Yahoo Sports 2024-25 Fantasy Hockey Team Preview: Carolina Hurricanes
Carolina Hurricanes
52-23-7, 111 Pts. 2nd Metro, 3rd Overall
3.38 GF/GP (8th), 2.57 GA/GP (4th), 26.9 PP% (2nd), 86.4 PK% (1st)
Top scorer: Sebastian Aho. 78 GP. 36-53-89, 35 PPP, 216 Shots, 571 Face-off wins, 19:38 TOI/GP.
2024-25 BetMGM Stanley Cup Odds:
Opening: +1100
Current: +1400 (as of August 22, 2024)
Ticket: 3.4%. Handle: 2.4% (as of August 22, 2024)
2023-24 Fantasy Recap
The Canes had a great season overall, but from a fantasy standpoint it was a mixed bag and somewhat frustrating due to the amount of change from the previous season.
Case in point:
2022-23 top 5 scorers:
Martin Necas - 71 points in 82 games
Sebastian Aho - 67 points in 75 games
Brent Burns - 61 points in 82 games
Andrei Svechnikov - 55 points in 64 games
Jesperi Kotkaniemi - 43 points in 82 games
2023-24 top 5 scorers:
Sebastian Aho - 89 points in 78 games
Seth Jarvis - 67 points in 81 games
Teuvo Teravainen - 53 points in 76 games
Martin Necas - 53 points in 77 games
Andrei Svechnikov - 52 points in 59 games
James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
The good news was Sebastian Aho managed to come 11 points shy of becoming just the second Cane to score at least 100 points in franchise history. The bad news was plenty of players took a step back, Andrei Svechnikov was again riddled by injuries and the goaltending was a juggling act all season.
There were no shortage of options from the Canes, but it was sometimes difficult to pinpoint who to roster. Rod Brind'Amour's insistence on using a balanced attack also put a cap on everyone's fantasy production save Aho. Teuvo Teravainen returned to form (somewhat) but with low shot volume and virtually zero peripherals, he was only roster-worthy in points-only leagues.
The big positives were Seth Jarvis, who emerged as Aho's sidekick, and the late-season addition of Jake Guentzel that provided a huge boost on offense. Unfortunately, the Canes couldn't re-sign Guentzel and Teravainen returned to the Blackhawks, and they head into 2024-25 a little thinner up front.
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2024-25 Fantasy Outlook
Aho remains the lynchpin of their offense and should be rostered in all leagues. It's fine to use an early-round pick on Aho, but note that it's unlikely he'll hit the century mark anytime soon just based on the way Brind'Amour runs the Canes.
Jarvis is the clear No. 2; otherwise, you're hoping Svechnikov can stay healthy and Necas, who was on the trading block at one point, to bounce back and score close to a point-per-game pace. The options dry up after that, and the analytics-heavy Canes front office must have an ace up their sleeve.
Are they counting on Jesperi Kotkaniemi or Jack Roslovic to have big seasons in the top-six? Will they change up their offensive style to be more selective with their shot generation? Rely more on their blue line to create offense with Shayne Gostisbehere? Or do they expect rookies such as Jackson Blake or Bradly Nadeau to contribute right away? Surely, the loss of quality depth may adversely impact their offensive production, which in turn may hurt Aho, Jarvis, Svechnikov and Necas' fantasy value, especially if Necas has to carry his own line.
"For Jesperi Kotkaniemi to bounce back, I think he just needs to be given the opportunity to prove himself. He started last season hot and after going through a dry spell, you could tell it was in his head and the subsequent demotions didn't help. He's capable of being an impact player, he just needs to buy into utilizing his size a bit more and the coaching staff have to let him play a little more free to try and shake last year's bad season, at least to start the season."
- THN Hurricanes editor Ryan Henkel on Kotkaniemi's potential bounce-back:
The Canes enter 2024-25 with more than a few questions up front and in net where they're running it back with the oft-injured Frederik Andersen and streaky Pyotr Kochetkov. They all seem to be risky propositions even though the Canes will be once again expected to challenge for the Cup.
There are worse teams that provide better fantasy options than the Canes. The Sabres, for example, offer a potential point-per-game player in Tage Thompson, a potential top-five 'D' in Rasmus Dahlin and a smattering of 50-point players. Beyond Aho, Jarvis and Svechnikov, I can't guarantee any of the other Canes will be reliable fantasy assets.
Of note, the Canes play 11 games on Sundays in the upcoming season, fourth-most in the league. If you're looking for an edge in the last day of h2h matchups, the Canes are a good option.
Related: 2024-25 Fantasy Hockey Team-by-Team Schedule Analysis
2024-25 Projected Lineup
(updated Oct. 6, 2024)
Even Strength
Jack Roslovic - Sebastian Aho - Seth Jarvis
Andrei Svechnikov - Jesperi Kotkaniemi - Martin Necas
Jordan Martinook - Jordan Staal - William Carrier
Brendan Lemieux - Jack Drury - Eric Robinson
Jaccob Slavin - Brent Burns
Shayne Gostisbehere - Sean Walker
Dmitry Orlov - Jalen Chatfield
Frederik Andersen - Pyotr Kochetkov
ex: Jackson Blake, Tyson Jost, Riley Stillman
LTIR: Jesper Fast (neck, out for the season)
Power Play
Svechnikov - Aho - Jarvis - Necas - Burns
Kotkaniemi - Staal - Drury - Roslovic - Gostisbehere
Sleeper: Shayne Gostisbehere, D
Gostisbehere returns to the Canes for his second tour but I have a feeling it'll be much different this time around. Previously, Burns had been the preferred quarterback with the first power play unit, but now I'm not so sure that will last an entire season. Burns took a pretty big step back in his second season with the Canes and he will be 39 when the season starts.
