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Hurricanes Activate Jesperi Kotkaniemi From Injured Reserve

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The Carolina Hurricanes have activated forward Jesperi Kotkaniemi from injured reserve. He missed the last nine games with a lower-body injury sustained while blocking a shot from Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek on November 14th. He was placed on injured reserve on November 25th.

Kotkaniemi is expected to return to the lineup in Saturday night’s match against the Nashville Predators. He has two goals, five points, 11 blocked shots, and 26 hits through 15 games this season. He’s alternated between the center and left-wing roles on Carolina’s fourth-line for much of the year. That rotation has limited him to only 115 faceoffs so far this season – of which he has only won 47 percent. That’s a far fall from the 51 percent he posted through his first four seasons in Carolina.

Carolina made room for Kotkaniemi’s return when they reassigned Justin Robidas on November 29th. Robidas stepped into two games on his last recall and posted one assist, one shot block, and three hits. Jordan Martinook stepped into the lineup in Robidas’ spot while Carolina waited for Kotkaniemi to return to full health. Martinook will now step back out of the lineup, having posted nine ponits in 26 games this season.

Hurricanes Reassign Domenick Fensore

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Dec. 5: Fensore was returned to AHL Chicago today, the team announced. He wasn’t needed for last night’s 5-1 loss at the hands of the Leafs.

Dec. 4: The Carolina Hurricanes announced today that defenseman Domenick Fensore has been recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. The move comes as veteran defenseman K’Andre Miller manages an illness, according to team reporter Walt Ruff.

This isn’t Fensore’s first NHL recall of 2025-26. He was recalled by Carolina in late October while the team was dealing with a slate of defensive injuries. He made his season debut in the team’s Oct. 28 contest against the Vegas Golden Knights, a game where he received nearly 20 minutes of ice time. Outside of that one NHL game played, Fensore has largely served as a healthy scratch during his time spent on the NHL roster so far in 2025-26.

While it’s unclear at this point whether Fensore will dress for the team’s game tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, it’s entirely possible he’s been recalled to once more serve as a spare defenseman and healthy scratch.

The 24-year-old former Boston University captain has proven himself to be a quality creator of offense from the back end at the AHL level. He scored 32 points in 67 games last season and has upped his production considerably so far this year. Fensore ranks second on the Wolves in scoring for 2025-26 with 15 points in 17 games, just behind forward Felix Unger-Sorum, who has 19 points in 20 games.

A pending RFA with arbitration rights, these repeated recalls are a positive sign for Fensore’s upcoming free agency. They signal the Hurricanes’ increased level of trust in Fensore as an NHL option, even if he hasn’t been able to crack Carolina’s lineup on a full-time basis.

The one-year contract extension Fensore signed in July of last year contained a two-way structure and an AHL salary of just $70K, with a $100K guarantee. Fensore’s on-ice value so far this season merits a significant pay raise, and the more call-ups he can receive, the more likely it is that Fensore will be able to earn a more significant AHL salary on his next contract, assuming his next deal also carries a two-way structure.

Cal Foote Signs With AHL’s Chicago Wolves

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The AHL’s Chicago Wolves announced Monday they’ve signed free agent defenseman Callan Foote for the balance of the 2025-26 campaign.

There wasn’t any reported NHL interest in Foote, who’s technically eligible to return to top-level game action. He, along with his four Hockey Canada teammates who were acquitted on sexual assault charges over the offseason, were still suspended by the league as a result of the allegations made against them, but were fully reinstated as of today.

While Foote was a first-round pick in 2017, his recent resume has been uninspiring. He played in the Slovak Extraliga last season while awaiting trial. He recorded three goals and 30 points in 38 games for HK 32 Liptovsky Mikulas with a -8 rating. That led the team in scoring among defensemen, but he hasn’t played an NHL game since January 2024 and was limited to nine points and a -14 rating in 24 games with AHL Utica that season while in the Devils’ system.

The 6’4″ shutdown righty now lands in the Hurricanes’ system, although they don’t acquire his exclusive signing rights. He’s still an unrestricted free agent and is eligible to accept and sign any NHL offer. Carolina had expressed interest in signing Carter Hart and Michael McLeod, both of whom were charged alongside Foote, but ultimately decided not to offer deals.

