The Carolina Hurricanes' 2024-25 season came to a close earlier this week as the team lost in five games to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final.
On Friday, select players met with the media in Raleigh for their end-of-season interviews and on Tuesday, coach Rod Brind'Amour and general manager Eric Tulsky did as well.
Here's what those two had to say:
Eric Tulsky
On if he had any fears about the team making the playoffs heading into the year: No. I mean, so Rod and I came out from a different place, right? He knows the players on this team as well as anybody in the world does and we saw some really good players leave and that made him nervous, right? As someone overseeing the management staff, our job was mostly to understand the rest of the league and I knew we were bringing in players who were going to fit and were going to be really good. That's just the difference in perspective. Like, of course, there's always a risk. You never know for sure how it's going to go, but I knew coming in that we were in position to keep taking steps forwards and was comfortable as the team we had built.
On Seth Jarvis opting to not have surgery on his shoulder: I mean, it's not an organizational decision, it's a personal decision. It's his medical care and he's going to do what's best for him and the team. If he wants to rehab it and strengthen it and keep playing... he was very effective this year and I'm optimistic that'll continue going forward and that he'll keep helping us compete for a championship.
On the areas they'd most like to upgrade this offseason: I think our team is built on three things. We want to defend really well in our own end. We want to create turnovers off the forecheck and we want to create offense once we get the puck back. I think in all three areas, honestly, there's room for improvement.
On if there's any specific positions where he thinks the team needs to improve: I mean, there's always room for improvement, right? I've said it before. Until we have the 20 best players in the league, there's still room to get better and we're gonna keep working towards that, right? Every time we see an opportunity to bring in someone who we think helps us take a step forward, we're gonna take advantage of that.
On if he feels the team will utilize all of their available cap space this offseason: People always like to say that we're not gonna make a move just for the sake of making a move, and of course we're not. That goes without saying. But if there's any chance to get better, we're gonna take it. We have the full buy in to spend to the cap if there are ways to do it to get better. We have so much space and such a strong team, so there's no guarantees we can find ways to spend all that money, but we're going to spend all summer trying.
On if the team will make offers to Brent Burns or Dmitry Orlov: So we've talked to the agents of every free agent we have. Those conversations are ongoing. We have four weeks left until July 1 to try and get deals done. So we'll see how that goes.
On if there are any players who will need or are considering any offseason procedures: There are a lot of players who have things they're dealing with. I don't think we have any more surgeries slotted at this time, but there are a few people who are talking to their doctors about the best way to proceed.
On balancing keeping a well stocked prospect pool and draft capital with being able to 'go all in': Our goal is to win a Cup and then our goal is to win more Cups after that and keep going. We're trying to build a team that can compete year after year. But competing isn't enough. We want to win. So you have to find a way to do that and the picks and the prospects can help us by producing players in the future or they can help us by being used in trades to bring in players who help us now. We're open to everything. It's just a question of what the best path forward is and what opportunities we see in front of us.
On if there are any players in the prospect pool that might be expected to elevate themselves next season: We have a lot of prospects who are doing really well. The team in Chicago this year was a very, very young team and it made the playoffs and was competitive and had streaks where it looked like one of the best teams in the league. Those players are just getting better and better. There's a gap between the AHL and the NHL and we won't know until we get to seeing them in NHL action in the preseason and training camp whether they're ready, but there's a lot of players who are on that cusp.
On how the ECHL affiliation with the Greensboro Gargoyles will work: We do not hire the coaching staff there. They run their stuff and their hockey operations. We have the opportunity and the obligation to loan them a few players to help them build out their roster and provide some players who can be call-up depth for our AHL team and also a landing spot for an occasional prospect. Goalies often... there's a limited number of nets at the NHL and AHL level, so a lot of times a goalie prospect will end up there for a bit, here and there. And yeah, it's really nice to have it sort of in driving distance where we can go check in on our prospects and they can feel us and our fans can go see them. That is something that we enjoy and appreciate. Having an affiliate also gives us a little more flexibility and control to plant some AHL depth there, so that when the NHL and AHL team get hit with injuries and that lineup gets thin, we have players who can come up and fill that out.
