This is just the beginning for the Carolina Hurricanes.
A slow and steady rebuild has begun to take shape in Raleigh, where general manager Ron Francis has collected youth through lost seasons to construct his current club.
That patience has started to pay off. The Hurricanes are currently riding a 13-game point streak (9-0-4), a late surge that has lifted Carolina within four points of the playoff picture after spending most of the season near the bottom rung.
Now in his third year of stewardship, the Hurricanes have improved each season under Francis. After finishing with 71 points in 2014-15, Carolina jumped to 86 points a year ago and is on pace to pass that number this season, at 84 points with six games remaining.
The Hurricanes faithful are hoping for the playoffs after seven seasons on the outside looking in. Carolina's last postseason trip came in 2009, its only such appearance since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006.
While the March charge may not be enough for a last-minute ticket to the postseason dance - the Hurricanes are chasing two teams for two spots, the Bruins and Lightning - it's the first step toward building a better tomorrow.
The Hurricanes are realizing the fruits of their labor, having slowly built through the draft. A budget team, Carolina's success is born at the draft table, where the club has hit home runs outside of the opening round in recent seasons:
| Player | Draft Year | Round/Pick | Games | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Justin Faulk | 2010 | 2/37 | 395 | 190 |
| Victor Rask | 2011 | 2/42 | 236 | 124 |
| Jaccob Slavin | 2012 | 4/120 | 139 | 53 |
| Brett Pesce | 2013 | 3/66 | 145 | 34 |
| Sebastian Aho | 2015 | 2/35 | 76 | 47 |
That's not to overlook the success Carolina's had with early picks either, selecting Jeff Skinner (seventh overall) in 2010, Elias Lindholm (fifth overall) in 2013, and defenseman Noah Hanifin, the No. 5 pick in 2015.
The Hurricanes have turned over the reins to many of these picks this season, particularly on the blue line, where 22-year-old Slavin leads the team in ice time by taking in more than 23 minutes a night. It's a defensive corps where, at 25 years old, Faulk is the elder statesman.
A similar movement is just around the corner for the forward ranks as the Hurricanes integrate their next wave of offensive talent. That process began with Aho, and the second phase isn't far off with Julien Gauthier, Nicolas Roy, and Janne Kuokkanen, among others.
All will play key roles for the Hurricanes in the coming years as Carolina continues its charge back into the league's elite.
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