The Carolina Hurricanes are heading into Tuesday night’s matchup with the Washington Capitals missing a key piece in Jordan Staal, and the timeline is significant: the captain is expected to be out for at least a month, possibly two, after suffering a partially torn calf.
Rod Brind’Amour addressed the media after morning skate and said the injury was “a freak thing” that happened during warmups over the weekend against the Philadelphia Flyers. According to team reporter Walf Ruff, Brind’Amour also said the club expects to bring up a forward, though it does not have to be a center because Jesperi Kotkaniemi is available to play the middle.
With Staal sidelined and Seth Jarvis also out, Carolina does not have any extra players on the main roster. That has the team looking toward a call-up, and the most likely options appear to be Felix Unger Sorum or Bradly Nadeau from the Chicago Wolves. Both had strong preseason showings, which would make either a reasonable choice.
If one of those forwards is promoted, Nic Deslauriers would become the extra forward again. He can still provide useful minutes here and there, but the Hurricanes clearly need a player who can step in on a more regular basis.
Staal’s absence leaves a real hole. He takes a ton of faceoffs, ranks among the league’s best penalty-kill centers, and is Brind’Amour’s trusted option for matching up against an opponent’s top players. Losing him for this stretch is a tough break, but the Hurricanes are moving forward with the same “next man up” approach they lean on so often.
That puts pressure on Mark Jankowski to handle the third-line center role while Staal is out. Kotkaniemi will slide into the fourth-line center spot for now, though he has already been playing this season. Jankowski has given the team a lift lately, scoring in each of the last four games.
Carolina is still preparing to chase a sixth straight win Tuesday night against the Capitals in Alexander Ovechkin’s last regular-season game at the Lenovo Center.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Suddenly Have A Bigger Taylor Hall Concern
Taylor Halls night ended early against the Capitals, with the Hurricanes announcing he left during the second period because of an upper-body injury. It was a notable turn for a player who has settled into a prominent role on Carolinas top line this season, giving the club another layer of scoring and helping drive play early in the year.
Now the focus shifts to how long Hall might be out and what Carolina does if the absence stretches beyond one game. With the schedule moving quickly, the Hurricanes could be forced to look down the organizational depth chart, where prospects Bradly Nadeau and Felix Unger Sorum are among the names that would be in the conversation if the team needs another forward in the lineup. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Made A Statement Against Washington Fans Will Love
The Hurricanes followed up a previous loss to Washington with a response they needed in Raleigh, putting together a 4-2 win that had the kind of edge Carolina wants to carry forward. Andrei Svechnikov was at the center of it, piling up three points and scoring the go-ahead power-play goal, while Pyotr Kochetkov made key saves to help steady things when the game tightened up.
For Carolina, it was more than just another regular-season result. Beating the Capitals after the earlier setback gave the Hurricanes a cleaner read on where their game stands, and it stretched their winning streak at a time when consistency matters more than style points. With Svechnikov producing and Kochetkov handling the pressure in net, the bigger question is whether this can become the kind of night the Hurricanes start replicating. [Read more 🡒]
Capitals Just Ran Into A Carolina Team Finding Another Gear
The Hurricanes are starting to look like a team that has found its rhythm at exactly the right time. Carolinas 4-2 win over Washington was its sixth straight, with Andrei Svechnikov leading the way with two goals and an assist and Sebastian Aho setting the table with a pair of helpers. Pyotr Kochetkov kept his perfect run in the crease going, and Mark Jankowski kept his recent scoring touch alive by extending his goal streak to five games.
For a club that has spent the season leaning on depth and pace, this stretch is a reminder of how many different ways it can beat teams when it is clicking. The offense has been spreading the load, the goaltending has been steady, and the results are adding up quickly. Washington found out again what a Carolina team looks like when it is not just winning, but building momentum with each game. [Read more 🡒]