Seth Jarvis won’t be in the Hurricanes’ lineup when the regular season opens, but the winger says his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery is moving the right way.
Jarvis told reporters, including Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer, that the rehab process is on schedule. He was initially projected to miss four to six months after the surgery he had following the Stanley Cup Final, which puts the earliest possible return in late October.
It’s not clear whether the latest update points to the shorter end of that window, but it is a positive sign for Carolina. Jarvis is also LTIR-eligible to begin the season, a detail that could matter with Alexander Nikishin still needing a new deal.
Around the Eastern Conference, the Maple Leafs are being cautious with Gavin McKenna. Toronto listed the first-overall pick from June for rookie camp, but Marlies head coach Steve Sullivan said Friday that McKenna will not travel with the team to Gatineau for this weekend’s prospects tournament. McKenna is expected to have a major role with the Maple Leafs, so the decision to keep him out of a rookie tournament game is a straightforward one.
Buffalo will also be short a key prospect this weekend. Topias Leinonen sustained a lower-body injury during offseason training, according to Rachel Lenzi of The Buffalo News, and he will miss the Sabres’ rookie games.
Rochester head coach Michael Leone said he is unsure when Leinonen will be able to return. The 22-year-old spent his first season in North America in 2025-26, splitting time between the Amerks and ECHL Jacksonville.
The Senators, meanwhile, will have Jonas Lagerberg Hoen at rookie camp, but only in a limited capacity. Callum Fraser of Postmedia reported that the 25th pick in June will practice this weekend and not play.
Lagerberg Hoen is working back from ACL surgery, and Ottawa is taking the cautious route with the 18-year-old. Before the injury, he put up 16 points in nine junior games with Leksands in Sweden.
In Other News...
Senators Prospect Adam Nemec Is Adjusting To More Than Hockey
Adam Nemecs first season in North America has been about more than learning a new league. The Ottawa Senators third-round pick arrived in Sudbury in January after playing in Slovakia, and now he is getting ready for his first full OHL season with the Wolves. Along with the usual hockey adjustments, he has been getting comfortable in Canada and training with his older brother as he works through the next step in his development.
For Nemec, the transition has also included getting a feel for the Senators from up close before he was ever drafted. He had already experienced a game at Canadian Tire Centre, and later took in the locker room and team facilities, small but meaningful glimpses of the organization that selected him. Living in Canada has been made easier by a billet family, while the bigger test now is turning a promising move from Europe into a steady season on this side of the Atlantic. [Read more 🡒]