Perhaps the biggest surprise though the first quarter of the Carolina Hurricanes’ 2017-18 season has been the poor play of co-captain Justin Faulk. The 25-year-old Minnesotan has been the Hurricanes’ most offensively productive defenseman by a a landslide since his 2011 debut, but has yet to show that form this season.
Faulk’s most impressive offensive season to date was 2014-15, a year in which he tallied 49 points (15g, 34a). He was operating at a 0.60 point-per-game efficiency, good for 18th-best in the league among defensemen. Although his offensive productivity has declined slightly over the past 2 seasons, he has shown that he has both elite offensive potential as well as a No.