Carolina Hurricanes at the start of 2025: The Haula saga, injuries and a possible turning point

RALEIGH, N.C.

The Carolina Hurricanes have been looking for something on which to build, because the last month hasnt been exactly kind.

From Thanksgiving to the end of the calendar year, the Hurricanes posted a 6-8-1 record, including 1-5-1 on the road.

Perhaps Thursdays win in Florida can be a turning point.

Advertisement The Hurricanes pulled off a gritty 3-1 win in their first game of 2025 against the defending Stanley Cup champions, getting a standout performance from goalie Pyotr Kochetkov while the entire lineup matched the Panthers physicality.

Sean Walker has, in particular, upped his aggressiveness in recent games.

Against Florida, Walker had a season-high five hits one short of the career-high six he had in December 2022 and he leads Carolina defensemen in hits per 60, just edging Dmitry Orlov .

The Hurricanes outhit Florida 34-28 led by six each from Jordan Staal and William Carrier , who is in the top 10 of the league in hits even though they held a possession edge.

Also encouraging has been the play of Jesperi Kotkaniemi , who drew a penalty in the first period against Florida and then drove the net and took some abuse from Panthers agitator extraordinaire Matthew Tkachuk on Jaccob Slavin s game-winning goal in the third period.

There was chaos and then there was Jaccob Slavin pic.twitter.com/I40X8NxTW2 Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) January 3, 2025 Kotkaniemi picked up an assist on the goal to extend his point streak to three games, matching his season best.

The streak started on Carolinas game-winning goal against New Jersey when, on the power play, Kotkaniemis wrister from the point was redirected by Jackson Blake .

Speaking of the Devils...

Haula back grrr Rewind five years and Erik Haula seemed like the perfect fit for the Hurricanes.

In his first nine games after being acquired from Vegas in the offseason, Haula had seven goals and an assist, leading to what have been familiar calls for his contract to be extended.

Just over four months later, Haula was shipped to the Panthers in a deadline deal that brought Vincent Trocheck to Carolina.

Ever since, Haula has tried to be the biggest of thorns in the Hurricanes collective side.

Hes been largely unsuccessful, especially when returning to Raleigh.

Advertisement In 19 regular-season and playoff games at Lenovo Center, Haula is 1-15-3 with no wins and 10 losses in the postseason with three different teams.

His two goals in Raleigh came in his first and third games against the Hurricanes both with Nashville in 2021 and hes gone without a point in his last seven.

Thats not to suggest he hasnt been noticeable.

Haula has seemingly made it his goal to be public enemy No.

1 whenever he returns to Raleigh, and the fans have obliged by lustfully booing Haula whenever he touches the puck at Lenovo Center.

The Haula hatred hit its peak last Saturday, when he elbowed Orlov, breaking the Carolina defensemans nose 18 seconds after the Hurricanes had extended their lead to two.

Dmitry Orlov believes that he suffered a broken nose as a result of the below Erik Haula hit during tonight's third period.

"I think it's a dirty hit.

I wasn't happy about it..." pic.twitter.com/LUxoiPNOQx Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) December 29, 2024 So how did we get from Haula seemingly being a perfect fit to being the most-hated NHL player in Raleigh? It started in early November 2019, when Haula, who was coming back from a gruesome knee injury suffered the season before with the Golden Knights , bristled at the media when asked if his absence from the lineup was due to his surgically repaired knee.

Coach Rod BrindAmour confirmed Haula was missing time because of knee troubles.

The center played two games in mid-November but then went on the shelf again, missing more than a month.

He had three goals and six points upon his return, including scoring the game-winner after he and his wife, Kristen, announced they had lost their unborn daughter during pregnancy.

Haula never returned to his previous form, and it also became clear there was season-long tension with teammates, including an outburst in the shower that the media overheard while in the locker room.

Advertisement He was dealt in the Trocheck trade in late February, finished the season with the Panthers, and then went on a tour of the Hurricanes playoff opponents.

Haula exited with the Predators in the first round of the disjointed COVID-19 season in six games at the hands of the Hurricanes in 2021.

The next postseason, Carolina ousted Haula and the Bruins in seven games of the first round.

In 2023, the Hurricanes won in five games in the second round in Haulas first season in New Jersey, and he finished with zero points and was a minus player in each of the five games.

Along the way, he continued trying to get under the skin of the Hurricanes Martin Necas was, and still is, a frequent target and became increasingly loathed by Carolina fans.

When approached during the Devils playoff series about his heel turn, Haula seemed irked at the suggestion.

I dont see myself as a villain.

...

Im just here to compete and be the best version of myself, he said.

After bouncing around for a few years, Haula has found a home in Newark, and while the two sides didnt meet in last years playoffs, the incident with Orlov the Carolina defenseman reacted to the high hit by toweling off his bloody nose at the bench and then charging at Haula as the Devils center was being escorted to the penalty box added more fuel to the fire.

