The 2015 offseason was a fairly quiet one for the Carolina Hurricanes. General manager Ron Francis made a few under the radar trades to improve the team. One of these was trading a third and seventh round pick to the Vancouver Canucks for Eddie Lack in an effort the improve the team’s goaltending. 

The Swedish netminder was expected to give the team a strong duo with Cam Ward and even compete for the starting job. The team thought so highly of him that it gave him a two-year contract extension before the season starts that will pay him $2.5 million next season and $3 million the year after.

Early returns on Lack were not inspiring. The newly acquired goalie struggled in the beginning. He ranked near the bottom of the league in most goalie stats early and simply was not able to keep the puck out of the net. Two of Lack’s biggest struggles in doing so as he adjusted to his new team were rebound controls and playing too deep in his net. 

Watching Lack play early, it was clear he was not using his 6-foot-4 height to his advantage. He was playing too deep in the net and dropping down too low, struggling to take shooters’ angles away and giving up too much open net, allowing easier shots. 

Lack also really struggled in sealing off shots and controlling his rebounds. He would make an initial save, but would spit out second and third opportunities rather than being able to corral loose pucks and keep teams from getting those second chances. Lack also had trouble sealing pucks, as many goals he gave up early were the result of what looked like an easy save leaking through his pads, leading to easy tap-in goals beside or behind him.

However, as with any new player, adjusting to a new team can be difficult. This can be especially true for a goalie, as how one team’s coach expects a goalie to play can be much different than another’s. Once the calendar flipped to December this season, Lack seemed to settle in and is now playing excellent hockey. Since then, Lack has only given up more than two goals six times and recently earned his first shutout as a Hurricane in a 1-0 overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.

His improvement was brought about by fixing his earlier issues. He has used his height to his advantage, standing taller in his crease and playing much more aggressively. Lack does not give shooters nearly as much to shoot at by standing tall, and not playing so deep in the net helps too. Lack regularly plays from the top of the crease, coming out further to challenge shooters and take away angles. He has also shown much better rebound control, using his glove and pads to seal off shots and deny second opportunities. Speaking of opportunities, Lack has a big one in front of him now.

So far this season, Lack and Ward have mostly split net-minding duties. However, a recent concussion for Ward has completely given Lack the reigns. This is an opportunity for Lack to really show Francis and head coach Bill Peters  he can be the team’s starter full time. So far he has played well, winning two of three starts since Ward went down, including the aforementioned shutout. 

Lack’s success in earning the full-time starting role will be key for the team. The Canes currently sit three points out of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot and will need continued stellar goaltending from Lack to push for the playoffs. However, his influence extends well beyond the rest of this season. With Ward’s gargantuan contract set to expire at the end of the year, Lack and his modest salary is all the team has on the books for next season. 

The team will have quite a bit of money freed up this summer, as its projected payroll next year is only about $36 million, well below the roughly $60 million budget the Hurricanes have operated on the past few years. If Lack can show he is capable of being the team’s long-term starter, then it will not need to spend much of that money on either retaining Ward or adding another goalie, and can simply add a cheap backup for Lack. This would leave room to spend that money in other areas, such as some much needed offensive upgrades. 

Lack’s rebound from a poor start to his first season as a Hurricane has been a key factor for the team and will continue to be. Lack needs to continue to play well to keep the team in the playoff race, and show he can be the starting goalie at his modest salary long term to allow Francis to make further upgrades this summer. The Swedish net-minder’s play will be a key factor in determining the team’s long-term plans.