I don't think Gostisbehere would've signed if he didn't see any room for him on the power play, which remains one of his biggest strengths. His 27 power-play assists last season were a career high and 11 more than Burns. With a potential top-five power play, Gostisbehere has some hidden value if you're willing to be patient and wait for the Canes to move off Burns, whenever that may be.
Related: Late-Round Draft Targets: Shayne Gostisbehere
Breakout: Jackson Blake, RW
What you see is what you get with the Canes, who are expected to challenge for the Cup. But there are some holes in the top six, and among the Canes' top prospects, I've picked Blake to make the club over Bradly Nadeau and Felix Unger Sorum. I like Blake's ability to create offense for himself and his teammates, and he should see minutes on the second power play should he make the club.
And that's the rub; I'm not sure we'll see Blake in the NHL in 2024-25 (and I forced myself to pick someone). The Canes do not have a history of rushing prospects except for a few exceptions. Unger Sorum doesn't turn 19 until Sept. 14, and Nadeau just turned 19 in May. If Blake, 21, makes the squad, it'll likely be in the lower half of the lineup and he'll have to work his way up.
Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
Bounce-back: Martin Necas, C/RW
Easy pick right here with Necas going from being a staple in the rumor mill to getting a contract extension and both sides making nice in preparation for a new season. Necas was on an upward trajectory before a disappointing 2023-24 season where he scored 18 fewer points and saw him get leapfrogged on the depth chart at various points of the season.
What wasn't concerning at all was Necas' goal-scoring ability. He generated shots and while he's not a top-tier finisher, he at least managed to score 20 goals. What was more concerning was his playmaking; at 5-on-5, Necas' primary assist rate dropped by nearly half from 1.00 per 60 minutes in 2022-23 to 0.55 in 2023-24. Some of that's luck, but some of that's also linemates, inconsistent play and perhaps some bristling with his usage under Brind'Amour.
With a lack of weapons up front, I think Necas bounces back with more opportunities, especially with more ice time on the power play. He went from being a staple on the first unit to averaging a full minute less per game from 2022-23 to 2023-24.
"In place of Teuvo Teravainen and Jake Guentzel, I think there's a clear opportunity for Martin Necas to bounce back to being a 70+ point player. He fell down to PP2 due to the Canes simply having too much winger talent, but that shouldn't be a problem this year."
- THN Hurricanes editor Ryan Henkel on a bounce-back season for Necas:
Bust: Brent Burns, D
In the same vein where I pick Gostisbehere as the sleeper, I'm not sure how much longer Burns can remain the top PP option. Among defensemen, he's still valuable because he can score points, generate shots and plays a ton of minutes, but he's clearly declining and the big upside just isn't there. These days, you're looking at Burns' floor rather than his ceiling in fantasy.
Goalies
As long as Andersen is healthy, he'll split the starts with Kochetkov, but that's a big if. Otherwise, look for Kochetkov to get the majority of the starts with Spencer Martin making the occasional appearance as their No. 3.
It's Kochetkov in the middle to late rounds, or both Andersen and Kochetkov. I'm hesitant to draft Andersen high or roster him for a full season due to the significant injury risk. If you can draft him late and he manages to stay healthy, he might end up being the best value pick of 2024-25. But drafting him and rostering him on IR all season presents an opportunity cost, especially given the amount of day-to-day injuries in the NHL. If we're taking a risk, I'm going with Kochetkov.
"I think Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov will almost certainly have a 50/50 split if everyone stays healthy. The Hurricanes had a lot of success alternating each in the final quarter of the regular season and I feel they'll take that approach again. However, given Andersen's injury history, I'd lean Kochetkov having more games played by the end though."
- THN Hurricanes editor Ryan Henkel on the Canes' goalie rotation:
Jason’s Top 5 Point Projections
(based on 82 games)
Sebastian Aho, C - 30-50-80
Seth Jarvis, RW - 27-44-71
Andrei Svechnikov, LW - 25-43-68
Martin Necas, RW - 21-35-56
Shayne Gostisbehere, D - 10-29-39
Yahoo Pre-season Rankings
32. Sebastian Aho, C
68. Andrei Svechnikov, LW/RW
82. Frederik Andersen, G
90. Seth Jarvis, C/RW
117. Pyotr Kochetkov, G
146. Brent Burns, D
148. Martin Necas, C/RW
257. Jaccob Slavin, D
267. Shayne Gostisbehere, D
292. Jack Roslovic, C
447. Jordan Staal, C
459. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C
545. Jack Drury, C
981. Felix Unger Sorum, RW
1173. Scott Morrow, D
1174. Jackson Blake, RW
1178. Bradly Nadeau, LW
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