Carolina Hurricanes’ revolving door on ‘D’ hasn’t slowed them down — yet
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Hurricanes endure heavy defensive injuries yet rank high in Eastern Conference.
- Injuries force eight different six-man defensive alignments across 17 games.
- Young call-ups deliver minutes and production, showcasing the club’s depth.
However well — or poorly — history shines upon the current iteration of the Carolina Hurricanes, the team is already confounding critics and stacking statistical anomalies related to injuries and organizational depth, particularly among its defensemen.
With the season’s quarter pole barely a week away, the Hurricanes sit high among a tangle of 12 Eastern Conference teams within six points of the top spot in the standings — second in percentage of points earned in the East and fifth in the NHL.
The Canes added to those numbers Friday, posting a 4-3 overtime win over the Vancouver Canucks at Lenovo Center.
How would Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour evaluate his roster as the NHL grinds into its second quarter?
How about an “I,” for “Incomplete.”
“I can’t say that I 100 percent know how it’s going to shake out,” Brind’Amour said this week. “We haven’t had our group yet.”
Brind’Amour may be understating things a touch, unless “haven’t had our group yet” is code for “our roster has been decimated by injuries.”
It’s a well established theory that organizational stability breeds success. And in the bigger picture, that certainly has worked for the Hurricanes: Stable ownership, stable coaching staff, seven-year playoff streak.
But stability on the ice this season? These Hurricanes? Um … no.
Carolina has scattered eight different six-man defensive alignments across 17 games through Friday. Four of the 10 — 10! — skaters to man the Canes’ blue line this season are NHL rookies; three defenders have made their NHL debuts so far; and another made his team debut.
More injuries; a sloppy game vs. Vancouver
Friday, the defensive group was spared another injury, but Seth Jarvis, the Canes’ second-leading scorer who already had a point in the game, left after two shifts and 2:15 of ice time after Andrei Svechnikov’s stick caught him in the face as he was shoved from behind by Marcus Pettersson. Jarvis crumbled to the ice writhing in pain, clutching the right side of his face under his half-shield. Jarvis didn’t return to the game, but remained in the building.
“We think (he’ll be OK),” Brind’Amour said after Friday’s game. “He got it kind of in the eye. I don’t know much more, but it sounded positive. I think they’ll know more maybe tomorrow, but I don’t expect him to be out long, that’s for sure.”
In the second period, Jesperi Kotkaniemi also exited the game after blocking a shot. He did not return.
“He did something to his ankle, twisted it or something,” Brind’Amour said. “Not sure about his availability.”
Meanwhile, Sean Walker, one of two Canes defenders to play in all 17 games this season, had a rough outing. His turnover in the first period handed Elias Pettersson a shorthanded goal, and the Canucks scored their go-ahead tally with Walker in the penalty box serving a minor for slashing.
After the Canucks scored on their first shot on goal — a breakaway 5-hole snapper from Max Sasson — Svechnikov went on hat trick watch in a hurry, netting two goals in 54 seconds to put the Canes in front, 2-1.
Walker’s giveaway to Pettersson allowed Vancouver to tie it, and the Canucks went in front at 3:13 of the second with Walker in the box.
A Taylor Hall finish on an exquisite pass from Shayne Gostisbehere tied the game at 6:26 of the third period, and Sebastian Aho buried another Gostisbehere helper for the winner with 31 seconds to play in OT.
“You don’t always get what you deserve in this game,” Brind’Amour said, “but we got what we deserved with the two points.”
A little stability on defense
Two Hurricanes defensemen — Walker and rookie Alexander Nikishin — have played in every game this season. So much for Nikishin easing into his first full NHL season.
Walker, meanwhile, has been a breath of fresh air for the Canes, evolving from a spare veteran defender into a stalwart, go-to option in all game situations.
“When you give opportunity, more opportunity or different opportunity, to players, they’ve got to take advantage of it,” Brind’Amour said. “(Walker) has. He’s thrust into that because of all the injuries we’ve had, but he’s really … done really well with it. It’s a testament to him and his abilities, and it’s a testament to us to go grab a guy like that and recognize he has those abilities, too. Clearly he’s doing a great job for us.”
And Nikishin? He’s averaging more than 20 minutes of ice time per night, has eight points in 16 games and is sixth in the NHL in plus-minus at plus-14.
Ho hum.
But after Walker and Nikishin? Let the game of musical chairs (benches?) begin.
Charting the injuries
All-World defender Jaccob Slavin made it through most of the first two games of the season before disappearing down the tunnel to the locker room. He has yet to return to the lineup.
Enter veteran Mike Reilly, signed in the offseason to be a depth defender, who made his Canes debut in Game 3. And to his credit, he’s only missed one game since, that as a healthy scratch.
A few games later, with the team in the middle of a lengthy road trip, power play quarterback and skilled puck mover Gostisbehere went down. The Canes called up Charles Alexis Legault, gave him all of 10 minutes to warm up, and thrust him out in Game 6 of the season. That’s team debut No. 2, and rookie debut No. 1, for those counting at home.
The next game, it was Joel Nystrom’s turn to debut, after offseason free agent signee K’Andre Miller was injured. Lineup No. 4; team debut No. 3; rookie debut No. 2.
“(The rookies) have been playing like they’ve been around for a while,” Gostisbehere said. “It’s good to see. They’ve been playing in bigger roles than maybe they normally wouldn’t have. It’s all about opportunity in this league, and they’re showing that they’re great players in that sense, and they’re having fun doing it, too. They’re not letting the moment be too big.”
The defensive lineup of Jalen Chatfield, Reilly, Nikishin, Walker, Legault and Nystrom holds the distinction of being the most often-used alignment for the Hurricanes this season at five games.
“I’ve been around some teams that have (battled this many injuries),” Gostisbehere said, “but I’ve never seen it be just one position like this. It is unfortunate, but there are some positives from it. Our organizational depth is pretty deep, and it’s shown.”
To that end, Dominic Fensore was the fourth rookie and fourth skater to make his Canes’ NHL debut this season a short time later. Gostibehere returned for half a game and then left — injured again, in a different place. Miller returned, but then Chatfield, to that point as reliable as Walker and Nikishin, caught a shoulder to the chin on a hit during a game against the Wild. He’s on the injured list going on four games.
And now Legault, a game removed from his first NHL goal and among the pleasant surprises amid the whirlwind roster shuffling, went out for three months after slicing tendons in his wrist on a skate blade during a scrum in a game against Toronto.
As the blue line turns
Friday against Vancouver, the Canes’ most recently used defensive group — its eighth of the season, including Gostibehere, Reilly, Miller, Nikishin, Walker and Nystrom — skated together for a second consecutive game.
“It’s that ‘next guy up’ mentality,” Gostisbehere said Tuesday. “These guys are young, they’re getting a lot of experience that some guys wouldn’t normally get this early in their career, and they’re grasping it.”
In keeping with the season’s theme, this week the Hurricanes called up yet another extra skater, pro journeyman Gavin Bayreuther. The 31-year-old has three goals and three assists in the AHL this season, and spent last season playing professionally in Switzerland.
Bayreuther didn’t play Friday, but that’s not to say he won’t be needed. The way this season has gone, his Hurricanes debut may not be too far away.
This story was originally published November 15, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Carolina Hurricanes’ revolving door on ‘D’ hasn’t slowed them down — yet."
