As the Carolina Hurricanes clawed their way to a postseason berth for the first time in a decade, their underwhelming power play acted as a foil threatening to dash the hopes of the team and its fans. While the man advantage didn’t prevent a playoff appearance, an ever-evolving Metropolitan Division means that lackluster special teams can be fatal in 2019-20.
In an effort to add offensive depth to a team that finished 2018-19 in 16th place for goals scored, General Manager Don Waddell swung a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights that saw Erik Haula move to Carolina in exchange for Nicolas Roy and a 2021 5th round pick.