RALEIGH, NC. - After 15 Carolina Hurricanes players addressed the media Wednesday for their end of season interviews, the remaining eight stepped to the microphone inside the media room at PNC Arena Thursday.
As each reflected on their seasons, the overwhelming storyline of the day was uncertainty, being that only Antti Raanta and Seth Jarvis are the only two of the batch with contracts for next season.
Derek Stepan, Brendan Smith and Max Domi are all pending unrestricted free agents, while Ethan Bear, Steven Lorentz and Martin Necas are all on the restricted side.
Here's what each had to say before making their way into their respective summers.
Derek Stepan - Playing in just 58 regular season games and held out of the lineup during the postseason as a healthy scratch, Stepan maintained his status as the premier example of professionalism through his final remarks.
"I don't think anybody in our world is comfortable not playing, but that was the role that was in front of me this year," the veteran center said with grace. It was the first time in his career he'd been in a position where he was not an every night player for his club, but he understood the circumstances and did not close the door on reuniting with the team.
"Teams change. Maybe not a lot, but there's a lot of makeup that changes and you have to have 13 forwards on your roster. Depending on what happens this summer, next year I could come back and if I play the way I did this year, I could be in the lineup every single night, maybe in a different role. I'm comfortable in this organization with what I did this year."
Brendan Smith - Along the same lines, Smith understands that the organization, already tight to the salary cap, has some tough decisions to be made this summer.
"I know they have to figure out the pecking order," #7 said of the uncertainty regarding his potential return to the club. "I'm one of those guys that would be a like a fifth, sixth or seventh defenseman, so I'm a little bit later in the process."
One thing that Smith did make an effort to touch on though was how much he enjoyed his first year with the team and the support he felt throughout.
"I loved playing here and I love this city. I love the fans. I was shocked at how great the atmosphere was."
There's no place like Raleigh pic.twitter.com/81GScqY3Yd
- Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) June 2, 2022
Max Domi - For the first time in his career Domi will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, allowing him to hit the open market. The former first round pick joins Vincent Trocheck and Nino Niederreiter as players that carried an average annual value of over five million dollars and are now in need of new contracts for the 2022-23 campaign.
The 27-year-old compared being dealt from Columbus to Carolina on the NHL's March 21 Trade Deadline to hitting the lottery, raving about the plethora of young talent that the Canes roster currently touts and being able to play in the postseason with them.
"I'm excited for them, whether I'm going to be here or not. I'm going to be cheering these guys on, of course unless I'm playing against them, because I really do have so much respect for all of them," Domi said. "20 games is not that long and a lot of them looked at me and said it felt like I was here all year. I felt like I was here a lot longer than just 20 games and I'm super thankful for that. I enjoyed every second."
Martin Necas - When it came time for Carolina's 2017 first round selection to address the media, honest and self-aware are two words that apply to what he had to offer.
Martin Necas admitted that this season was "a step back" for him.
"I have to help the team more, I have to produce more. That's what everyone expects from me and I didn't do that this year. It was disappointing."
The 23-year-old is a restricted free agent this summer.
- Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) June 2, 2022
"We have to trust each other a little bit more," Necas offered when speaking on his relationship with head coach Rod Brind'Amour. "I have to show him that I can play in those minutes where it really matters. That's what I would love."
The forward also expressed interest in playing at the center of the ice, which would be a change from his right wing position.
Seth Jarvis - Unfortunately for the team's standout rookie, his availability was just as much a health update as it was a reflection of his first year in the NHL.
The 20-year-old was knocked out of Monday's Game 7 loss to the New York Rangers in the first period after suffering a brutal hit from defenseman Jacob Trouba. Jarvis said that he's "pretty sure" he suffered a concussion, still being "in a fog" from the collision. The third harming incident of the postseason for the youngster, first taking a slap shot from Brendan Smith to an unfortunate area during the series against Boston, then taking a stick to the mouth during Game 5 against New York, and then the season-ending hit, no one will be able to question Jarvis' toughness moving forward.
"I'm never gonna let fear get in the way of me playing my game." pic.twitter.com/ZOqu32jhtZ
- Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) June 2, 2022
But in looking at the greater picture, it's hard to properly articulate just how much the 2020 first round pick meant to the lineup, going from being on the bubble of making the roster in training camp, to concluding the season on the top line and perhaps being the team's best forward during their playoff run.
"I think my game was at the best it's ever been the last 20 games of the regular season. The playoffs was the best I've ever played in my life. So just knowing I have that ability, being able to build off of that going into the offseason is big for my confidence."
Ethan Bear - The right-handed defenseman surprised reporters when he entered the room on crutches and with a walking boot on his left foot.
Although he did not go into detail regarding, he said that he just had something that had been bothering him removed following the season, saying that it was "nothing serious."
It was a trying season for Bear, who got off to a hot start in his first year with the club after being acquired last summer. He seemed to fit in flawlessly on the top pair with Jaccob Slavin, but then after being sidelined with COVID-19 in late-November, it derailed what had gone so wonderfully.
"I just couldn't get my rhythm back after that. It was tough," the now restricted free agent provided. "I've never been through something like that. For a long time I was out of it. You couldn't breathe and I didn't know if I was out of shape or like you simply couldn't. I just feel like I never got my game back under me, then not playing in playoffs was pretty tough."
While it was frustrating for the soon-to-be 25-year-old, he still had positive things to say about the organization.
"I learned a lot this year. The coaches and everyone were all good," Bear continued. "They tried to help me in every way possible."
Steven Lorentz - After Necas has discussed his disappointing season, Jarvis gave update on his injuries and Bear also elaborated on his difficulties, Lorentz, in his usual self, was there to uplift the room.
Of course expressing his disappointment in how the season ended, the AHL & ECHL graduate reflected on his first full 82-game campaign.
"I felt more comfortable in the role I was in. I was playing with some confidence," Lorentz offered. "I'm happy with the progression that I made and I still think there's a couple steps that I can take. There's more that I can give."
"I'm excited to get back to work this offseason and come back in the fall. I'm already ready to go and jump back in. Whether it's the same role or a bigger role, I'm looking forward to that challenge and I'm already looking forward to opening night next year."
Antti Raanta - Last but certainly not least, the Finnish netminder hobbled into the room with a hefty knee brace on, immediately revealing that he suffered an MCL sprain during Game 7 Monday night. Although it's an injury that could take up to two months to heal, there were still plenty of other good notes from the season to look back on for #32.
"You learn about how to handle different situations," he began. "It's a different world when you play every other day and the stakes are pretty high. That was one of the greatest things for me to learn."
The netminder had played in just 22 games between October 14 and April 16, before he was tasked with carrying the load when Frederik Andersen also went down with an MCL injury. Then, from April 18 until Monday's conclusion of the season, Raanta played in 18 within a span of just 42 days.
"Obviously Freddie was good and he was hot. You're not going to take a guy out that put up the numbers that he did and won the amount of games in a row that he did," he continued. "But for me, Roddy and the guys in the locker room, it was great that I could show that I can play in back-to-back games and play at a high level. It took me a little while to be able to show that."
"When the new season starts it's probably going to be a new plan, but I wouldn't mind playing a few more games here and there."
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