Storm Tracking: Examining Weather Patterns

The final horn has gone off on the Carolina Hurricanes season and while the Canes walked away with a win, the season as a whole has to be considered a loss. It's now 5 years in a row and 11 of 16 seasons since moving to Raleigh without a playoff appearance. So somethings need to change and this summer looks like a critical one for franchise. So with the season done and this being the last Storm Tracking article, I thought I would change things up a bit. Instead of focusing on the weekly stats, I decided to focus on the season stats for each individual player. See how each player fared this season, who was good, who was solid and who was bad. I've added a couple of things, moved others around and excluded the team stat portion. So here we go, for the last time. Here are the stats for the 2013/2014 season.

Canes Season Stats

All Situations Possession Stats

5 on 5 Possession Stats

5 on 5 Close Possession Stats

Who Was Hot

• Andrej Sekera - I think it would be safe to say that Sekera was the most consistent and best Hurricane player this season from start to finish. Not only did he handle a ton of defensive responsibilities, he also contributed a lot offensively, setting career highs all across the board. He was 2^nd on the team in assists with 33 and finished 3^rd in points with 44, beating out higher profile players like Alexander Semin and Jordan Staal. But those numbers are strictly a snapshot of the things he provided for the team. Sekera had a team high 127 blocked shots, was 2^nd in takeaways with 68 and 2^nd in +/- with a +4 on the year. One of the weaker parts of his game were his possession numbers which were right around the 50% mark. They were very close to the team average and you do have to take into consideration that he was constantly going up against the best in the game, playing in almost every critical situation for the Canes. But those are numbers I would like to see improve next season. He also had some bad games or small stretches and when he did the Canes struggled even more, but he honestly was the most consistent Cane this year. And maybe I have my rose-colored glass on, but I would argue that if the Canes record had been better, Sekera might have received some consideration for the Norris Trophy, he was that good. I think he was one of the top 10 all-around defenseman in the league this season and I hope that continues into next year. I also need to retract my original statement about him when the Canes traded for him. The way he played, he is worth every bit and more of Jamie McBain & a 2^nd Round Pick.
• Anton Khudobin - If you talk to Peter Karmanos, a freak injury early on to Khudobin is the main reason Carolina isn’t playing playoff hockey right now. While I don’t completely agree with the Hurricanes owner, you do have to wonder what might have been if Dobby had not injured himself against Phoenix. He started his Hurricanes career with 2 wins before missing 2 ½ months with a lower body injury. When he returned to the lineup, he picked up right where he left off, winning his first 4 games. On the season, Khudobin compiled a 19-14-1 record, but that is nowhere near the whole story. He kept this team in games it had no business being in and stole victory in games this team should have lost. If he got a little more "run support" this season, that record would have been better. But 2 stats that really stood out for Khudobin were his 2.30 GAA and his 0.926 Sv%. The 2.30 GAA was tied for 11^th in the league and was half a goal higher when he wasn’t in net for the Canes. His 0.926 Sv% was 5^th best in the NHL and set a franchise record. Now there are things he needs to work on, in particular his puck handling, but Khudobin played the part of Ward this season and did it better than Cam has ever done. While many have been critical (and deservedly so) of Jim Rutherford, his signing of Dobby last summer might have been his best free agent signing since 2005. Let’s just hope that Khudobin isn’t a one-hit wonder and continues to play at this level for the next couple of seasons.
• Jeff Skinner - If I had to describe Skinner, I would probably use the term polarizing figure. Fans either seem to absolutely love him or they find fault in his game no matter what. But no matter which side of the fence you fall on, you have to admit that Skinner is an offensive force in this league and he put together a pretty solid season. He led the team in goals with 33 (11 more than his closest competitor), led the team in shots on goal with 274 (despite only playing in 71 games) and was 2^nd in points with 54. Jeff also ranked quite high in "All Situations" possession numbers, finishing 2^nd on the team in Corsi, Fenwick and Shots For. But those numbers did drop off come "5-on-5" and "5-on-5 Close" situations, mainly coming in below 50%. He also tied for a team worst -14 rating on the season, but appeared to be playing more responsibly at the end of the season. Skinner and Elias Lindholm really seemed to be developing some chemistry and that is a very good sign for the future. If Jeff can continue taking steps in his own zone and look to involve his teammates more in the offensive zone, his game should progress to the next level. He also needs to work on being a little more consistent, limiting the large stretches of minimal production. But as a young kid, these are things that should improve in time.

Who Was Not

• Cam Ward - To say Ward had a bad season would be an understatement. At best Cam was simply inconsistent, at worst Cam didn’t even look like a full-time NHL goalie anymore. Not only was he outperformed by the newly acquired Khudobin, but he was also outperformed by Justin Peters. His 3.06 GAA was his highest since his rookie season and is 0.898 Sv% was his lowest since 06/07. Couple this with the 5^th highest goalie salary cap number, an increasing salary and multiple trade rumors and you could understand why this would be a year Cam would like to forget. But things have changed and it looks very possible that Ward career in Carolina is over. The big question is whether or not he can regain form and be a #1 goalie in this league again. He certainly has the ability, but he need to regain his confidence and prove that he can be more consistent game to game. Adding to his difficult year were his comments about Kirk Muller in the exit interview. It seems as if there is/has been some friction between Ward and Muller and that might make moving him even more critical this offseason.
• Eric Staal - Eric is another "core" player that had a very poor season. While some of his stats aren’t horrible, they certainly aren’t near his average and aren’t good enough for a player making $9.25 million. Eric did lead the team in assists with 40, points with 61 and takeaways with 77, but he was close to the bottom in +/- and had a team high 61 giveaways. While injuries to himself and his typical line mates played a factor into his production, he simply must be better. He is the captain, "the straw that stirs the drink," the guy that is counted on and has to figure out how to up his game. His on-ice demeanor needs to improve and he needs to get away from some of the "lazy" penalties. Whether or not Eric is back with the Canes next season (and I hope that he is), there are a number of things he has to work on. He needs to work on strengthening his knee, getting back to the strong skating ability he use to have. He also needs to work on his shot, the Canes are better with him shooting & scoring, it opens up a lot. And he simply needs to show a better work ethic, putting in the work not only improves his game, but sets an example for his teammates. I think we will see a different Eric Staal next, but will it be in a Canes uniform or not?
• Kirk Muller - While some other guys could have easily been put in this slot, I don’t believe any of them had as big of an influence on the overall performance as Coach Muller. This was Muller’s first season with a full training camp and we definitely did see a different Canes team this year. The defense did improve, but was that because of Muller or because of an upgrade to the defense and goaltender? The offense took a step backwards, as most of the players production actually declined from last season. And Muller’s key selling point, the PP, continued to be one of the worst in the league, costing the team games and momentum. With the rumors that there were some rifts between certain players and Muller, it makes this summer even more interesting. Often it’s easier getting rid of a coach rather than multiple players. And given that Muller hasn’t really proven to be successful as a NHL head coach, I believe his departure may be eminent. I do think Kirk can be a good NHL head coach, he was just given the job to early. Taking what he’s learned here and getting some more experience at the AHL level, should help him become successful at his next job, if that indeed happens.

Former Canes Season Stats