I dont know what to make of it, BrindAmour said two days after the home game against New Jersey.

It seems that youre right, though, now that you mention it.

It does seem to happen a lot.

When I asked BrindAmour if Haulas actions since leaving had to do with his exit from Raleigh, he said nothing while still saying something.

Youd have to ask him, BrindAmour said.

I dont like talking about players that are not our players.

Theres a reason theyre not our players.

So, move on.

Advertisement The Devils and Hurricanes completed their season series with that Carolina home win, but if the playoffs were to start today, the two teams would be first-round opponents.

And I doubt anyone will have moved on.

Injury bug The Hurricanes were fortunate that, other than goaltender Frederik Andersen s injury early in the season, the team played the first 28 games with the same 18 skaters.

That ended when Jack Drury injured his hand blocking a shot Dec.

10 against San Jose , and the infirmary ward has grown bigger.

Tyson Jost was called up to fill Drurys spot and lasted eight games before he was hurt on New Years Eve in Columbus.

Juha Jaaska got the call to fill Josts spot, making his NHL debut on Friday in Florida.

The 26-year-old won four of five faceoffs and jumped right into the fray he took four hits, including a big one from A.J.

Greer in the first period on Jaaskas second career shift, and dished out three in 8:21 of ice time.

The most consequential was when defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was hurt Dec.

27 in New Jersey.

He has missed the last three games and was expected to miss a couple of weeks.

That opened the door for journeyman Ty Smith who hadnt played an NHL game in nearly two years before he was thrust into the lineup and onto Carolinas top power-play unit last Saturday against New Jersey, the team that drafted him 17th overall in 2018.

He scored in Columbus his second career power-play goal and first since the eighth game of his now 126-game career, on Jan.

30, 2021 and has averaged just over 14 minutes per game alongside Walker.

While his underlying numbers (45.65 percent Corsi For, 42.13 percent expected goals) havent been great, hes been on the ice for two goals for and one against at five-on-five, plus he has the power-play goal.

The Hurricanes sixth-ranked power play has gone 2 for 11 (18.2 percent) in Gostisbeheres absence.

It has now converted on one-quarter (30 of 120) of their opportunities heading into Saturdays game with the Wild .

Advertisement Gostibehere has, of course, been missed his 27 points are tied for 10th among NHL defensemen but Smith has held down the fort in a sheltered role against some very good opponents.

Burns heating up Brent Burns , who will turn 40 on March 9, had just five points in 24 games through November.

Since then, the former Norris Trophy winner has three goals and seven points in the last 14 games.

That includes two goals and two assists in his last four.

He was particularly noticeable against the Panthers, leading all players with seven shots on goal and matching Floridas Tkachuk with a game-high 11 shot attempts.

Life without Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei has been understandably tough at times, and it has meant tougher assignments for Burns and Slavin.

As the midway point of the season approaches, the pairing has scored 27 goals at five-on-five while allowing 26, and their expected goals are 56.13 percent the lowest of Carolinas three usual pairings.

Things are, however, trending in the right direction.

Burns is over 60 percent in Corsi For and expected goals in the last four games, according to NaturalStatTrick, and he totaled 33 shot attempts in those games easily the most for him over a four-game stretch this season (22 was the best prior to now).

Burns isnt going to turn the clock back to his 20-goal or 70-point seasons, but the last handful of games have been encouraging.

World Juniors updated The Hurricanes had two players still standing entering Saturdays semifinal games at the World Junior Championship, both with Sweden.

Oskar Vuollet, one of Carolinas two fifth-round picks in last summers draft, had a goal in his first five games with the Swedes.

Felix Unger Sorum, the Hurricanes second-rounder in 2023, has been arguably the best forward for Tre Kronor during the tournament.

He has a goal and six assists, but more impressively, he has looked like a dominant player during every shift.

Advertisement Unger Sorum had a slow start in his first season in the AHL, posting just two assists in his first 15 games with the Chicago Wolves, but he had two goals and three assists in seven games before joining Sweden for the world juniors.

As for Bradly Nadeau.

Carolinas 2023 first-rounder was bounced along with Canada in the quarterfinal round against Czechia on Thursday.

Nadeau scored two goals in the tournament including the dramatic equalizer with under five minutes left, which was overshadowed by Czechias game-winner but it was widely felt that he and several teammates were misused during Canadas crushing flameout.

BRADLY NADEAU TIES IT FOR CANADA WITH 4 MINUTES LEFT #WorldJuniors pic.twitter.com/1BxNt8cbvh TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 3, 2025 Its always interesting to see how players react to their time at the world juniors once they return to their teams.

Unger Sorum and Nadeau will reunite with the Wolves, while Vuollet will return to the Swedish Hockey Leagues Skelleftea.

(Photo of Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images).

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