theScore is previewing each team leading up to the 2016-17 season.
The Carolina Hurricanes surprised many last season.
No, they didn't make the postseason, but while many had them pegged as one of the league's bottom-feeders, the team finished 10th in the Eastern Conference, just 10 points out of a playoff spot.
The Hurricanes iced a young roster that allowed the fifth-fewest shots per game and had the 11th-best Corsi-for in the league.
The team is young and continues to grow, and heading into next season there are three players fans should keep an especially close eye on.
Sebastian Aho
While Jesse Puljujarvi and Patrik Laine may have garnered the most attention at the last installment of the World Juniors, it also marked a great coming out for Sebastian Aho.
The Hurricanes forward finished second in tournament scoring with an incredible 14 points en route to Finland's gold medal.
Ever since Aho has continued to prove his worth with great play in the Finnish league and a spot on Finland's World Cup roster. He should fit seamlessly into the club's mold and in case you need more convincing, just see what Teemu Selanne had to say of Aho during the World Cup.
Nice comments here from @TeemuSel8nne on @SebastianAho. https://t.co/V0QIvVYaeJ pic.twitter.com/yDSQrisqvA
— Mike Sundheim (@MikeSundheim) September 8, 2016
Teuvo Teravainen
This offseason, Teuvo Teravainen became the latest casualty of a Chicago Blackhawks club pressed against the cap.
Teravainen was dealt in a package with Bryan Bickell as the Blackhawks looked to free up cap space. In Teravainen the Hurricanes add another extremely gifted offensive forward and former first-round pick.
Though the 22-year-old has yet to make a big splash in the league, that can once again be attributed to the consequence of playing on an almost comically deep Blackhawks club.
With the Hurricanes, Teravainen should finally get a real chance to play meaningful minutes and prove just how talented he really is.
Jeff Skinner
Jeff Skinner's entire six-year career has been a roller coaster of production.
After a scorching rookie season that saw him hit 31 goals and 63 points, he saw his production take a pair of steep declines in the next two seasons, and since then has seen mixed results.
| Year | Games | Goals | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2011-12 | 64 | 20 | 44 |
| 2012-13 | 42 | 13 | 24 |
| 2013-14 | 71 | 33 | 54 |
| 2014-15 | 77 | 18 | 31 |
| 2015-16 | 82 | 28 | 51 |
There is no questioning that Skinner certainly has the capability to be among the game's elite producers and should be a staple on the Hurricanes for many years to come. However, this is all dependent on if he can start producing on a more consistent basis.
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