Are the Carolina Hurricanes Being Undervalued in the East?

Despite multiple teams in the Eastern Conference making splashes ahead of the NHL trade deadline, the Carolina Hurricanes have relatively stood pat.

The Hurricanes did make a move and still have time to make more before Friday’s deadline, but they could make a deep playoff run without more acquisitions.

We’ll highlight the Hurricanes’ odds of winning the Eastern Conference on the FanDuel Sportsbook and check if there’s value in backing them. 

Lately, long playoff runs have been hard to come by for the Carolina Hurricanes, but they’ve remained a top Eastern Conference team. They made one Eastern Conference Finals appearance in the last five years but haven’t returned to the Stanley Cup Final since they won it in 2006. This version of the team can make noise in the playoffs and has already added a piece that should help strengthen the club. On Tuesday, the Hurricanes acquired Jesse Puljujarvi from the Edmonton Oilers, a strong forechecker and defensive forward. Finishing has been a problem for the Canes, and there are reports that they’re still looking to add more scoring depth.

Interestingly, the Hurricanes have reportedly been in on many of the big fish but haven’t been able to reel one in. There’s still time, but as they are currently constructed, the Hurricanes are already a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. The Canes sit inside the top ten in goals scored and allowed per game while boasting the second-highest point total in the NHL with 86. Behind the bench, they have one the best hockey minds in Rod Brind’Amour, and it seems like only a matter of time before they make a deep playoff run.

The most significant roadblock for the Hurricanes, and any team in the East, is the crop of six legitimate contenders in the conference. Carolina owns the second-shortest odds to win the East at +400, behind Boston at +270. The Bruins’ dominance warrants them being the odds-on favorite, but the gap between them and Canes is larger than it should be. It’s hard not to like the Hurricanes’ current odds, considering they could still make moves ahead of the deadline. Before the Hurricanes stake their claim as the top team in the Metropolitan Division, buying into their price to win the East at +400 makes sense.