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As the 2024-25 season rolls along, we are getting a clearer picture of who will make the playoffs. The wild-card race is tight in both conferences, but the Carolina Hurricanes’ 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday has them ranked second in the Metropolitan Division with a 29-16-3 record and 61 points. They’re only eight points back of the first-place Washington Capitals, who have a game in hand. Also, they have a game in hand on the New Jersey Devils and are three points clear of third place. The Hurricanes took advantage of the Devils’ recent 0-2-2 run to leapfrog them in the standings.
Three players, in particular, have stepped up big for the Hurricanes during their recent three-game winning streak.
Seth Jarvis
Seth Jarvis has been a key piece of the Hurricanes’ lineup all season. In his last five games, Jarvis has five points – all goals, including two in the team’s 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 17. Those two goals kicked started their three-game winning streak. Despite missing seven games after re-aggravating a shoulder injury from last season, Jarvis has 34 points in 41 games to rank third on the team in points, tied for second in goals (16), and tied for fourth in assists (18). He recently eclipsed 100 career assists, with 180 points in 272 games.
Jarvis has earned time on the penalty kill and the top power-play unit while taking meaningful faceoffs in all zones. He has been crucial to the team’s recent success with his 200-foot game, two-way play, laying big hits, and scoring goals. He is Brind’Amour’s high-energy Swiss Army Knife.
Martin Necas
Martin Necas is having a career year after signing a two-year, $13 million extension in the offseason. He’s tied for tenth in the NHL in points with 54 in 48 games. From October to December, he was ranked in the top three in the point race with Nathan MacKinnon and Kiril Kaprizov. He has cooled off a bit since then, but Necas is still on pace to eclipse 80 points. He is likely to be the Hurricanes’ MVP again this season.
Necas has one goal and five assists in the last five games, including two against the Stars. His offense has been key despite losses to the Anaheim Ducks and Buffalo Sabres before their recent win streak.
This is a season to celebrate for Necas, who led the team in points with 71 in 2022-23. After signing two bridge deals, including his current contract that will expire after the 2025-26 season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent (UFA), it might be time for the team to finally sign him long-term.
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
It’s been an up-and-down season for Jesperi Kotkaniemi. He has shown glimpses of the player who was signed to an eight-year, $38.56 million deal in 2022. In his third season with the team, he has nine goals and 22 points in 48 games. Three of those nine goals have come in the last two games in wins over the Chicago Blackhawks and Stars, including two against Dallas.
Even in a down season, there is a lot to appreciate about the 24-year-old. He has thrown the body around much more this season and has made key defensive plays in all zones. He might turn the puck over, but there is hope that he will become the next Jordan Staal, who might not put up 50 points a season but can be a solid defensive forward who can win faceoffs.
Furthermore, Kotkaniemi’s offensive efforts over the last couple of games have paid off. While stats drive the NHL, what he does away from the scoresheet stands out for Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes.
Hurricanes Looking for Four Straight
The Hurricanes are on a three-game winning streak and will aim for four when they meet the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, Jan. 23 at home. A win would help them separate themselves from the Devils and catch the Capitals. If Jarvis, Necas, and Kotkaniemi can keep their hot streak going, the team should be able to add to the win column.
