Bradly Nadeau may be the latest young Hurricane staring at a real opening, and this one comes with a little more weight than a routine camp battle.
With Seth Jarvis expected to miss time after offseason surgery, Carolina has a spot that needs filling, and Nadeau has worked his way onto the short list. The Hurricanes last used a first-round pick on him, and three years later he could be pushing for a place in the opening-night lineup when Carolina faces the Florida Panthers on Sept. 29.
In June, after Jarvis’ expected absence was announced, GM Eric Tulsky made it clear Nadeau would be in the mix.
"(Nadeau) absolutely will be in the conversation if we need a call-up at the start of the year. I think it would be a good opportunity for him to get some runway," said Canes GM Eric Tulsky in June following the announcement of Jarvis' anticipated absence.
Nothing is locked in yet, and Nadeau is only one of several forwards trying to break through during training camp. Still, being mentioned that early says plenty about where his game stands now.
“I think every year you feel more comfortable, you grow as a player, so you know you're better than a year before,” said Nadeau. “You never know what to expect [from each season], but obviously, this year coming in, I'm fighting for a spot.
You know, it doesn't matter who, I'm just willing to get a spot. Camp comes next week, so we'll see what happens then, but I'll be ready when camp starts for sure.”
That confidence has been built the hard way, with production everywhere he’s gone. Nadeau arrived as a draft-eligible player fresh off a monster 2022-23 season in the BCHL, where he put up a league-leading 45 goals and 113 points.
The jump to tougher levels didn’t slow him down much. He led the Univ. of Maine in scoring as a freshman, then followed that by topping the Chicago Wolves with 32 goals in his first AHL season and 27 in his second.
The NHL sample is still small, but it’s there. Nadeau has four points in 15 career games with the Canes, including 12 appearances last season. Those games helped shape the version Carolina sees now - one Tulsky described as more “acclimated.”
“Every chance you get to play with the big boys, you always want to get a good showing,” said Nadeau. “But I think the more chances you get, the more comfortable you feel out there. And I think once you're comfortable on the ice, you don't just try to prove yourself; you just play.
“I think that's when you can shine the most and really show what you can do. I think that every chance you get to play a game, obviously you get more used to the league, and I think that was one of the main reasons why it felt like that [last season] and why I think it showed.”
He also comes into this camp with a much heavier workload behind him. Nadeau finished last year with a run to the Calder Cup Finals and ended up playing 85 total games, easily the most he’s ever logged in one season. For a player trying to force his way into a team that went 101 games deep on the way to the Stanley Cup, that matters.
“I think it's going to help a lot, honestly. You know how long a season can be.
That's when you realize how much you have to take care of your body,” said Nadeau. “When you go two extra months, it's a lot of extra games, and I think that just playing those meaningful games is going to help a lot in the long run.
You know what to expect, too, when it comes to deep runs in the playoffs like that. Guys are willing to put everything on the line.
It's good learning moments, and it was good to be able to experience that in my second year of pro hockey.”
The real growth for Nadeau hasn’t just been about scoring. It’s been about becoming useful in more places. He said he spent last season learning the system, then digging into the details, including penalty-kill work and the little responsibilities that come with playing in every situation.
“I think there's been a lot of growth from the first year. Obviously, you just get used to the system.
Then once you're used to that, you work on those small details. I did the PK last year, so you know when you're playing in games, up or down goals, it's all those small responsibilities all over the ice [that are important],” he said.
“Just being able to be in those spots and having the chance to prove what you can do in those spots and learn was huge. (Wolves Head Coach) Spiros (Anastas) was really good with that with us in Chicago, you know, giving us the chance.
And I think, like I said, being able to do that was huge for my growth. Obviously, there's still some to learn, but that was a huge step in my game last year.”
Now the next test starts Sunday, when Carolina opens its first Prospect Showcase game at Lane Arena. The Canes play Tampa Bay on Tuesday, and then main camp begins Thursday.
In Other News...
Canes Prospects Already Put One Early Roster Battle In Focus
The Hurricanes prospects got their first real test in Morrisville against the Nashville Predators prospects, and the 4-1 result showed how quickly these showcase games can sharpen the discussion around young players. Even in defeat, Carolina had reason to like the way Ruslan Khazheyev handled the start in net, giving the organization a look at a goaltender who was busy but steady throughout the afternoon.
Stiven Sardarian was unavailable for the showcase, leaving Carolina to sort through its evaluation without one of the names it came in wanting to see. The prospects still have one more chance to make an impression before the final showcase game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and for a group trying to separate itself early, every shift now carries a little more weight. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Prospects Opened With A Loss But One Battle Already Stands Out
The opening game of the 2026 Prospect Showcase at Lane Arena did not go the Hurricanes way, as Carolina dropped a 4-1 decision to Nashville, but there was still enough in the performance to make the trip worth watching. For a group of young players trying to separate themselves early in camp, the event offered the kind of live-setting evaluation teams value most, with players and the Chicago Wolves head coach all weighing in on how these showcases help with development.
Zachary Lansard supplied Carolinas lone goal, and the offense had to work for much of the night against a Predators group that controlled the scoreboard. In net, Ruslan Khazheyev turned in a run of notable stops and handled the full game, giving the Hurricanes at least one encouraging individual performance to build around even as the result left the larger picture unresolved. [Read more 🡒]