Expectations for next season?

[backwards motion]

Yikes,
a new thread. Probably will sit here quietly for a long time, but since I really enjoyed the ride. I mean I would have wanted to last it longer. As not from "your" country, I still think that even without the fairytale ending. You should be proud. Even as financial aspects, people were invested. Coming to games and cheering, even more fans made internationally.

That being said, now the worst is behind. Your team looks like a good one for the future. Also, you can add to it.

What would you like to make this team better, they are already spirited onces, but what would you like to happen during the off-season?

I can only say the special teams, that's gotta be on the staffs list. I don't know that much about the players. Maybe some may shine on that if there's willingness.

I really don't have much to say other than the team came together and you as fans are awesome. Hopefully next years will be awesome. If you're kinda over it (this years). You shouldn't be nothing put proud Carolina to be your team.

Oh yeah, there was this question in the topic... what do you expect from next season?

Have a good summer. I'm no terminator, but I'll be back.

Click to read more...

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

I think it would be a mistake to view this season (from an objective perspective) as accelerating the plan. This season was a good step but the playoff run should be viewed as a bonus, not a change in trajectory. The trajectory had this team as on the bubble this year, with being a "clear" playoff team being reserved for next year. That is still the case.

I am expecting to be a wildcard team again (as opposed to hoping last year), or perhaps breaking into the 3rd spot in the division. More than that is excellent, missing the playoffs is a disappointment.

I would love for this to be the start of an "accelerated" build, but it is an act of fairness to the team and front office, and not one of self-preservation and pessimism, to keep expectations tempered and reasonable. This is still a lower-talent team with some serious question marks, and to simply expect that because they're young and have cap room it can "only go up from" a Conference Finals berth would not only be naive, but frankly unfair to a front office that has pushed a lot of the right buttons so far.

 

[Tryamw]

I think it would be a mistake to view this season (from an objective perspective) as accelerating the plan. This season was a good step but the playoff run should be viewed as a bonus, not a change in trajectory. The trajectory had this team as on the bubble this year, with being a "clear" playoff team being reserved for next year. That is still the case.

I am expecting to be a wildcard team again (as opposed to hoping last year), or perhaps breaking into the 3rd spot in the division. More than that is excellent, missing the playoffs is a disappointment.

I would love for this to be the start of an "accelerated" build, but it is an act of fairness to the team and front office, and not one of self-preservation and pessimism, to keep expectations tempered and reasonable. This is still a lower-talent team with some serious question marks, and to simply expect that because they're young and have cap room it can "only go up from" a Conference Finals berth would not only be naive, but frankly unfair to a front office that has pushed a lot of the right buttons so far.

I regret that I have but one like I can give to this post it deserves so many more...

 

[backwards motion]

And to be kinda straight, this was also like to "kiss the asses of the fans". The positivity has rubbed on me. I mean the wordings, I have no idea how to improve this team, except the fan that the special teams need to get better in order to sometime make a statement. 5 on 5 team was good.

I like the core and can't give any advice, other than keep true to yourself. It was a hell of a run. It shouldn't be remember anything but such. I leave it to that and for people who know more since I fell for the team... from the fans. Normally I like dominating teams with my fave players, but this kinda felt that I became a fan since I don't like negativity.

Each of his or her owns, but I feel good for you and the team to progress rurther.

 

[StormCast]

And to be kinda straight, this was also like to "kiss the asses of the fans". The positivity has rubbed on me. I mean the wordings, I have no idea how to improve this team, except the fan that the special teams need to get better in order to sometime make a statement. 5 on 5 team was good.

I like the core and can't give any advice, other than keep true to yourself. It was a hell of a run. It shouldn't be remember anything but such. I leave it to that and for people who know more since I fell for the team... from the fans. Normally I like dominating teams with my fave players, but this kinda felt that I became a fan since I don't like negativity.

Venkman's law of averages:

We could accept the fact that this team is headed for a disaster of biblical proportions....human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria!