More must-reads:
- Blue Jackets sign former first-round pick to professional tryout
- Red Wings set to finally honor franchise legend Sergei Fedorov
- The '2024 NFL rushing TD leaders' quiz
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Jack Roslovic's waiting game may have cost him potential contract offer
Free agent Jack Roslovic’s waiting game may have cost him a potential contract offer from one team. The Canucks have “cooled off on pursuing” the top remaining UFA, writes The Athletic’s Thomas Drance. There were talks between the Canucks and Roslovic’s camp last month, Rick Dhaliwal of CHEK and The Athletic said at the time, leaving them as one of a small list of confirmed suitors. It wasn’t without precedent, either. Vancouver had approached Roslovic last summer as well, before he ended up taking a one-year, $2.8M contract with the Hurricanes. That deal saw him tie his career-high of 22 goals in 81 games while also seeing more time at center than he did in 2023-24, likely sparking some optimism that he could help fill out the Canucks’ underwhelming depth down the middle. Nonetheless, it appears Vancouver’s braintrust has now pivoted to only pursuing long-term solutions to supplement anchor Elias Pettersson and, ideally, injury-prone but high-ceiling Filip Chytil in a top-nine role. “Vancouver is still in the market to land a centre, but the trade market is viewed as a more likely and realistic route of addressing the club’s greatest remaining need,” Drance said. “Vancouver would execute a trade today if the deal returned a credible middle-six centre — even if that centre had more of a defensive bent to their game.” The Canucks still have $3.27M in cap space left to facilitate a deal, per PuckPedia. As for Roslovic, he’s getting into crunch time with only one-year deals and PTOs available for most everyone at this point of the offseason. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported in early August that there were five teams with legitimate interest in him but that he was taking his time to make a decision. Even with that intrigue and proven top-nine capability without much risk of regression — he’s still just 28 — a multiyear pact may simply be out of reach for him at this point. At the beginning of the summer, AFP Analytics projected him to receive a three-year deal worth north of $4M per season. With the way the market has broken, though, he might need to settle for another one-year deal at a comparable value to last year’s $2.8M cap hit.
Steelers undrafted rookie reportedly upset Mike Tomlin before being cut
The Pittsburgh Steelers surprisingly had a few quality undrafted free agents during 2025 training camp and preseason, as many of them have put up an actual fight to make it to the 53-man roster. Unfortunately, there is very little room on the team, so some very tough decisions will have to be made on that front. Guys like Max Hurleman and JJ Galbreath have been stating their case throughout camp and into gameday, giving the coaching staff a good problem. One decision was surprisingly easy, however. During his weekly Q A chat, insider Ray Fittipaldo was asked about undrafted rookie Roc Taylor and why he was let go right after the preseason Week 2 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He spoke about something that happened right before that contest. "[Roc Taylor] actually got in Tomlin's doghouse at the joint practice," Fittipaldo said. "Not sure if that's the sole reason he was cut, but maybe part of it." Fittipaldo would not expand on what happened, but head coach Mike Tomlin saw enough of the rookie before gameday. It looked like Taylor would at least get first dibs on a practice-squad spot if he was released on roster cutdown day, but now, it seems like his chance of developing in Pittsburgh is gone entirely. Now, he is just hoping someone gives him a call for a chance to be on a practice squad elsewhere. It seemed like Taylor's stock was rising after preseason Week 2. Hurleman had a very rough game, and the former Memphis Tigers standout had three receptions for 39 yards against the Bucs. He was the second-leading receiver on the team, only behind Roman Wilson. It looked like he was forcing himself onto a roster spot, but apparently, Tomlin might have just been waiting until after the game to tell him to pack his bags and try again somewhere else. Steelers' recent receiver issues make Taylor cut even more concerning What makes this decision even more rough is the fact that the Steelers have three receivers who are not healthy at all. Calvin Austin III is trying to return after missing multiple weeks of practice with an injury, Ben Skowronek recently developed a toe issue and utility man Jonnu Smith has barely participated in practice since July. Spots were opening up for undrafted rookies to take, but Taylor may have said or done something inexcusable enough to lose that chance. The Steelers entered training camp with questionable wide receiver depth, and now it's only more concerning. Wilson's recent development has been the bright spot of the preseason at that position, as Scotty Miller has been taking over the role of WR3 since the game against Tampa Bay. That's why they brought in another possibly injured veteran, Gabe Davis, for a visit, and now they may be hoping that he does not sign elsewhere. Instead of Taylor taking the opportunity to push for a roster spot, guys like Hurleman and Brandon Johnson will be looking to make the team and stick around as numerous players recover from their injuries. With Davis having another visit on Wednesday and the Steelers playing in the preseason finale on Thursday, he most likely will not be signed until after that game. That means the bubble players can prove to the team that they don't need him. It's not public in regards to what Taylor did to get himself in trouble, but he could have had this prime opportunity to be on an active roster as an undrafted rookie. He could have easily been above Hurleman and Johnson on the depth chart. Instead, he is just hoping he makes any team's practice squad now.
