Hurricanes’ Jackson Blake Having an Underrated Start to 2026-27

The Carolina Hurricanes are back in the win column after their 6-3 win on Tuesday night (Oct. 20) against the Vancouver Canucks. They’re 8-2-1 in the 2026-27 season and are overcoming early-season injuries for the second year in a row. With most of the focus on Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, the goaltending, and injuries, forward Jackson Blake is off to a stellar start in his third NHL season. While he is not scoring many goals, he’s been an underrated playmaker for the Hurricanes through the first 11 games.

Blaker the Playmaker

Over the last 10 games, Blake has tallied one goal and 11 points, putting him at a point-per-game pace in 2026-27. In the Hurricanes’ win on Tuesday, he had three assists, his second multi-assist game of the season and third multi-point game. He currently leads the team in assists (10) and is tied for second in points, only three behind Aho’s 14.

It’s no surprise that Blake is off to another great start to his career. In 2025-26, he finished with 22 goals and 53 points, a career year that also saw him have 13 assists and 20 points in the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Throughout his entire career, he’d take the first season to learn the pace, then follow up the next few seasons by building on his game.

After the Hurricanes signed him to his eight-year, $5.117 million annual average value (AAV) deal, Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky stated about what Blake is capable of, “Jackson had an outstanding rookie season, and we think he is just scratching the surface of the player he can be. His tenaciousness on the puck and competitiveness match our team’s culture, and we’re excited about his future with our club.”

That was the offseason before Blake had a career year and became an NHL champion in his second season in the league. In 11 games in his third season, he is off to a start that’s not being discussed enough. He has points in seven of the last 10 games and has been noticeable every night. Whether it’s in the opposition’s zone, the neutral zone, or even his own zone, Blake gives 110% every shift. It’s one of the reasons why he is part of the “junkyard dawg” line. He is always hungry for the puck, isn’t afraid to get to the dirty areas, and is physical.

It’s safe to say that earlier claims of him reconfirming his star status are fair to make. His speed, stickhandling, vision, hockey IQ, etc. have gotten better with each passing season, and it shows how much the staff trusts Blake in any situation. Tuesday night shed light on how he can find his teammates in tight areas and get them the puck to score. His playmaking abilities have reached another level, and the thing is, no one knows where the ceiling is.

When discussing NHL primes, the consensus is that players hit their proverbial stride between 26 and 29. For Blake, he is already playing at another level at 23 years old, well before his prime seasons. If he is playing like this now, at a point-per-game pace, and already has a high offensive IQ, there could be no stopping “Blaker”.

With 73 games left in the season, there is still enough time for Blake to reach 20 goals again like in 2025-26. Regarding assists, with the way he’s been setting up teammates, he could have a new career high after having 31 last season. Furthermore, we could be in for another career year from the Minnesota native, as he’s been off to an underrated start. Can he keep up this pace?