On if the moves over the past few seasons is an admission that the team needs an elite scorer if they want to win it all: I prickle a little at the idea that it was a suggestion we needed something like, you know? Until we have all the best players in the league, we're going to keep trying to add and it doesn't matter how many goals scorers we have. If there's a premium goal scorer out there who we can get, we're going to try and bring them in. You know, I don't think Tampa or Dallas was looking at their team saying, 'We really need a goal scorer.' It was just the fact that if you've got great players who you can bring in, you do it. We're going to keep taking those swings every time we can.
On how he views the current state of the blueline: The D is key to the way we play. We play very high pressure system where we are trying to put players under pressure and make it hard for them. That means we're relying on the D to be able to cover for what happens behind that and so those guys need to be really good and really effective. We lost a couple of key players last year, we have at least one rookie coming in now and that means we're in a little bit of flux. It's the job of the management and scouting staff to keep finding players who can play the way we want them to. And I don't want to underestimate the job that Rod and his staff did integrating the new players. We brought in a lot of new talent and didn't miss a beat. That's a testament to how good a job his staff did helping these guys get up to speed and learn what they need to learn. It's a complicated system that relies on them knowing where they need to be at all times. And the fact that we were able to do that and not miss a beat, I think, is really a strong testament to his staff.
On if Bradly Nadeau could be an option to make the team next year: I'm always hesitant to put pressure on any one player, because it'll happen when it happens. We know he's going to be a great NHLer for a long time. I don't want anybody feeling like there's a timeline for that because development isn't linear. But yes, he had a fantastic season. He scored a ton of goals. So he'll be in the mix in camp and we'll see how it goes. You know, I think if you had asked me this time last year to list prospects, [Jackson] Blake would have been on the list, but I wouldn't have told you to bet on him making the team. He had a great summer, he worked hard, he came into camp fitter than he had been before, was more NHL ready than he had been and he took off from there. It's hard to predict who's going to take that step over the summer, but there's a lot of players who are in the mix for that.
On how big of a deal size is in how the organization evaluates players: We're more concerned with strength than size a lot of the times. We want players who can get in and apply pressure and make it hard for you and somebody who's tall and lanky and sort of soft doesn't add heaviness to your game, right? We want players who can really apply pressure and compete. That's not just about size, but obviously size helps with that. I wouldn't say we're looking at size. I would say we're looking at how effective they are at applying pressure. But size is a big component of that. Obviously you can pressure someone more if you're physically intimidating.
On balancing talent and cultural fit in player evaluation: It's very hard and we want to do both. We have a phenomenal culture here and Rod is an incredible steward of the locker room and keeps things in the right frame of mind and I don't want to make his job any harder than it needs to be at that. So we want to find players who can play and who will fit, but who will fit off the ice too. Step in and listen to what he has to say, work with him, work with teammates, fit in well. We want it to be a fun place to play. It's something I actually am very impressed by. These guys compete so hard on the ice and they come off the ice and they have a good time together. That's a special atmosphere that I'm not sure every team has. If we can keep building that, I think it helps make us what we are.
On how he evaluates the job the coaching staff did: From my perspective, it's hard for people on the outside to understand just how hard these guys work and how much time they spend during the game, after the game, the next day, looking for opportunities to tweak what they're doing, looking at what the next opponent does and how we can take advantage. I think this staff is incredibly detail oriented and incredibly good at sort of finding those edges and communicating them to the players. And I think the level of buy in that rod and his staff get from the team is extraordinary. I genuinely don't know if there is another staff in the league that has that combination of ability to find edges and ability to get the team bought in and doing it, you know, it's they've done an incredible job. And I 100% agree with Rod on expectations. Over the last five years, no team in the league has more regular season points than us. Only two teams, Florida and Edmonton, have more postseason wins than we do. We set the bar very, very high. Like every year, we expect to be at least competing for a Cup, and our goal is to win one or more. It's a privilege to be in a place where we can say that with a straight face. There aren't many teams that are. It does stink to finish and feel like you came up short. But man, what an honor to be on a team where you get to the final four and feel like you came up short. I love that we are where we are, and we're going to keep pushing to get to where we want to go.