 

[Nikishin Go Boom]

I wont be able to judge expectations for next season until mid July. Most of our and our division teams should be be 90-95% done with moves by that point.

If everyone is brought back we should be WC1 and M3 possible. After being 3rd youngest this season, we could be younger next season with Necas potentially replacing Ferland, Ned maybe replacing a goalie, and/or Bean/Fleury replacing a RHD defender that is traded. It may depend on what our division foes do as well. If the Islanders or BJs fail to add and lose a bunch of their talent, this may become a pretty weak division. Those two will decide how deep it is. I dont see the Rangers, Devils, or Philly improving their situation enough to take those spots from us. The Pens should regress as everyone is getting older and JR continues to mess up their situation. Washington should still be above us in the standings.

Now if we go out and get 2 top 6 forwards and bring back everyone, but Ferland, this squad could be M2 fighting for M1. As long as Mrazek plays like he did last season and not 2 years ago.

 

[Chrispy]

I think it would be a mistake to view this season (from an objective perspective) as accelerating the plan. This season was a good step but the playoff run should be viewed as a bonus, not a change in trajectory. The trajectory had this team as on the bubble this year, with being a "clear" playoff team being reserved for next year. That is still the case.

I am expecting to be a wildcard team again (as opposed to hoping last year), or perhaps breaking into the 3rd spot in the division. More than that is excellent, missing the playoffs is a disappointment.

I would love for this to be the start of an "accelerated" build, but it is an act of fairness to the team and front office, and not one of self-preservation and pessimism, to keep expectations tempered and reasonable. This is still a lower-talent team with some serious question marks, and to simply expect that because they're young and have cap room it can "only go up from" a Conference Finals berth would not only be naive, but frankly unfair to a front office that has pushed a lot of the right buttons so far.

This part is vital IMO. While making the playoffs again may seem like a low bar outside of Raleigh, this fan base needs to know this wasn't another deep playoff run to be followed by a few years of futility. Demonstrating this is the start of something consistent would go a huge way to sustaining and building the fan base long-term.

 

[Drivebytrucker]

My expectations are to make the playoffs every year for the next 5-6 seasons.

With luck, some shrewd roster moves and gelling of our line up, that could mean a Stanley Cup.

Or it could mean a decade of being a Cup Contender like the San Jose Sharks.


but it's going to be a fun ride!

 

[A Star is Burns]

My only real expectation is to make the playoffs. How far does depend on what we do this offseason. I'm not entirely sure what the whole trajectory thing means. We are in a position that if the right moves present themselves, we can make them. We could put ourselves in a position to aim even higher than just making the playoffs, but we don't have to force it either. Just improvement of young players and the bare minimum of competent moves to fill out the roster (re-signings or otherwise) should see us in a position to make the playoffs again. So making the playoffs is my only goal right now, and then anything can happen, good or bad. I may aim higher if they make some phenomenal moves.

 

[The Faulker 27]

Definitely going to need playoffs. I don't want to hear everyone's shit across the league if we miss the playoffs again after going on a deep run.

 

[GoldiFox]

Canes didn't seal their Playoff berth until 2 games before the season ended. I don't see next year being any easier. The team already had trouble this year with NJD/NYR, the 2 worst teams in the division, and now both are adding a franchise-level talent in Jack Hughes and Kakko Kaapo. If Dundon isn't willing to spend some of his Playoff earnings to bring in offensive talent then the Canes could easily miss.

 

[bleedgreen]

We’re 50/50 for being a playoff team. A bad off season, a change in goaltending gone wrong, some injuries at the wrong time, or a lack of offensive talent and we’re a lottery team. The last few times we’ve made the playoffs and done well the following year we really sucked.

We can’t assume any of the small miracles that happened during the year will happen again.

 

[Chrispy]

We’re 50/50 for being a playoff team. A bad off season, a change in goaltending gone wrong, some injuries at the wrong time, or a lack of offensive talent and we’re a lottery team. The last few times we’ve made the playoffs and done well the following year we really sucked.

