The Carolina Hurricanes wanted a clean final preseason tune-up, and they got one in a big way.
With most of the regulars in the lineup Saturday in Nashville, Carolina rolled past the Predators 6-0 to close exhibition play on a night when the top players looked ready to go. Jackson Blake finished with three points, the power play scored three times, and Brandon Bussi stopped all 22 shots he faced for the shutout.
Rod Brind’Amour made one notable adjustment before the game, moving Felix Unger Sorum onto the top line with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov after spending camp with Eric Robinson there in practice. The move gave Unger Sorum one last chance to make his case before Monday’s roster announcement, and he made the most of it.
Carolina set the tone early and never let Nashville find a foothold. The power play opened the scoring when Blake finished in tight after Bussi came up with a strong short-handed save at the other end. A few minutes later, Nikolaj Ehlers set up Jordan Martinook to make it 2-0, then Ehlers struck again by jumping on a pass and turning it into a breakaway goal.
Up 3-0 after the first period, the Hurricanes stayed on task and avoided the kind of slip that can let a game get messy. The penalty kill held firm when needed, Bussi looked sharp in goal, and Carolina kept adding to the cushion. Logan Stankoven buried a one-timer off a Blake feed late in the second period to push the lead to four after 40 minutes.
The third period brought more of the same. Mark Jankowski ripped a shot to the top corner on the power play as the man advantage was about to expire, and Andrei Svechnikov got the final bounce he needed in the last minute to finish off the 6-0 win.
For a group that hadn’t played a meaningful game since mid-June, the regulars looked sharp from the start. Blake was everywhere, scoring the opening goal and adding two assists.
Stankoven picked up his third goal of the preseason, and Taylor Hall added an assist on the sixth goal. Ehlers scored once and set up another, while Aho collected two power-play assists.
Svechnikov also found the net.
The special teams numbers told the story too: the power play went 3-for-4, and the penalty kill was perfect at 5-for-5.
Unger Sorum’s night may have mattered just as much for what it said about the roster race. His numbers were modest, but the performance was not.
He drew two penalties, and both led to goals. One of those calls, a hold against Nashville captain Roman Josi, directly led to Jankowski’s goal after Unger Sorum’s one-touch pass set it up.
Brind’Amour and his staff have some hard choices ahead as they sort out the 23-man roster by Monday afternoon. Bradly Nadeau and Unger Sorum have both done everything they can to push for spots, and Saturday gave Unger Sorum one more strong argument.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Still Have One Big Roster Question Before Opening Night
The Hurricanes cleared a bit more camp clutter this week by trimming their roster to 28 players, sending a handful of prospects back to the AHL and junior ranks as opening night draws closer. It was also a notable week for their long-term picture in goal, with Pyotr Kochetkov landing a new contract extension that starts in 2027-28, a move that keeps one part of Carolinas future stable even if the immediate focus remains on final lineup decisions.
The bigger question still hanging over the group involves the blue line, where Alexander Nikishins situation has become one of the more interesting storylines around the team. Elliotte Friedman reported that the defenseman has been allowed to speak with other clubs, even though Carolina still controls his NHL rights for three more seasons, leaving the Hurricanes with an unresolved piece of business as camp winds down and the season nears. [Read more 🡒]
Alexander Nikishin Drama Adds Pressure On Hurricanes Before Opening Night
Alexander Nikishins situation has become one of the more awkward September storylines for Carolina, with opening night approaching and the rookie defenseman still not settled into the lineup picture. The 23-year-old Russian blue liner arrived with plenty of upside and was supposed to be part of the teams long-term answer on the back end, but his status has only grown more complicated as the calendar has turned toward the start of the season.
Nikishin has now changed representation while his trade request remains unresolved, a sign that the pressure around his future is not easing any time soon. For the Hurricanes, that adds another layer of uncertainty to a roster that had hoped to get through camp with clarity on the blue line, and it leaves one of their most intriguing young pieces in a hold pattern as the regular season nears. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Preseason Finale Could Shape Carolinas Final Roster Decisions
The preseason is down to its final stop, and the next look for Carolina should come with a lineup full of fresh faces. A newly built top line is set to get its first action together, with Brandon Bussi in line to handle the crease as the Hurricanes sort through one last exhibition tune-up before the games start to count. It is the sort of finale that can still matter quite a bit for a team trying to separate the everyday group from the players still trying to force their way into the conversation.
Eric Robinson, Sebastian Aho and Jordan Staal are among the names worth tracking as Carolina makes those last evaluations, while the wider camp picture also includes Nashvilles latest cuts and the thinning field around the league. For the Hurricanes, the focus is less on the scoreboard than on how the roster pieces fit, and Charles Alexis Legault is one of the younger players who could leave a lasting impression with one more strong showing. [Read more 🡒]