Revisiting the 1998-99 Carolina Hurricanes

After a dismal first season in Greensboro, the Carolina Hurricanes managed a 12-point bump in Year Two. All-in-all, it was a year that featured drama, success, and tragedy.

This is the second installment in my “Revisiting the Past” series. You can check out the first installment here.

Once the dust settled on the Carolina Hurricanes inaugural season, one thing was painfully clear: the team needed more offense. General Manager Jim Rutherford added Martin Gelinas and Ray Sheppard during that first season to add some depth, though neither could right the ship for the first-year team.

In February of 1998, with the Hurricanes floundering, Rutherford made a surprising move (and one that hits close…