- For a different Eastern Conference team, it’s more promising news on the injury front. A pair of important Carolina Hurricanes forwards was spotted skating before practice this morning, including offseason acquisition Max Pacioretty. Acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights along with defenseman Dylan Coghlan in a cap-dump move, Pacioretty ruptured his Achilles tendon in early August and was expected to return in early February at the soonest. While there’s no indication he’ll return to the lineup anytime soon, it’s a promising sign for his trajectory and a solid sign he’ll be back earlier than the February timeline.
Hurricanes Rumors
Hurricanes Recall Maxime Lajoie
The Hurricanes have brought up some extra defensive depth, announcing the recall of Maxime Lajoie from AHL Chicago. The 25-year-old has seen NHL action in three of the last four seasons, including getting into five games with Carolina in 2021-22 although the bulk of his playing time came back in 2018-19 when he played in 56 contests with Ottawa. This year, Lajoie has played in ten games with the Wolves, picking up four assists. Calvin de Haan was banged up in yesterday’s matchup against Edmonton and it would seem that Lajoie will be up as some insurance in case the veteran isn’t able to play in their next game on Monday. Dylan Coghlan is also on the roster and could be inserted into the lineup if de Haan misses any time.
Carolina Hurricanes Place Teuvo Teravainen On IR
7:54 pm: As Ruff reports, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour was asked this evening how much time Teravainen could miss, the coach saying he believes Teravainen could “be out for a while.”
5:32 pm: According to Carolina Hurricanes’ team reporter Walt Ruff, the team has placed forward Teuvo Teravainen on injured reserve, retroactive to November 10th. No corresponding move was reported. The move leaves Carolina with just 21 of 23 available roster spots filled, but with approximately $7MM in available LTIR space.
Teravainen, 28, suffered an upper-body injury part-way through Carolina’s 7-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night, forcing him to leave the game. Ruff had reported yesterday that the forward would not travel with the team on iss brief two game road trip, however the extent of his absence beyond that was unclear. Placing him on IR doesn’t necessarily mean Teravainen will be out long-term, but could allow the team to add an extra player should they choose to. After this two-game trip in Colorado against the Avalanche, then against the Blackhawks in Chicago, Carolina comes home for one game against that same Colorado team on Thursday before heading back out for another quick two-game trip that begins in Minnesota against the Wild next Saturday.
Although things seem to be firing on all cylinders for Carolina and a number of their key players, the same cannot be said for Teravainen. The veteran has just seven assists to start the season, two of those coming Thursday before being forced to leave. A natural playmaker, Carolina has come to rely on Teravainne for at least 60 points per season, which has included a career-high 76 points in 2018-19, and a very solid 65 points over 77 games last season.
Teuvo Teravainen Out At Least Two Games
After moving Frederik Andersen to injured reserve earlier today, the Carolina Hurricanes are facing some more injury troubles. Team reporter Walt Ruff reports that forward Teuvo Teravainen will not travel with the team on their upcoming two-day road trip due to an upper-body injury suffered last night in the team’s 7-2 trouncing of the Edmonton Oilers.
While the Hurricanes have been hot, Teravainen has not. The 28-year-old Finn is off to a slow start, having yet to score 14 games into the season. He has logged seven assists, though, which is tied for third on the team. Depth scoring has been a concerning issue for the Hurricanes to start the year (outside of leading point-getter Martin Necas), a trend that will need to quickly reverse in order to account for Teravainen’s absence over at least the next two games. Either Necas or Seth Jarvis could likely get re-elevated to a top-line role in Teravainen’s absence.
Carolina Hurricanes Emergency Recall Pyotr Kochetkov
Nov 11: Andersen has now been moved to injured reserve, retroactive to November 6. Kochetkov will remain with the team for the time being after his strong performance last night.
Nov 8: The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves on an emergency basis, according to the team Tuesday evening. The team also placed forward Ondrej Kase on injured reserve.
Kochetkov’s call-up comes after starting goalie Frederik Andersen left the team’s practice earlier today. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour noted to reporters this morning that he “didn’t know what happened there, [but] he did something.”
The team’s top goaltending prospect, Kochetkov is off to a 2-2-1 start in the AHL with a 3.00 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. He appeared in three regular-season games and four playoff games last season for Carolina when injuries struck both Andersen and backup Antti Raanta.
Kochetkov will likely back up Raanta tomorrow when the Hurricanes take on the Florida Panthers. Despite a hurricane warning issued for the area surrounding FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, the Hurricanes team charter left Raleigh tonight in anticipation of the game still occurring tomorrow.
