The Carolina Hurricanes had a group of young forwards who started making inroads during the final months of the season. Don't expect to see all of them with next season's team.

The Hurricanes are still in the business of shoring up their defense, and so they'll find some of their forwards expendable. That could mean that Ryan Bayda and/or Keith Aucoin will be playing elsewhere next season even though they proved themselves as valuable players during key stretches.

But if several players who missed considerable time with injuries during the past season are back to form as expected -- such as Justin Williams and Matt Cullen -- the Hurricanes will have a surplus of forwards.

Chad LaRose returned from a broken leg and with it came his energy. The Hurricanes probably are inclined to keep him in the fold, particularly because he's a link to the 2006 championship team. It might be hard to find NHL-level roles for both Wade Brookbank and Tim Conboy.

All this means the most off-season additions to the organization likely would come on defense. Some of the aforementioned players could stay with nice roles with the Hurricanes if an established forward were traded for a defenseman.

The Hurricanes should like their flexibility in this area. But that doesn't mean the decisions will come easy.

SEASON HIGHLIGHT
Forward Chad LaRose's hat trick in the second-to-last game of the season. LaRose, a popular fourth-line player on the team's 2006 championship roster, had just returned from a broken leg. His outburst helped Carolina beat Tampa Bay and control its playoff destiny, though the Hurricanes would squander that opportunity.

TURNING POINT
From Christmas through mid-January, the Hurricanes lost their once-sturdy grip on the Southeast Division. They dropped 10 of 14 games as players went down due to injury and illness.

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