On how he'd evaluate his first season as an NHL GM: Ultimately, the scorecard is the results, right? But, I mean, look. There's always ways you could get better, right? There's nobody in the world who looks back on a year of their performance in a job, and is honest with themselves, and says, 'There's nothing I could have done differently. I had a perfect year.' So there's always room for improvement. But where we exited, I think we have a strong team now and I think we're well positioned to get better going forward. I'm very comfortable with where we landed. Of course there's ups and downs. There always will be. But if we can keep taking steps forward in the big picture, we're going to get there.
Rod Brind'Amour
On his first season under Eric as GM: It was good. We've obviously known each other for a long time, but not in this kind of capacity. So I think it's been a learning curve for both of us. We're certainly coming from different worlds and trying to mesh it. Trying to understand each other. And I think that'll be an ongoing process, but I think it was good. It's just good to get two different ideas and kind of mesh them like I said, and I think we've done a good job with it.
On if his full staff will be returning next season: Yeah. Definitely.
On Paul Maurice asking him to skip the handshake line: Yeah [it was hard], but I understood his point of view. He explained it to me. I wasn't expecting it, but I understood what he said and why. It is the players. Of course it is. Those guys are the ones that are battling out there and we're just sitting back there. Not along for the ride though. We invested a ton into it. So I get his point. It is about the players. I guess my take on it now, sitting back on it and reflecting, we talk about gracious losing and I've had some pretty impactful memories and moments in that line as a coach going through it. Even in this playoff run with the Devils, I had four or five guys that were Hurricanes and I still think of them like that. So it meant something to me to go through there and shake their hand. For me, I'm not thinking about a TV moment. I get enough of that every time there's a penalty. So that's not in it for me. I think moving forward, I'll probably go back to it just because it's a sign of respect. That's the way I look at it. We're not out there on the ice battling, but we're right in there with these guys. So that's my take. I think you're entitled to whatever one you want. He won, so I kind of went, 'Okay, I'll follow your lead.' But I do think it's important, to me anyway, to show respect to the players
On what excites him most on the potential for improvement this offseason: Well, you're always excited in the offseason. I know... everything gets taken out of context a little bit, you know. I was worried because of what went out. We lose all those guys and that would worry anybody, right? But then to Eric's point, you see what we brought in and then you had time to see what we had and I was like, 'Okay.' Immediately, within a couple of weeks, we were like, 'We're in good shape.' And, you have to remember too, we have such a great core that didn't leave. That's what this team, I think, has been built on and that's why it gives you optimism moving forward. Those guys are still going to be here. So yeah. There's tons of opportunity, I guess, is the way I look at it. But even if none of that pans out, we still have all those guys, and they've been, in my opinion, warriors and they know what it takes and they're getting more experience now. And we got young kids that played in this last series. That's just going to help us moving forward and they're big parts of this now. So there's a lot of optimism, regardless of what Eric can do this summer. I mean, I think that's how I look at it.
On if the moves over the past few seasons is an admission that the team needs an elite scorer if they want to win it all: Well, I think to your first point, everybody would love to have one. Of course. We've been going out. If they're out there, Eric's trying to get them and I think everybody appreciates that. I think the room does. Having said that, if it doesn't [work out], we feel really good about our group. So if there's a better option out there to make us better, you're trying to get it. That's what that tells me.