Foote has made 145 NHL appearances in parts of four seasons. Drafted by the Lightning, he’s also suited up for Nashville and New Jersey. He has a 5-15–20 scoring line to his name with a +24 rating while averaging 13:48 per game.

Hurricanes Reassign Justin Robidas Amid Injury Updates

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The Carolina Hurricanes saw a wave of roster updates come through during Saturday morning’s practice. Notably, winger Justin Robidas was not at practice, as he’s been reassigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. Robidas won’t skate in Saturday’s match against the Manitoba Moose but should be back in time for Sunday’s rematch.

Forward William Carrier also missed practice. It is unclear if he has sustained a new injury after appearing in Friday’s win over the Winnipeg Jets. Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov did sustain a lower-body injury that forced him out of Friday’s game, and Saturday’s practice. Defenseman Jaccob Slavin also remained out, per NHL.com’s Walt Ruff.

In better news, Ruff adds that forward Jordan Staal participated in practice despite being questionable with an illness, and center Jesperi Kotkaniemi continued to work in a non-contact jersey.

Carolina continues to face a heap of injuries despite getting Shayne Gostisbehere and K’Andre Miller back into the lineup recently. They have been forced to play hot potato with much of their lineup, routinely cycling through their lines. The Hurricanes have had six different forward lines, and 10 different defense pairings, play in at least 50 minutes of even-strength ice time this season. Their most-used forward line has been Jordan Martinook, Staal, and Carrier – a trio that could be broken up if Carrier sustained another injury. The most-used defense pairing has been Miller and Sean Walker, who reunited recently after Miller missed six games.

The Hurricanes have felt the brunt of that shuffle over November. They started the month with a 4-1-0 record, but have fallen into a back-and-forth over the last two weeks. Carolina is 4-3-2 in their last nine games, and haven’t won back-to-back games since Novmber 8th and 9th.

Injuries have forced Carolina’s healthy skaters to step up. Sophomore winger Jackson Blake ranks fourth on the team in scoring with 15 points in 24 games. Robidas was also contributing to the offense, netting one assist and a 50 percent faceoff percentage through two games in a bottom-six role.

Robidas now have three points in the first four games of his NHL career, including a pair of games he played in last season. He has been an electric scorer in the minor leagues and currently ranks third on the Wolves with 12 points in 16 games. Chicago is trying to break out of their own November slump, posting a 2-4-0 record over their last six games but winning last Wednesday’s game against the rival Rockford IceHogs by a lofty 8-4. Robidas should help the Wolves keep that offense rolling as they look for better outcomes in December.

Andrei Svechnikov Denies Rumors He Was Open To Trade

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  • On Sunday, reports emerged that Carolina Hurricanes star Andrei Svechnikov was reportedly open to a trade earlier in the season as he struggled with lower-than-expected usage and a season-opening scoring drought. Today, Svechnikov denied those reports, according to Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. While it’s not without precedent for a player to publicly deny a private period of frustration that in reality very much existed, in Svechnikov’s case, his reported unhappiness was always unlikely to actually lead to a trade. The Hurricanes reportedly view Svechnikov as a cornerstone player, one that is central to their hopes of building a Stanley Cup championship team, and therefore it remains highly unlikely that they will reach an agreement with another team on a deal that sends Svechnikov out of Raleigh.

Carolina Hurricanes Recall Justin Robidas, Move Jesperi Kotkaniemi To IR

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The Carolina Hurricanes announced today that forward Justin Robidas has been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. In a corresponding move, they placed center Jesperi Kotkaniemi on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 14.

Since Kotkaniemi’s IR placement is retroactive to more than a week ago, he is eligible to be activated whenever he is ready to return to the ice. He was originally injured blocking a shot during the team’s game Nov. 14, and head coach Rod Brind’Amour revealed he is dealing with an injury to his ankle.

The 2018 No. 3 overall pick, Kotkaniemi has five points in 15 games played this season, skating in just over 10 minutes of ice time per night. In terms of usage, Kotkaniemi has been Brind’Amour’s most sparingly-utilized forward in 2025-26, a notable decline from last season where he averaged over 14 minutes of ice time per game en route to a 33-point season.

