Carolina Hurricanes 2026-27 Preview: The Champions, Now What?

Winning the Stanley Cup earns you enormous goodwill heading into any offseason, and Carolina did the smart thing: it mostly left a 53-22-7 championship roster alone. The one significant loss, Frederik Andersen departing for Edmonton, is a real one, and the Hurricanes did not land a proven replacement. Signing Jordan Staal to an extension and adding defenceman P.O. Joseph keeps the foundation solid, but the goaltending uncertainty keeps this from being a clean A.

Last season in review

The 2025-26 Hurricanes were exactly what Rod Brind'Amour builds: deep, hard to play against, and relentless. A 53-22-7 record and 113 points put them first in the Metropolitan Division, and a plus-56 goal differential confirmed they were not a product of close wins. Sebastian Aho led the way with 80 points (27 goals, 53 assists), Andrei Svechnikov added 31 goals, and Nikolaj Ehlers, in his first full season with the club, chipped in 71 points. The offence was balanced and the defence, anchored by Jaccob Slavin, K'Andre Miller, and Shayne Gostisbehere, gave up only 240 goals.

In goal, Brandon Bussi went 31-6-2 with a .895 save percentage in the regular season after being claimed off waivers from Florida in October, then stepped in during the Stanley Cup Final and went 3-1 with a 1.60 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. Andersen was the backbone of the playoff run before his injury, finishing 13-2 with a 1.89 GAA and three shutouts. Jordan Staal won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs. Logan Stankoven led the team with 11 postseason goals, the second-most in franchise history in a single playoff run.

Ins and outs

• Out: Frederik Andersen (signed with Edmonton Oilers, one year, $2.8 million)
• In: P.O. Joseph (signed, one year, $850,000)
• In: Mike Reilly (re-signed, one year, two-way contract)
• In: Jordan Staal (extension signed Sept. 16, one year through 2027-28)
• In: William Hakansson (three-year entry-level deal, 2026 second-round pick)
• In: Kyle Masters (acquired from Anaheim)
• Unsigned: Alexander Nikishin (restricted free agent, not in camp as of Sept. 16)

The big question

Can Brandon Bussi do it again? The 28-year-old had a legitimate breakout season, but he has never carried a full starter's workload over a full year as the undisputed No. 1. Pyotr Kochetkov, who would share the crease, played only nine games last season after a lower-body injury that required surgery. If both goalies stay healthy and Bussi repeats his regular-season form, Carolina is fine. If either stumbles, there is no proven veteran behind them.

X-factor

Logan Stankoven. The 23-year-old centre was already trending up before the playoffs, then exploded with 11 goals in the postseason. He enters 2026-27 as Carolina's No. 2 centre on the back of 21 regular-season goals and 44 points, plus a Stanley Cup run that announced him as a genuine top-six force. If that confidence carries over into an 80-plus point regular season, the Hurricanes' offence becomes even harder to contain. His deal already looks like a bargain, and a full season of that production would make him one of the more underrated players in the league.

Bold prediction

Seth Jarvis, recovering from shoulder surgery and already skating ahead of schedule, returns before the midpoint of the season and Carolina finishes first in the Metropolitan Division again.

The outlook

The Hurricanes open the 2026-27 season on Sept. 29 at Lenovo Center against Florida, where they will raise their Stanley Cup banner before a national audience on ESPN. They are the defending champions with their core intact, their captain re-signed, and a coach in Brind'Amour who has never missed the playoffs since taking over in 2018. The goaltending picture is unsettled and Nikishin's contract situation adds a small cloud, but Carolina is built to compete from the first night of the season to the last. The target is on their back. They have earned it.