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Carolina Hurricanes right wing Andrei Svechnikov celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Canucks (James Guillory-Imagn Images)

Hurricanes’ Ehlers & Svechnikov Have Been Catalysts to November Run

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Zach Martin | Last updated Nov 18, 2025 8:25 AM ET

While the Carolina Hurricanes have been dealing with a multitude of injuries through the first 18 games of the season, they’re 12-5-1 and are fourth in the NHL in points. They’ve had production up and down the lineup, from Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis to Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake. Two players who’ve been a massive help during November have been Nikolaj Ehlers and Andrei Svechnikov. How have these two been over the first half of the month to help keep the Hurricanes within the NHL’s top five?

Ehlers Is Flying High

Over the Hurricanes’ eight games so far in November, Ehlers has tallied four goals and eight points. To make that more impressive, he’s currently riding a seven-game point streak and has totalled four goals and 12 points in his first season with the Hurricanes. Even after a slow start, “Fly” has been doing just that: flying in November. His 12 points put him fourth on the team, only behind Aho (18), Jarvis (16), and Blake (13).

Once he joined the second line with Blake and Stankoven back on Nov. 4 against the New York Rangers, he’s been unstoppable. It’s safe to say that after signing him to his six-year, $8.5 million annual average value (AAV) deal, he’s been one of the main cogs in Rod Brind’Amour’s machine. He’s been averaging 16:20 of time on ice (TOI), with his time being split between the second line and the first power-play unit. While some thought he would play on the first line, it seems the second line has been the key to unlocking the Danish forward’s form.

While there is much of the season left to go, it seems Ehlers has begun to fit in well with the Hurricanes. It takes time to fit into a new system, city, and team, especially after leaving the Winnipeg Jets, where he played for 10 seasons. Things like that take different amounts of time depending on the player, but as the November run has shown, Ehlers has come into his own and has proven why he was so coveted in free agency. The sky’s the limit for Ehlers as he looks to soar in his first season in Raleigh and there’s no slowing down for him now.

That’s So Svech

After a slow start that did not see him record a point in the first eight games, Svechnikov has been on an otherworldly run. Dating back to Oct. 28 against the Vegas Golden Knights, he’s tallied six goals and 10 points in the last 10 games. His three-point night against the Vancouver Canucks (Nov. 14) was a massive boost for the Hurricanes as they’ve been trying to stay near the top of the league while dealing with injuries.

Svechnikov has skyrocketed to be tied for sixth on the team in points (10) and third on the team in goals (six). He started the season on the second line, moved down to the fourth during the slow start, then began to play on the top line with Aho and Jarvis. From there, he has not stopped producing. He’s in the fifth season of his eight-year, $62 million deal with a $7.75 million AAV, and right now, it’s been paying off well.

His recent play has put everyone on notice, especially his teammates. When asked about his recent run of form, Shayne Gostisbehere stated, “He shoots 1,000 pucks a day. Obviously, he didn’t get off to the best start this season, but he’s really dramatically turned it around. That’s a compliment to him. He doesn’t change anything. He comes every day and works hard. He’s (the most in-shape) guy on our team for a reason, and it’s good to see him getting some results.”

Svechnikov did change the curve of his stick, and his touch has been blistering hot since then. For someone who continues to work at getting better, Svechnikov does not take any shortcuts and sticks to what’s routine.

Following the win over the Canucks, he stated, “I always try to work on my slap shot. One-timers all the time from the half wall, on the power play, or whatever. I always try to prove it. I just changed my stick a couple of weeks ago, so I think that’s why everything is going in right now. Well, not everything, but still a few goals.”

He’s been one of the hottest scorers on the team, and the hope is that the heat doesn’t stop for the Russian second overall 2018 pick. Svechnikov’s power-forward play style is something the Hurricanes really need, and if he can tap into what he did last playoffs and continue his strong play throughout the rest of the season, he could be one of the guys to help take the Hurricanes to another level.

The Hurricanes are 12-5-1 and are within striking distance of the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Metropolitan Division (two points behind the Devils’ 27), and are fourth in points in the NHL. If they want to stay within the top five and make a run for the division and Stanley Cup, getting production from Ehlers and Svechnikov will be huge. As of now, they’re producing at high levels, and the hope is that it never slows down.