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Hurricanes' Phil Di Giuseppe: Breakout candidate next season

Di Giuseppe was chosen by Michael Smith, web producer of the Hurricanes, as his favorite on the team to take the biggest leap forward in 2016-17.

Analysis:

Smith writes that we can expect the winger to eclipse the 40-point mark in a full season with Carolina. If that seems too lofty of a goal for Di Giuseppe, consider that he put up 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 41 games as a rookie in 2015-16. Had he played the full schedule, the 22-year-old might have approached 34 combined goals and assists. Di Giuseppe proved that he belongs on a scoring line, frequently syncing up with Jeff Skinner and Victor Rask on the second unit this past season. Carolina sorely needs help offensively, as it ranked 27th in the league at 2.39 goals per game and parted ways with long-time captain Eric Staal at the trade deadline.

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