Nikolaj Ehlers arrived in Carolina as the rare free-agent name that actually changed the temperature of the market, and he wasted no time proving the Hurricanes got more than just a familiar face from Winnipeg.
The fit was obvious enough on paper. After 10 years as a Jet, Ehlers signed a six-year deal with the Canes and brought the kind of speed and finishing touch Carolina had been chasing. It took a few games for the points to show up - he was held off the score sheet in his first five - but once he got going, the production came in bunches.
His first point came in Vegas, and his first goal followed soon after at Madison Square Garden in early November. From there, Ehlers settled in as one of the best signings in franchise history. He added his first hat trick with Carolina against Florida before the break, then carried that momentum into the second half after a strong Olympic showing for Denmark.
March was where he really took over. Ehlers found the score sheet in 11 of the Canes’ 15 games that month, piled up 20 points, and logged his second hat trick of the season in Vancouver.
He also played all 82 games for the second time in three years, becoming the only Hurricane to do it, while setting career highs in assists with 45 and points with 71. He reached 70 points for the first time.
The playoffs started a little quieter. Against Ottawa, he had just one point and missed his only game of the season in Game 4.
He added a two-point night in Game 2 against the Flyers, but after two rounds he had only four points. For a player whose playoff reputation had never fully caught up to his regular-season talent in Winnipeg, that wasn’t exactly a surprise.
Then came Game 2 against Montreal, and everything shifted. Ehlers scored a beautiful second-period goal, then delivered the overtime winner - the most important goal of the playoffs.
After that, he only got hotter. In the Stanley Cup Final, he scored twice in Game 1, followed that with back-to-back three-point games in Games 4 and 5, and finished the job with the empty-netter.
Nine of his 18 playoff points came against Vegas.
What makes his first year in Carolina even more encouraging is that his best hockey didn’t always come where you might expect. He spent time with Sebastian Aho on the top line and also skated with Logan Stankoven, but he looked most comfortable alongside Jordan Staal on the third line.
That doesn’t mean the connection with Carolina’s top players wasn’t there. Ehlers set up Andrei Svechnikov more than anyone else, with nine assists on Svechnikov goals, including seven on the power play.
He also hit double digits in power-play goals for the first time. And for all the talk about his scoring streaks, his production was remarkably steady from period to period: 22 points in the first, 24 in the second, 23 in the third, and two in overtime.
There’s still room for more in year two. With familiarity on his side, Ehlers should have a real chance to build on what he already did in his first season with the Hurricanes.
He could start out next to Aho again with Jarvis out, and Carolina will likely keep experimenting to see where he fits best. If he stays healthy, 30 goals or 80 points doesn’t sound far-fetched at all.
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