Carolina Hurricanes Center Victor Rask Keeps Getting Better and Better
After a brutal road trip to start the season, the Carolina Hurricanes are in an early hole. The mood around the squad is far from positive. Even given the circumstances, there are reasons to be optimistic thanks to Victor Rask.
The Swede has started the season in remarkable fashion. He currently leads the Carolina Hurricanes in goals, with 4, and points, with 7 after only 6 games played. Maybe more impressively, 5 of those points have come at even strength. That means Rask has gone up against every team’s top line he’s played and still managed to produce at a pace he hasn’t shown before in his career.
And then there is this.
Per @EliasSports, @VictorRask now owns the fifth-longest point streak to start a season in franchise history. pic.twitter.com/SsZY5kypX0
— Mike Sundheim (@MikeSundheim) October 26, 2016
Ever since Rask broke in with the Hurricanes in 2014 for the then injured Jordan Staal, expectations were tempered. Despite him filling in directly for Staal as 2nd line center, Rask was labelled as the future 3rd center for the club. Then the next season, as he scored 21 goals and 48 points, he was called a future 2nd line player. The guy just continues to prove everyone wrong.
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Sure, he does not fit the mold of a top center in the modern NHL. Rask isn’t a fantastic skater and currently his faceoff win percentage leaves a little something to be desired. But, what Rask does bring to the table is a model for consistency.
Looking back at his play this season, and even last year, its difficult to find a game when Victor Rask was not visible on the ice. He only trails Jeff Skinner is total shots, in which he has registered 15. On the man advantage, he actually leads the team with 2 goals already this young season. When he isn’t contributing with goals and assists, he battles hard on the boards to win possession, kills penalties, and has been excellent in transitioning the puck from defense to offense. Rask also is one of three Canes who can boast an even/plus rating.
The knocks on Rask is that he is not dynamic and that he isn’t a difference maker. Hasn’t he been though? At his current offensive clip, Rask could easily eclipse 60+ points, by far a career high and likely at or near the top of the Carolina Hurricanes stat sheet.
It seems Rask’s quiet demeanor and skating always lower people’s expectations for the Swede. But maybe before labeling Rask, we see where he might go, because it could very well be pretty high.
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