for past 2-3 years - massive loss.

I’m sorry a Canes fan had to laugh at reality.. but I’m sure you’re not bias at all on it 🙄

It's not that I'm not biased because I'm certainly am but any reasonable person would say the Hurricanes are a cup contender... they have a top-5 defensive corp, two ppg players, and probably some of the best depth in the leauge

They’ve been that team before and haven’t got the job done.. look at last season. They lost because they couldn’t score. Offence starts with centres. Carolina has 2 good centres. Kotkaniemi and Staal aren’t that good. Then if you look at goaltending it crumbles - Andersen has a history of bad performances in critical games. Raanta wasn’t much better last year. Kochetkov is unproven and frankly highly inconsistent.

If you look at cup winners of years pass they ALL have centre depth and good goaltending:
2023 Vegas - Eichel/Stephenson/Karlsson/Roy down the middle and Hill in goal
2022 Colorado: MacKinnon/Kadri/Compher down the middle and Kuemper in goal
2021/2020: Tampa: Point/Stamkos/Cirelli/Gourde down the middle and Vasilevsky in goal
2019: O’Rielly/Schenn/Bozak/Barbashev down the middle and Binnington in goal

That’s a trend of just the last 5 years.. all teams that are very strong down the middle and have elite goaltending. Carolina just doesn’t have that. At they a “contender”? Sure. Just don’t seem like a top contender with the weaknesses they didn’t address. So many other teams with better rosters (particularly in the west) that out match the Hurricanes. Although it’s gonna be a dog fight in the west so the team that makes the final may be hurt a bit

"Andersen has a history of bad performances in critical games. Raanta wasn’t much better last year. Kochetkov is unproven and frankly highly inconsistent."- Andersen has been pretty good with the Hurricanes in crucial games we just sometimes don't give him the goal support. PK has been good this season tho prone to the occasional bad game.

Aho/Kuzy (Assuming he regains some kind of form)/Staal/Drury is an okay center depth to win the cup, especially considering that Kuzy has normally had good production when you give him enough support on his line which he will certainly have with the Hurricanes. Staal is a very good center considering what his job is... he's not there to score.... he's there to take out the opponent's top line and he's best in the business about that. Drury is very good for a 4C (27 in 62)