In recalling Robidas, the organization has added one of its developmental success stories back to its NHL roster. The 22-year-old is the son of former NHLer and current Montreal Canadiens assistant coach Stephane Robidas, and was a fifth-round pick at the 2021 NHL Draft. While he was a QMJHL star and captain of his junior team, who drew rave reviews from scouts due to his skating ability and work ethic, his 5’8″ frame led to most assuming he was more of a long-shot to become an NHL player.

While he hasn’t established himself as a full-time NHLer just yet, his progress since joining the pro ranks has been nothing but positive. Complications relating to the Hurricanes’ minor-league affiliate agreements caused Robidas to play his first professional season in the third-tier ECHL, where he scored 27 points in 32 games before suffering a season-ending injury. The following year, Robidas showed no signs of slowing down, quickly adapting to the step-up in competition from the ECHL to AHL. In 72 games for the Wolves, Robidas scored 20 goals and 55 points.

That strong performance as an AHL rookie gave Robidas the chance to make his NHL debut, and in two NHL games last season, Robidas managed two points. So far this year, Robidas has kept up his scoring pace, as he has 12 points through 16 games. While his slight frame is likely to always work against him in terms of carving out a long-term place in the NHL, he’s done everything in his power thus far in his pro career to be an impactful all-around player. His swiftness on the ice and high work rate lends itself well to the specific style of play the Hurricanes like to employ, and with this call-up, Robidas will get a new chance to showcase his talents to the Hurricanes’ decision-makers.

While he’s not a full-time NHL player just yet, if he can get into some games during this call-up and play well, today’s transaction could go a long way in helping him achieve that status at some point down the line.

Latest On Andrei Svechnikov

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On last night’s Saturday Headlines segment of Sportsnet’s NHL broadcast, Elliotte Friedman reported an interesting development coming out of Carolina. He noted that “earlier on in the season,” Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov “was unhappy” with his usage at the time under head coach Rod Brind’Amour. As a result, per Friedman, “the inference was made” to the Hurricanes that “if they wanted to trade” Svechnikov, “he wouldn’t be upset about it,” he “would be open to the idea” of a trade from the Hurricanes.

Friedman then added that “there were some teams that called the Hurricanes” to inquire about trading for Svechnikov, but were told that the club still views the player as a cornerstone one, and that any hypothetical trade for Svechnikov would need to begin with “a monster offer.”  Friedman also noted that since that point earlier in the season, “things have cooled off” as Svechnikov’s usage has increased and he’s been placed on the team’s first line alongside Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho.

But if Svechnikov’s usage slips back to where it was earlier in the year, Friedman’s reporting suggests his name could re-enter trade conversations. While it’s reasonable for Carolina to value Svechnikov highly, other teams could fairly point out that his recent production hasn’t matched that valuation.

The 25-year-old has 12 points in 21 games this season, good for a 47-point 82-game pace. That’s somewhat misleading, though, because Svechnikov has those 12 points in his last 13 games since being moved into the top-six, and began the season scoreless through eight games. So it does appear, at least as far as this season is concerned, that Svechnikov’s production is highly dependent on how he’s utilized in the lineup.

Dating back to last season, Svechnikov’s offensive impact has been more modest than expected for a player of his pedigree. He scored 48 points in 72 games last season, though he did add eight goals and 12 points in 15 postseason contests. Svechnikov has shown flashes of becoming the kind of superstar winger he was projected to become when he was drafted, but those flashes haven’t been consistent enough for the player to truly ascend to the point where he’s considered a league-wide star.

On a team that has long chased a true superstar winger, including last year’s short-lived swing for Mikko Rantanen, Svechnikov being on pace for a second straight sub-50-point season stands out.

But the good thing about Svechnikov, from the Hurricanes’ perspective, is that regardless of his numbers at any given time, anyone who watches him can see he’s far more talented than the average player who produces at a similar rate. He’s shown the ability to score at near point-per-game rates, as he had 52 points in 59 games in 2023-24 and 55 points in 64 games in 2022-23.

But if his usage frustrates him again and his scoring continues to lag behind his 2022–24 levels, it’s natural that trade chatter would pick up. It’d certainly be a difficult deal to pull off given Svechnikov’s value to the Hurricanes, as well as his $7.75MM cap hit, but it’d also be a deal a massive portion of the NHL’s teams would likely have at least some level of interest in being involved in.