Shaquille O'Neal makes peace with longtime enemy — mostly
Shaquille O'Neal and Dwight Howard patched things up Sunday after years of feuding. But even while describing their rapprochement, O'Neal couldn't keep from teasing his longtime nemesis. The "Big Aristotle" was at the BIG3 playoffs Sunday to watch Howard's L.A. Riot play the Chicago Triplets. In the middle of describing to Rachel Nichols how he and Howard had made peace, O'Neal broke off his explanation to make fun of Howard for missing a dunk. The two Hall of Fame centers had sparred for years, despite their common ground as former members of the Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers. Some of the tension seemed to be due to Howard adopting O'Neal's "Superman" nickname, though O'Neal claimed to Nichols that he was simply being tough on Howard to motivate him. That explanation doesn't account for the time O'Neal mocked Howard for playing basketball in the Taiwanese league or the decade-plus he's spent roasting Howard on his podcast, in public appearances and on "Inside the NBA." Still, it appears that the two have made peace. Despite O'Neal being left off the original list of presenters, he insisted that he'll be among a group of Hall of Famers inducting Howard Sept. 6, including Dominique Wilkins, Robert Parish, Dennis Rodman and Patrick Ewing. It means that two of the most dominant big men of their eras have finally buried the hatchet. It's added a new level of interest to the Hall of Fame ceremonies, and it should be a sweet moment between O'Neal and Howard. As long as Howard doesn't mention Superman.
Cardinals Writer Makes Controversial JJ Wetherholt Assessment
The St. Louis Cardinals have seemingly waved the white flag on the season and the fan base is already preparing to riot for the call up and big league debut of top prospect JJ Wetherholt. Wetherholt is slashing .310/.403/.670 with nine home runs, a triple, and seven doubles in less than 30 games at the Triple-A level. Thomas Gauvain of Redbird Rants recently suggested that Wetherholt wasn't in the big leagues because he is blocked from receiving consistent playing time. Why hasn't JJ Wetherholt been called up yet? "Even with third baseman Nolan Arenado and second baseman Brendan Donovan on the IL, St. Louis Cardinals manager Oli Marmol is trying to squeeze in playing time for Masyn Winn, Nolan Gorman, and Thomas Saggese," Gauvain wrote. "Alec Burleson and Ivan Herrera are rotating between corner outfield duties and designated hitter appearances. There's not much time or space for Wetherholt on the major-league roster as things currently stand. "You don't promote a prospect of Wetherholt's caliber unless you intend on playing him every day. There's an argument that you make the roster work around JJ Wetherholt rather than the other way around, but the focus throughout the 2025 season in the majors has been to give young players full runway to prove their value or lack thereof. Bumping down Thomas Saggese, who is still only 23 and is 11 for his last 41, and Nolan Gorman, who has a .936 OPS over his last 11 games, for Wetherholt is a difficult argument to make." Every player listed who is supposedly blocking Wetherholt from receiving consistent playing time is under contract for next season, too. Would that mean the Cardinals would leave their top prospect in Triple-A next year? This doesn't make too much sense, as Wetherholt is the level of prospect that a team builds around. If he was the team's fifth or sixth ranked prospect, this argument would make sense. But he's the fifth or sixth ranked prospect in all of baseball. The star infielder has proved he can dominate at Triple-A. It's time for the Cardinals to bring him up to the big leagues to see what he can do. The rest of the roster can form around him.
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