from Luke DeCock of the News & Observer,

Another season comes to an early end, and the Carolina Hurricanes are in the same position they were last year.

Out of the playoffs. And 12 points worse.

After being told all summer how close this group was to making the playoffs, this group is actually 17 points farther away from the playoffs after a thoroughly pointless season.

No rebuild or remodel. And no forward progress or positive momentum with the same group, either. Just another season wasted, the fan base pressed for patience again after a sixth straight spring out of the postseason. Only the Edmonton Oilers have a longer playoff drought....

Change the general manager, change the coach, nothing changes. Alexander Semin is still here cashing massive paychecks – with a grand six goals to his credit – as is just about everyone else except top-pairing defenseman Andrej Sekera, traded away at the deadline.

Even the first-round pick the Hurricanes got for Sekera from the Los Angeles Kings will be a year late in arriving after the Kings missed the playoffs, one potential piece for the future kicked another season down the road.

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