Instability at the second-line center position has been a hallmark for the Hurricanes organization in recent years. After not adding a middleman via trade or free agency this offseason, they’re looking at some higher-ceiling internal solutions. That includes shifting forward Logan Stankoven from the wing over to center a second line between Jackson Blake and Andrei Svechnikov, head coach Rod Brind’Amour said today (via Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer). Brind’Amour wouldn’t commit to Stankoven starting opening night down the middle, but said it was something they’ve discussed as far back as exit interviews last year.
Stankoven, 22, arrived in Carolina from the Stars as the centerpiece of the return for Mikko Rantanen at last year’s trade deadline. He had 14 goals and 38 points in 78 games last year – technically his rookie season after making 24 appearances for Dallas in 2023-24 – to finish seventh in Calder Trophy voting. He had a 5-4–9 scoring line in 19 games to close out the regular season for the Canes before posting a similar 5-3–8 line in 15 postseason appearances. He averaged north of 15 minutes per game in both the regular season and the playoffs.
The British Columbia native played center in juniors and has always been viewed as a high-potential offensive prospect, touted as a potential top-15 pick in his draft year. Yet concerns over his 5’8″, 165-lb frame led to him slipping to Dallas midway through the second round. He’ll never play the most physical brand, but he hasn’t shied away from contact entirely, recording 48 hits and 33 blocks last year.
His performance on faceoffs has been acceptable for a player still in the early stages of his career, having just over 100 games of experience. He’s averaged about two draws per game while playing mostly on the wing thus far, going 98-112 for a 46.7% win rate. That isn’t as much of a concern for the Canes as having someone in the 2C slot who can properly support Svechnikov and Blake offensively. While their first line is getting loaded up with UFA splash Nikolaj Ehlers flanking Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis, getting Svechnikov going after a trying 2024-25 campaign is also a clear goal for Brind’Amour out of the gate. The 2018 No. 2 overall pick had his worst offensive showing since his rookie year last season, limited to 20 goals and 48 points in 72 games.
That’s partially because Svechnikov bounced between lines last year as Brind’Amour looked to keep him and Aho on separate units. A good idea in theory to give the Canes some more secondary scoring, that meant pairing him with checking center Jordan Staal or Jesperi Kotkaniemi, who’s only averaged 33 points per 82 games for his career. Understandably, his scoring dipped.
If Stankoven can’t gel with Svechnikov out of the gate, that would presumably make general manager Eric Tulsky aggressive in looking to patch that hole as soon as possible. Cap space won’t be an issue if they need to make a pickup – they still have north of $10MM in flexibility, per PuckPedia, along with four first-round picks in the next three drafts to leverage. But whether at center or wing, the organization is committed to Stankoven as a long-term fixture in their top nine. He inked an eight-year, $48MM extension this summer that kicks in for the 2026-27 campaign.