On if he still believes there's a role here for Brent Burns: I think it's no secret that I think he's phenomenal. I love the guy for a lot of reasons, not just the hockey side of things and what you see, but just the way he handles himself on and off the ice. Eric talks about the group, and, you know, giving me a little bit of credit, because I'm sitting here, but really, it's those guys. It's Brent, it's Jordo, it's these guys that, when you walk into that locker room and you see these guys do their thing and the experience that they have, everybody's just like, 'Okay. This is how we have to do things.' So he's great that way. Yeah, the older you get, sure you're going to slow down a little bit, but, I mean, I think he did a great job this year, and I think he's kind of learning too how to change his game a little. We had the best penalty kill in the National Hockey League and he's a big part of that. I don't think that was something that you would have said 10 years ago was up his alley, you know? So he's figuring that out. I can't say enough good things about him. Where it goes? Obviously, the business and all that comes into play, but l'd love to have him back.
On if he sees any parallels between the two of them: Yeah... minus the beard and the tattoos and the no teeth. There is a definite connection that we had right away, just based on some of that. So there is that. But like I said, he's been everything we could have asked for. I think it was one of the better acquisitions we've made in recent memory, that's for sure. Like I said, we'll see where it goes. But he's been great for us.
On how he evaluates himself and his staff after a season: I think it's important, good to take a little... you always hear, 'I got to take some time. I've got to take a step back,' because in the moment of it, you're just, '...man.,' you know? But you take a step back, and then you go, 'Okay, wait a minute. What just happened? What transpired this year?' And I'm like, 'This might have been one of the best seasons we've had in 20 years.' And I look at it from all the uncertainty going into the year, and then there always seems to be that there's something going on with us, which is good, obviously with the Rantanen stuff and all the things that went on, and then getting into the playoffs and hitting our stride and I thought we played, I don't know if we could have played much better in the first two rounds. And yeah, of course, we always remember the last round. We'd love to have done better. But I just look at... certainly critical of myself on things and how do you get better, but, I thought as a staff, we did a really good job. My staff, I can't say enough about. Always prepared. We've got Chris Huffine has to be, if not the, best video coach that there's ever been. Just preparing our group so nothing surprising us. That's good. Making the adjustments we have to make. I thought that was dead on. So yeah, obviously trying to find ways to get better as a group, we talk about that as a staff. But overall, I'm like, 'Okay.' We've raised the bar to the point where you lose in the semi finals and it's disappointing. Like, I think that's pretty good. So you take a step back and you're like, 'Wait a minute. There's four teams playing and we're feeling like crap because we lost.' Like, this is where you want to be. This is the level of standard that you want to have as an organization. So taking all that back, it doesn't change our goal. We're talking about it all the time. We're trying to get to be that best team and I think as long as we still have that fight in us and direction, I think then we're in good shape.
On if the hunger to win a Stanley Cup as a coach is the same as when he was a player: It's different coaching. I still... I don't know if I'll always be wired this way, but I still think like a player. Like, I feel like... I know I'm not out there, but it's different this time around. I genuinely want it for the guys. I've done it. I want them to experience that for the organization, for the fans here that I mean... That last game played here might have been the loudest I've ever heard it. Where I literally could not... I'm screaming, probably at the ref, but I was screaming. The guy's standing right here, and I couldn't communicate, you know? We want it for all these people, and at least that's how I feel. If we do ever get one, then is it, does the hunger go away? Maybe. [Eric Tulsky starts shaking his head 'No'] But until then, it's definitely what keeps me fired up.
2024-25 Exit Interviews
Jordan Staal
Sebastian Aho
Jaccob Slavin
Jordan Martinook
Jalen Chatfield
Sean Walker
Jesperi Kotkaniemi
Frederik Andersen
Seth Jarvis
Andrei Svechnikov
Alexander Nikishin
Scott Morrow
Logan Stankoven
Eric Robinson
Dmitry Orlov
Brent Burns
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