Carolina’s playoff success has been built on fundamentally sound play and consistent postseason series wins, but deeper runs have required more top-line talent. The team attempted to acquire a superstar by trading for Mikko Rantanen, but the fit did not work and the move was quickly undone. Carolina instead relied on less certain bets, including players acquired through returns and drafts, and later added Nikolaj Ehlers as a major free-agent signing. Ehlers produced reliably in Winnipeg with frequent 20-to-30 goal seasons and delivered 26 goals in the regular season for Carolina. After a quiet start in the playoffs, he began to emerge as a key contributor following a Game 2 win over Montreal.
"Ehlers, a winger from Denmark, spent the first decade of his career in Winnipeg, potting between 20 and 30 goals in every single year except his rookie campaign and one where he missed a bunch of time due to injury. That made him something short of an elite NHL scorer but still the best prize of the 2025 free agent class. It was the Canes who won his hand, and Ehlers delivered a right-on-pace 26 goals for them this past regular season."
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