While it doesn’t appear that a trade is in any way likely at this point in time, Friedman’s reporting indicates that his status and usage in Carolina will at least be a storyline to watch moving forward.

Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Carolina Hurricanes Activate Jalen Chatfield

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The Carolina Hurricanes are inching closer to a healthy defensive core. According to a team announcement, the Hurricanes have activated defenseman Jalen Chatfield from their injured reserve.

It’s been a few weeks since Chatfield last played for Carolina. The six-year veteran has been nursing an upper-body injury after getting knocked out of the Hurricanes’ game against the Minnesota Wild on November 6th.

Chatfield has been his typical, consistent self when healthy. In his 13 games leading up to the injury against Minnesota, Chatfield had registered three helpers while averaging 19:50 of ice time. Despite not scoring a goal up to this point, Chatfield has gotten 20 shots on goal and managed a 53.1% CorsiFor% at even strength, a commonality for nearly every player in Carolina.

It’s an open question whether Chatfield will return to the lineup tonight against the Winnipeg Jets. The Hurricanes are 6-2-2 in their last 10, so Head Coach Rod Brind’Amour may not feel rushed to change anything. Still, Chatfield spent a decent amount of time next to Alexander Nikishin to start the year, so Carolina may plug Chatfield in for Mike Reilly on the team’s bottom pairing.

Regardless, it’s a positive step forward for a banged-up Hurricanes’ blue line. Although their record may not show it, Carolina has hardly had a complete defensive core at any point during the regular season. Nikishin and Sean Walker are the only blueliners who have played in all 20 Hurricane games up to this point of the regular season.

Hurricanes Prospect Nikita Artamonov Loaned In KHL

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  • Nikita Artamonov, one of the better prospects whose rights are owned by the Carolina Hurricanes, was loaned from his KHL team, Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, to Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk. Artamonov was one of the top young wingers in the KHL last season, scoring 22 goals and 39 points in 63 games. His production, and overall usage, has declined sharply this season, as he has just one point through 15 games with Torpedo. That appears to have prompted this loan move, where he figures to get a better opportunity. Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk currently sit fifth in the KHL’s Eastern Conference, but are one of the lower-scoring teams of their caliber. The addition of Artamonov should help them in that area, and a more consistent diet of KHL-level minutes is likely to aid Artamonov’s development.

Hurricanes Reassign Domenick Fensore

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Nov. 20: The Hurricanes reassigned Fensore to Chicago following Wednesday’s shootout loss to the Wild, per a team announcement. With two games remaining on their road trip, that could be an indication they expect to activate Jalen Chatfield from injured reserve before Friday’s game against the Jets. They said Tuesday they expected Chatfield back in the lineup sometime in the next week. Fensore did not play a game during his call-up.

Nov. 16: The Hurricanes announced they’ve recalled defenseman Domenick Fensore from AHL Chicago. The team had an opening roster spot after yesterday’s quick reassignment of Bradly Nadeau, so no corresponding transaction is needed.

Fensore, 24, comes up for the third time this season. He’s been summoned in short stints, no longer than five days, as Carolina continues to grapple with multiple veterans being unavailable on defense due to injuries. While he’s been rostered for four games across those two recalls, he’s only made one appearance for the Canes. That came back against the Golden Knights on Oct. 28, when he logged a -2 rating and two shots on goal in 19:22 of ice time.

That was the third career NHL game for Fensore, who Carolina made a third-round pick back in 2019. The 5’9″ lefty played in the final two games of the regular season last year to close out his second professional campaign. The offensively talented depth rearguard is still in search of his first NHL point.

Point production hasn’t been a problem for Fensore at the minor-league level, though. The former Boston University standout is amid a breakout year in Chicago with a 3-8–11 scoring line in 11 games, tallying a team-high +4 rating as well. His point-per-game pace is third in the AHL among defenders with at least 10 games played this year.

Carolina only had six defensemen rostered prior to Fensore’s recall. He should stick around for at least the next week as he looks to serve as the Canes’ healthy extra option on their four-game road trip, which starts tomorrow in Boston and concludes Nov. 23 in Buffalo.

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