The Carolina Hurricanes are expected to see the return of defenseman Jaccob Slavin for their upcoming game against the Seattle Kraken on Saturday. Slavin, who has missed the last 10 games due to an upper-body injury, participated fully in the morning skate and indicated he is “100% ready” to play.
Head coach Rod Brind’Amour addressed Slavin’s status, stating, “I think he’s going to [play]. We’ll see how he is after this morning, but the plan is to have him play.” Slavin has dealt with several injuries throughout the season and has played in only five games so far. He is also set to represent the United States at next month’s Winter Olympics.
To make space for Slavin on the roster, Joel Nystrom was reassigned from the American Hockey League on Friday.
Goaltender Brandon Bussi will start for Carolina. Bussi recently became the fastest goaltender in NHL history to reach 15 wins, accomplishing this milestone in just 18 appearances with a record of 15-2-1.
Tonight’s projected lineup includes forwards Svechnikov, Aho, Ehlers; Hall, Stankoven, Blake; Martinook, Staal, Jarvis; Carrier, Jankowski, Robinson. The defensive pairings are Slavin-Chatfield; Miller-Walker; Nikishin-Gostisbehere. Bussi will be in goal.
Players currently listed as injured include Pyotr Kochetkov (hip surgery), Charles Alexis Legault (hand injury), Noah Philp (concussion protocol), and Jaccob Slavin (recently returned from an upper-body injury). Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Mike Reilly are listed as scratches.
The first power play unit features Aho, Ehlers (Staal), Jarvis, and Svechnikov with Gostisbehere. The second unit consists of Blake, Hall and Stankoven with Miller and Nikishin. Jordan Staal takes faceoffs with the first power play group and remains on ice if he wins possession before being replaced by Nikolaj Ehlers when play moves out of zone.
The Hurricanes’ home venue is the Lenovo Center in Raleigh, North Carolina. The facility covers over 700,000 square feet and can accommodate up to 20,000 people while hosting more than 150 events annually according to official venue information. The team began operations in Raleigh in 1997 following its relocation from Hartford as stated on their official website. In addition to providing professional ice hockey entertainment and related events, they contribute over $200 million annually to the local economy through events and community engagement according to venue data.
Puck drop for tonight’s game is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
