Hurricanes Need to Move on From Burns & Orlov

As far as Orlov goes, he still possesses a lot of the traits that have made him a standout over the years — he’s still physical, can create offense and has a wicked shot. The problem for him has actually developed on the mental side of his game, where his newfound propensity to make critical mistakes and lapses in judgement has offset the rest of what he brings to the table. He tends to pinch at the wrong times and no longer has the recovery speed to amend for it. I’ve also been stunned by his rushed decision-making, which has led to some brutal turnovers and just leaves you scratching your head. I’ve said throughout the season that on any given night, he can be both the Hurricanes’ best or worst player, and unfortunately, it unraveled with him becoming borderline unplayable in the Florida Panthers series.

Up until about a week ago, I was open to the idea of the Hurricanes re-signing Orlov to a short-term deal (providing he took a serious pay cut), on the basis that he would provide a great mentor to Alexander Nikishin both on and off the ice. But sitting here today, I’m no longer sold on Orlov’s ability to play top-four minutes on a team that has Stanley Cup aspirations, and I’d imagine he’ll be too expensive to shelter in a third-pairing role. As far as Burns, I would imagine that retirement is a legitimate option considering his age and longevity, but if he chooses to continue on, I can’t make any valid argument — strictly in on-ice terms —  as to why the Hurricanes would want him back. As such, I think it’s plausible the team will have to find replacements for both of these players — which is no small task considering they each played over 20 minutes a night for the team this season.

Identifying Internal & External Replacements

A key piece in filling the potentially available minutes will be the aforementioned Nikishin, who’s finally made his long-awaited venture into the Hurricanes’ lineup. Lauded as one of the best prospects in the world over the past few years, the man nicknamed “Boom” will be afforded every opportunity to solidify his place on the team’s roster moving forward. If his four-game playoff sample is indicative of his future, he’s set to immediately become an impact player on the blue line. His poise, skating, physicality and positional awareness were all evident from the moment he stepped on the ice, and he only stands to get better as he gets more comfortable and begins to learn English.

Some other internal options are Scott Morrow and, to a lesser extent, Domenick Fensore. We’ll start with Morrow, who had a fantastic season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with 13 goals, 39 points and an All-Star Game selection. He played 14 games with the Hurricanes in the regular season and looked good, but was thrown into deep water in the Panthers series and then looked every bit of the inexperienced 22-year-old that he is. The jury is still out on if he’s ready to make the full-time jump into NHL hockey, but some additional seasoning wouldn’t hurt him. Fensore, 23, made his NHL debut this past season and is an electrifying skater, but he’s noticeably undersized and is a left-hand shot, which slots him behind Jaccob Slavin, Shayne Gostisbehere and Nikishin.

Pivoting to free agent options, the top guy on the market will be Aaron Ekblad. As a right-shot defender that’s currently in his prime, combined with his pedigree, I can’t imagine the Hurricanes engaging in (or winning) a bidding war for him. The next best option is probably Vladislav Gavrikov, who is very appealing. He’s a big boy who brings a physical, defensive-oriented approach and could also serve as the mentor to Nikishin. He’s a left shot, which does add a bit to the log-jam on that side, but is capable of playing his off side and he’s done a decent amount of that as a Los Angeles King. Aside from these guys, it’s a pretty thin UFA class.

Thinking outside the box a bit, I quite like Mattias Samuelsson from the Buffalo Sabres as a potential trade target. While all the trade hype and buzz is surrounding Bowen Byram, I feel like Samuelsson is an under-the-radar option out of Buffalo. He’s a serious buy-low candidate after a disappointing season, although his underlying numbers were pretty solid. He’s also only 25 years old, and has another five years at a rather reasonable $4.29 million cap hit. Reports have said that the Sabres are open to moving him, and I can’t help but wonder if a trade involving Jesperi Kotkaniemi makes sense here. Both guys would get a fresh start, and the Hurricanes would land a 6-foot-4, 225-pound defender who can play both the left and right side. Seems like a worthy reclamation project, as Samuelsson was considered a key piece among the Sabres’ rebuild just a couple seasons ago.

The Bottom Line

Regardless of what avenue the Hurricanes pursue to replace them, I feel like the clock has struck midnight on the Burns and Orlov eras in Raleigh. While both have been serviceable players, it’s always best to move on too soon rather than too late, and it seems apparent that running it back with these two would be complacency with something that just didn’t work. If the hope is to take the next step and break through as a true Stanley Cup contender, it’s time to turn the page on both of these guys and get some younger legs into the lineup.