Adam wants Tripp’s opinion on these 3 takeaways

It's time to talk about the Carolina Hurricanes. A week from tonight, we'll start the 23-24 season. Here's Trip Tracy, my friend, analyst, TV and radio for the Carolina Hurricanes.

And I will speak with him not only tomorrow, but Friday and then next Wednesday when we open it up. Trip, how are you? My favorite transition that required my unconditional love of their opponent this weekend. The Gray and the Honolulu Blue Detroit Lions. That's one of my favorite colors by the way. Honolulu Blue.

I can't find it anywhere, but I would get Honolulu Blue pants if I could. But I have 3 things I want to ask you about and I know you and I are going to do a hot stove tomorrow before the game in Nashville. Let's start with Brent Burns and this is what has occurred to me, year 2 Dougie Hamilton before the injury in Columbus, that was the best Dougie Hamilton has ever played, both ends of the ice. He was better defensively, he had a higher level of compete but he was also taking his offensive game to an elite level. What are your thoughts on Brent Burns year 2 playing next to Jacob Slavin? I agree with you that that stretch in year 2 before that injury for Dougie in Columbus was his best stretch at both ends of the rink as a hurricane. I think about the first 2 or 3 months of Brent Burns being a hurricane last year, and I thought at times it looked like the game was faster than what he was capable of and I wasn't overly concerned a new team but what that was was a player adjusting to new systems in Carolina which I think the biggest adjustment to be achieved is when you are a defense man and then once he got that down and his brain wasn't thinking about where he had to be in the calendar year the second half of the season, 2023 in the playoffs I thought he was excellent. He now knows the system intrinsically, his conditioning is not an issue, it will be I am sure a narrative here for the unbelievably well-trained invested athlete that he is. Will there be a drop off?

I don't think there will be. I think with the fact that he knows how Carolina plays so well and how good he was really I thought probably beginning in December and then he just took off and then I think about we will see how it changes or if it stays the same but I like the fact that he is in more of a trigger hammer position on the power play. I don't think of Brett with all of his talents as a true power play quarterback. Right now he is working with Tony D'Angelo in that hammer position so I think that he could become more of a difference maker and a power play that needs improvement and I have every expectation that he will carry over really stellar play in the second half of last year so I think that is a good historical analogy when you speak about Dougie's second year and what I would expect from Brett Burns. Hamilton had 14 goals, 40 points in 47 games before the injury and before the injury he had actually trailed off a little bit, you know he just had a little bit of a lull.

Is at one point almost a point a game and he was I guess 40 and 47 is kind of almost a point a game. Next, Tevo Taravanen, forget about playing for a contract. We know that Tevo Taravanen since signing his contract extension in the middle of 18-19 was a 75 point guy and incredible in every facet of the game for the Hurricanes. He helps the power play work, he helps the penalty kill work, he helps get the best out of Sebastian Aho, he is as good a two-way player as we have seen. He just didn't have a good year last year. I know the thumb is still bothering him some.

If he can play through that and has the type, just your thoughts on him having the type of season that we're used to from Taravanen and what that means. With Sotik 2 for moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, you could show off your skin again. And you know what that means. Peach Day. As a TIK 2 inhibitor, Sotik 2 is the only once daily pill of its kind for adults with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis. Ask your dermatologist about Sotik 2 today and learn more at soclearlyyou.com.

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Call 1-888-SOTYKTU to learn more. My partner, my 25th training camp in preseason, you know, the commonality is in the previous 24, I can't wait to get to opening night, but it's a very productive period of time to watch and practice and just practice in whatever preseason games you'll play in the final home game on Friday night because with certain guys, you definitely get a barometer, you get a harbinger, and it sticks with you if they're ready to have a good year. Last year for me, the preseason and along with actually the first time I saw him at training camp the first day, I felt like Natius was going to have a bounce back year and we know how he played in the regular season. Tara Vainen looks to me to be a guy that has caught my attention, that he's engaged, he's ready to be locked in, and once he does that, if the fitness is there, which it looks like it is, and you know, that desire, that everything else will take care of itself. So right or wrong, table would be my Marty Natius of last season, this season, the watching him here in training camp for the preseason, that good things are to come, and the one other quick thing I'd say is pre-Svechnikov injury, whatever line you put Svechnikov on with the heavy lifting that he would do and puck retrieval that allowed your skills players to flourish was very important, and whether, you know, whatever line Andrei was on, and this year, when Svechnikov gets in the lineup and then the acquisition of Michael Bunting, you should be more equipped that you have more balance to be able to have a heavy lifter on whatever line table is playing on so he can do what he does best.

About a minute left for Tripp Tracy, and you've already brought up the other one I wanted to talk about. My guess is it's right now 50-50 at best for Andrei to be in the opener. I ain't concerned, even if he's not in the opener. My concern is games 83 through like 105, not games 1 through 5, 6, or 7, but where do you think he's at as we get closer now a week away from the start?

Looks great in practice, you know, his conditioning, as you would expect, looks terrific, his hands look really good to me, his release looks really good to me. I guess if you were to put a gun to my head, A.G., with no inside knowledge, that my intuition would tell me that the team, big picture, erring on the side of caution, would I think he plays a week from tonight against Ottawa, I'd say no. But that could go either way, and you absolutely want to make sure, and you're going to have to hear it from Andrei in concert with the training staff and the doctors, of when he is good to go. And you can't lose with it with the depth up front, and you want a healthy Andrei Svechnikov just watching the fact that he hasn't been practicing on the power play, obviously he hasn't played in the preseason.

My guess would be that it isn't the beginning of the season, but shortly thereafter, but that could go either way. Yeah, I mean, look, if Andrei's first game happened to be against the Seattle Kraken on October 26th, I'd be okay with that, because they are going to wait until he is absolutely 100% before they take- Just don't fight Vince Dunn! I would say that to anybody, or maybe Brendan Lemieux can fight Vince Dunn. And just as a related topic, if Andrei's not in the opening night lineup, it really is an opportunity for Tevo Taravanen to definitely play in the top six, and play with more scoring players.

I know he's been working with Jordan Stahl and Jordan Martinuk, and frankly, I think Carolina's going to have three scoring lines, and the Jordan Stahl line to shut down defensively, so whether it's with Jack Drury and Stefan Nason, you know, that line will be expected to contribute offensively, and Tevo would be good for it, or whoever is on the right side of that line would be good for it. Tripp Tracy, I appreciate your time, I will talk to you tomorrow in advance of the game against the Predators, and then I'll see you Friday. A.G., I look forward to it, and your marching orders, I want to see in some Honolulu pants before the season's done. I guess if I could get them, I'll wear- it's a great color, super color. I know the president of the Detroit Lions, I'm going to reach out and see if he can get your pair of trousers. I'll do it! Alright, I'll send you my measurements. Thanks, Tripp. See ya. Look at that, he might have new pants on the way. I'll wear them, it really is a great, Honolulu blue is a great color.