We can’t assume any of the small miracles that happened during the year will happen again.

So you're saying it's on the front office to recognize this and not maintain status quo, but improve the team.

Whatever needs to be done to break this cycle of single playoff berth and wander in the desert for a few years.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I expect that the Carolina Hurricanes will be a professional ice hockey team in Metropolitan Division of the National Hockey League.

If not I will be greatly disappointed.

 

[raynman]

I’m gonna say the expectation is playoffs. They need to prove this season wasn’t a fluke.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

We’re 50/50 for being a playoff team. A bad off season, a change in goaltending gone wrong, some injuries at the wrong time, or a lack of offensive talent and we’re a lottery team. The last few times we’ve made the playoffs and done well the following year we really sucked.

We can’t assume any of the small miracles that happened during the year will happen again.

I don't really ascribe to that line of thinking. The bad and good stuff mostly balances out over the course of an 82-game season. We probably can't assume we'll be a top 3 team from January on again, but we can also probably feel a little better about not being a bottom 3 team in the first half. Maybe we put up more points than we expected to, but it took more points to get into the playoffs than most people expected it to. And for every great game we played where we pulled it out by the skin of our teeth, we had some games stolen from us. I don't really consider the season we had to be a miracle when looked at from start to finish. I consider from January onwards a miracle, but the "miracle" was only necessary because of a pretty unfortunate start that may have been just as much a result of bad luck as the second half was a result of good luck. The second half was unsustainably good, but, as any stats nerd will tell you, the first half was unsustainably bad. If I had to evaluate the team overall I don't think it was quite a "true" 99 point team, but it was certainly a "true" playoff team (even if barely).


Also, to be clear, when asked to give my "expectations" in late May, these are expectations based on what we know and can reasonably predict today. My expectation to make the playoffs as of today is not "bad offseason proof" (no team is "bad offseason proof", for that matter).


Conventional wisdom is still on the team's side. It's a young team with young talent, and each year that should theoretically bump the team up a bit. The AHL team is currently leading the Conference Finals on the backs of a pretty good ratio of actual prospects, as opposed to career AHL vets. The team is mostly going to stay together (pending trades), as there's only a few free agents and several of them are more likely to return than not. To me, that's worth a modest bump in projection. And as I've said above, I didn't think they were quite a "true" 99 point team. But given all that? I might say my expectations are exactly 99 points next year.

 

[bleedgreen]

Yup. The run was amazing but people will only
keep paying to see a team that’s a threat to make the playoffs every year. We’re actually built reasonably well for the playoffs, it’s getting there that’s the problem.

 

[MrazeksVengeance]

I expect to take GLORIOUS, RIGHTEOUS VENGEANCE. Nothing more, nothing less.

 

[bleedgreen]

I don't really ascribe tp that line of thinking. The bad and good stuff mostly balances out over the course of an 82-game season. We probably can't assume we'll be a top 3 team from January on again, but we can also probably feel a little better about not being a bottom 3 team in the first half. Maybe we can't assume we'll have 99 points again, but maybe we will feel a little better about it not taking 97 points just to sneak in. And for every great game we played where we pulled it out by the skin of our teeth, we had some games stolen from us. I don't really consider the season we had to be a miracle when looked at from start to finish. I consider from January onwards a miracle, but the "miracle" was only necessary because of a pretty unfortunate start that may have been just as much a result of bad luck as the second half was a result of good luck. The second half was unsustainably good, but, as any stats nerd will tell you, the first half was unsustainably bad. If I had to evaluate the team overall I don't think it was quite a "true" 99 point team, but it was certainly a "true" playoff team (even if barely).


Also, to be clear, when asked to give my "expectations" in late May, these are expectations based on what we know and can reasonably predict today. My expectation to make the playoffs as of today is not "bad offseason proof" (no team is "bad offseason proof", for that matter).


