The Hurricanes’ start has been loud enough to grab the league’s attention, but the real story is how much of that success has run through the blue line. Carolina is 12-3-2 through 17 games, sitting first in the Metropolitan Division, the Eastern Conference, and the NHL overall, even after Tuesday night’s 4-1 loss to the Nashville Predators. And while the team has gotten production from top to bottom, Sean Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere have been central to the way this group has played.
Walker has turned into exactly the kind of defenseman coaches love and opponents hate to deal with. Since arriving ahead of the 2024-25 season, he’s carved out a major role in Raleigh, starting with five goals and 16 points in 82 games in his first year.
During the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Rod Brind’Amour made it clear how much value he saw in him: “I’m glad you mentioned Walks. I think he’s been under the radar, really, all year.
Whatever we ask him to do, he kind of fills in or takes charge every night. He took the lead back there.
He was really solid.”
Walker followed that with a career year in 2025-26, posting nine goals, 22 assists, and 31 points. When injuries hit the defense last season, he became the steady hand holding things together.
In November 2025, Brind’Amour praised the workload he was carrying, saying, “What we’ve asked him to do, the minutes, and the matchups, he’s doing everything. (Power play, penalty kill), he’s taken all the slack for the guys who are out and done an amazing job.”
He’s kept that momentum rolling this season. Over his last 13 games, Walker has three goals, nine points, a plus-6 rating, 29 blocks, and 15 hits while averaging 21:14 of ice time per night.
He’s done damage everywhere, including a shorthanded goal and a multi-goal game against the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 1, the second multi-goal outing of his career. Brind’Amour summed up that night by saying, “He’s been a special player.
… Maybe he got a little more opportunity now (since coming to Carolina), and he’s just shining.”
For Carolina, the five-year, $18 million deal Walker signed in July 2024 looks like a major win. At a $3.615 million cap hit, he’s giving the Hurricanes impact on both ends of the ice.
Gostisbehere has been just as important, only in a different way. Last season, injuries limited him to 55 games, but he still managed 13 goals and 50 points.
He missed time four separate times, and if he had stayed healthy, he would have passed Brent Burns’ 61-point mark for the most points by a Hurricanes defenseman in a season. This year, he’s picked up right where he left off, with two goals and 12 points in 17 games.
On his current pace, he’s projected to finish with 59 points.
The recent stretch has been especially strong. Gostisbehere is riding a two-game point streak with three assists, and he has points in eight of his last 15 games.
He’s also plus-13 over that span, averaging 17:18 of ice time and continuing to look more comfortable defensively. On the power play, he’s already chipped in one goal and six points.
No matter who he’s paired with - Jusso Valimaki, Alexander Nikishin, Mike Reilly, or Walker - his game stays the same. He works the blue line, holds the puck until the lane opens, and can hammer one from the point. He’s become a dynamic offensive defenseman who has also sharpened his game without the puck since joining Carolina.
Put it all together, and the Hurricanes’ decision to bring in Walker and Gostisbehere before the 2024-25 season has paid off in a big way. Walker has been a force in every zone, and Gostisbehere has been the engine on the power play while staying dangerous offensively. If this start is any indication, both defensemen are set to keep driving Carolina’s season.
In Other News...
Canes Road Slip Just Ended A Streak Fans Were Watching
The Carolina Hurricanes trip to Nashville turned into a reminder that even a strong start can hit a rough patch on the road. In a 4-1 loss to the Predators, Pyotr Kochetkov still gave Carolina a chance with a solid performance in net, but Nashville grabbed the early lead and kept the Hurricanes chasing the game from there.
Nick Perbix, Roman Josi and Adam Edstrom did the damage for the Predators as Carolina never found a way to fully close the gap. For the Hurricanes, the loss was more than just a blemish in the standings, since it also interrupted a run that had been quietly building around Kochetkovs early-season form. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Bring A Lot More Than Momentum Into Nashville
The Hurricanes are expected to keep the same lineup intact as they open a two-game road trip in Nashville, a sign of how well things have been going as they try to carry their early-season form on the road. Pyotr Kochetkov has given them a steady edge in goal, and the group around him keeps looking increasingly settled as the schedule starts to tighten.
There is also a little personal milestone and a little homecoming mixed into the trip. Logan Stankoven is slated to skate in his 200th NHL game, while Mark Jankowski heads back to Nashville after a recent scoring burst that has given Carolina another useful layer of depth. For a team trying to keep its rhythm, those kinds of details matter almost as much as the points at stake. [Read more 🡒]