The Carolina Hurricanes are in need of a resurgence from Victor Rask. The
forward from Sweden started his tenure with the Hurricanes with an obvious
hunger, demonstrated by his play on the ice. He seemed determined to prove he
belonged. The team needs a return of that from him.

For the past two seasons, ever since he signed a big contract, Rask has not
played up to expectations-expectations, by the way, which were not excessive.
No one has him slotted for 40 goals per season. But, he was trending toward
25-30 and has fallen way short of those numbers for the past two seasons. The
Hurricanes need a resurgence of the Rask who has shown that he has the talent
and the drive to be a reliable NHL center. Assuming he does not get traded,
they need to once again see the young, hungry Rask.

Friedman: "I think there was some Victor Rask talk over the draft. I believe
that Montreal was talking to Carolina about Victor Rask. I think he's a player
they're interested in moving." #Canes #Habs (31 Thoughts: The Podcast)

- Chris Nichols (@NicholsOnHockey) June 24, 2018

Young, Hungry Rask

It was the 2014 NHL Prospects Tournament where Rask staked his claim to NHL ice
 with the Hurricanes. Rask caught the eye of quite a few observers, including
Mark Jones.

Jones wrote at Bleacher Report that Rask may have found the spark he needed at
the tournament in Traverse City:

"Rask, the No. 42 overall selection in the 2011 draft, was desperately in need
of a career jumpstarter after a disappointing 16-goal, 39-point AHL rookie
season. He may have found it this weekend. The (6-foot-2) center racked up
nine points (according to the Hurricanes'; website), including the overtime
game-winner against the Rangers. He';ll be hard-pressed to surpass either Riley
 Nash or Jay McClement for a third- or fourth-line center role at the NHL level
 this coming season, but Rask';s career may be back on track at last."Victor
Rask, Carolina Hurricanes Center, Nov 16, 2014 (James Guillory-USA TODAY
Sports)

Rask did, in fact, surpass Nash and McClement and has not looked back. In the
2014-15 season, he put in 11 goals and had 22 assists for 33 points. Rask
progressed nicely in 2015-16, with 21 goals and 27 assists for 48 points.
Rask';s career trajectory was trending upward like a rocket. He was a team
leader and the expectations surrounding his NHL career were trending upward,
also.

In July 2016, Rask and the Hurricanes agreed to a contract that would pay him
for six years and a total of $24 million. Ron Francis was the team';s general
manager at that time and said that Rask had "gotten better every season that
he';s been a part of our organization." Francis also called Rask a "big part of
 this team';s present and future."

At the time the now-25-year old Rask was 23, with life looking extremely good.
A huge contract in his pocket, a spot on a young and improving NHL team and the
 growing respect of his teammates blended together to project a very bright
future.Post-Contract Syndrome for Rask?

It appears fairly often in all of the major sports that when a player gets a
big payday, there can be a falling off in performance. Rask is set to make $4
million per season for the next four seasons. It';s as if the hunger and drive
that served as fuel prior to getting the big contract fade a bit in their
intensity. It may even be a subconscious thing, but in the case of Rask, there
has definitely been a downturn in his performance since July 2016 when he inked
 the fat deal with the Hurricanes.

One of the low points for Rask was early last season when then head coach Bill
 Peters benched Rask for a game. I wrote about that at that time: "Some are
beginning to question whether Rask is really interested in getting his game
back, a thought that I find presumptuous. But, everyone agrees that something
is off, and Peters is hoping some spectator-time will shake him into realizing
the situation at hand. Namely, that the Hurricanes need a healthy, focused
Rask."Carolina Hurricanes center Victor Rask (Russell LaBounty-USA TODAY
Sports)

Peters said after the game that Rask enjoyed from the sideline, "We've got to
help Victor right now. We need Victor. We need to get him back to where he was,
 and not only that, even higher. He's still a young guy with a big upside. So,
we've got to find a way to make it work." It';s questionable whether the Peters
 or the organization as a whole found a way to make it work last season.

To his defense, Rask sat out the last 11 or so games of the season with a
shoulder injury. Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer reported on
March 21 of this year, "The Carolina Hurricanes announced Wednesday that
defenseman Brett Pesce and center Victor Rask would miss the remainder of the
season, both with shoulder injuries. Canes coach Bill Peters said Thursday
both could undergo surgery, saying, 'Both guys have been playing with it for
quite a while.'"Calling Mr. Rask

Perhaps Rask';s dropping to 14 goals and 17 assists last season can be
attributed to him playing hurt. In four years he has put up 33, 48, 45 and 31
points. His production has dropped 35 percent since it peaked the year prior to
 his signing the fat contract. It is time for Rask to find the hunger that he
had when he was trying to prove himself. It is past time for Rask to regain the
 confidence he played with two seasons ago.

.@expomick @PBerce The player for the Carolina Hurricanes that gives the least
is Victor Rask. He's a stowaway, because even a passenger at least buys their
ticket.

- SvechniSnark  ≡ƒñª≡ƒÅ╝ΓÇΓÖé∩╕Å (@HockeySnark) November 21, 2017

Many have opined that the Hurricanes need a veteran, proven scoring center. To
an extent, they have one in Rask. In much the same way that Jeff Skinner needs
a breakout season, so does Rask. Hurricanes fans would be ecstatic with a
35-goal Skinner campaign this season paired with a 25-goal Rask performance.

Along with Sebastian Aho, Martin Ne─as, this year';s second overall pick in the
 NHL Entry Draf-Andrei Svechnikov-Teuvo Teräväinen and a bunch of blueliners
who can score, this team could put up the most offense it has in years. This
could be a breakout year for the Hurricanes. But, they need a Rask resurgence
to make it happen. The resurgence phone is ringing. Will Mr. Rask answer the
call?

The post Hurricanes Need Rask Resurgence appeared first on The Hockey Writers.

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