Conventional wisdom is still on the team's side. It's a young team with young talent, and each year that should theoretically bump the team up a bit. The AHL team is currently leading the Conference Finals on the backs of a pretty good ratio of actual prospects (as opposed to career AHL vets). The team is mostly going to stay together (pending trades), as there's only a few free agents and several of them are more likely to return than not. To me, that's worth a modest bump in projection. And as I've said above, I didn't think they were quite a "true" 99 point team. But given all that? I might say my expectations are exactly 99 points next year.

I’m not trying to be negative, but I would be pretty impressed if we hit 95 again. I think we overachieved, and that we got mostly what we deserved in the front half. I didn’t think we were that unlucky. I know the shots were what they were but I didn’t think we looked very good taking all those shots.

 

[A Star is Burns]

You'd be pretty impressed if we hit 95 points before we even have a roster locked in? Impressive.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

I’m not trying to be negative, but I would be pretty impressed if we hit 95 again. I think we overachieved, and that we got mostly what we deserved in the front half. I didn’t think we were that unlucky. I know the shots were what they were but I didn’t think we looked very good taking all those shots.

Agree to disagree and I hope I'm right. 89 points isn't 50/50 to make the playoffs...

EDIT: You changed from 90 to 95 too quick - being impressed to hit 95 makes more sense

But counterpoint - I'd be impressed if it took 97 points to get in again. Regardless, I'm expecting playoffs as of today, which means missing would be a letdown and a disappointment.

 

[bleedgreen]

Agree to disagree and I hope I'm right. 89 points isn't 50/50 to make the playoffs...

EDIT: You changed from 90 to 95 too quick - being impressed to hit 95 makes more sense

I type too fast on my phone.

Though my point is I wouldn’t be shocked if we were a top 10 pick team either. Two good dmen go down, the goaltending doesn’t carry us through the bad times, the scoring isn’t consistent. We could easily suck next year.

 

[MinJaBen]

We’re 50/50 for being a playoff team. A bad off season, a change in goaltending gone wrong, some injuries at the wrong time, or a lack of offensive talent and we’re a lottery team. The last few times we’ve made the playoffs and done well the following year we really sucked.

We can’t assume any of the small miracles that happened during the year will happen again.

I'm in the same boat, but more from a competition standpoint. The I expect Philly will be better with Hart playing the full year. I expect the Rangers to improve. I expect the Devils to get better. I think the Jackets probably fall back some, but I don't expect them to be terrible, so if we don't improve, I think we don't get as many points as we did this year in the standings.

 

[bleedgreen]

I'm in the same boat, but more from a competition standpoint. The I expect Philly will be better with Hart playing the full year. I expect the Rangers to improve. I expect the Devils to get better. I think the Jackets probably fall back some, but I don't expect them to be terrible, so if we don't improve, I think we don't get as many points as we did this year in the standings.

Agreed. It’ll make any issues we have more painful. If we let up there won’t be as much mercy.

 

[Anton Dubinchuk]

I type too fast on my phone.

Though my point is I wouldn’t be shocked if we were a top 10 pick team either. Two good dmen go down, the goaltending doesn’t carry us through the bad times, the scoring isn’t consistent. We could easily suck next year.

I mean I agree with all of that, but to me that's all understood as the variance that happens to any team in the league from year to year, right? How many teams in the league are surviving two top 4 dmen getting injured?

You can poke holes in the rosters of like 25 teams in this league. What if Colorado's top line stops scoring at an otherworldly level next year and the secondary scoring can't pick up the slack? They'll miss the playoffs too. What if Binnington comes back down to Earth for St. Louis next year and Pietrangelo gets hurt? They'll miss the playoffs too. Those are all valid questions, but it doesn't stop me from properly saying that the expectation for both of those teams should be to make the playoffs.

Expectations shouldn't be set by worst case scenarios IMO, they should be set by the most likely outcome. And while it's tempting to set them based on worst case scenarios after 10 years of futility, I'm ok saying we should expect it and be rightly disappointed if it doesn't happen.