Unfortunately, Kase lands on injured reserve with the sixth reported concussion of his NHL career. The 27-year-old Czech forward logged 11:02 in the team’s season opener against Columbus and has not played since.
Latest On Frederik Andersen
- Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour today offered an update on goaltender Frederik Andersen, saying that “he tweaked something.” Brind’Amour added that he didn’t think Andersen’s undisclosed injury was serious but didn’t want to put Andersen in the net without full health. His injury necessitated the emergency recall of Pyotr Kochetkov yesterday.
Carolina Hurricanes Activate Ryan Suzuki, Assign To AHL
The Carolina Hurricanes announced today that they have activated forward Ryan Suzuki off of the injured non-roster list and assigned him to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.
Suzuki had been out due to an upper-body injury, an injury that caused him to miss the entirety of the Hurricanes’ training camp and preseason.
Suzuki, 21, was the 28th overall pick at the 2019 NHL draft and has thus far struggled to translate his success at the OHL level into success in the pro ranks. Suzuki has just 24 points in 60 career AHL games, and the increased physicality has in particular been a challenge for Suzuki.
Last season, Suzuki scored 14 points in 34 AHL games. Worth noting is the developmental environment Suzuki has been placed in at AHl Chicago. The Wolves are an independently-owned AHL franchise whose first priority is competing for Calder Cups, not player development.
That’s something they do successfully, as they won the Calder Cup last year, and an entirely respectable organizational priority. But on the flip side, the club is more eager to give AHL veteran scorers such as Stefan Noesen and Andrew Poturalski the sort of offensive opportunities other organizations might reserve for their top prospects.
So while Suzuki certainly hasn’t met expectations thus far at the AHL level, it is important to note the unique developmental situation he’s been placed in, as it undoubtedly has played a role in his growth as a professional player.
Carolina Hurricanes Recall Jack Drury
The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that prospect forward Jack Drury has been recalled from their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.
While the Hurricanes have as a team excelled so far this year, veteran forward Derek Stepan has struggled to make an impact as their fourth-line center. Stepan has just one point in 12 games and has seen limited ice time in recent games.
This recall could be the Hurricanes’ way of pushing Stepan while also getting a different look on their fourth line, assuming the fourth line is where coach Rod Brind’Amour does end up slotting Drury.
Drury, 22, is the son of former NHLer Ted Drury and the nephew of New York Rangers GM Chris Drury. Like the Wolves as a whole, Drury has gotten off to a slow start in the AHL this year, although he was exceptional last season.
Last year, Drury scored 52 points in 68 regular-season games and then potted nine goals and 24 points in 18 playoff games as the Wolves captured the Calder Cup.
A second-round pick at the 2018 draft, this recall could be Drury’s chance to seize a spot in the Hurricanes’ lineup for good. He has been solid in his limited NHL experience thus far, with two goals in two games, and should help the Hurricanes continue to build on their hot start.
Patrik Puistola Signs Extension In Finland
- Hurricanes prospect Patrik Puistola has signed a one-year extension with Jukurit through the 2023-24 season, the Finnish team announced. The 21-year-old was a third-rounder back in 2019 (77th overall) and is off to a nice start to his season with nine points in 17 games. Notably, Carolina only has until June 1st to sign Puistola to an NHL deal and the fact he is already signed in Finland now for next year probably won’t help his chances of landing an entry-level contract.
Injury Notes: Slafkovsky, Nichushkin, Lyubushkin, Stepan, Capitals
Some good news is abound tonight for Montreal Canadiens fans, as 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky is returning to the lineup tonight against the St. Louis Blues. Slafkovsky had not played in nine days.
The Slovak phenom suffered the injury after getting hit hard by Arizona Coyotes defenseman Josh Brown, but then immediately proceeded to score his first NHL goal, leading to what was an intense stare during his goal celebration. It was then reported earlier this week that Slafkovsky was undergoing tests on an upper-body issue, but they appear to have concluded that it was nothing major. The goal is his lone NHL point so far through five games.
- Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin will miss his second straight game tonight with a lower-body injury, per The Denver Post’s Bennett Durando. Nichushkin remains day-to-day and the team’s “hope” is that he rejoins the squad for their first practice in Finland, ahead of their Global Series matchup next week against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Tampere. Despite missing a game already, Nichushkin still holds the team lead in goals (seven) and points (12).
- Half of the Buffalo Sabres blueline is out of game action now. The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reports that Ilya Lyubushkin is not playing tonight due to a lower-body injury, with Lawrence Pilut drawing back into the lineup in his place. Lyubushkin missed a game earlier in the season with a lower-body injury, and it’s unclear whether the two are related. He has one assist in six games to begin his Sabres career.
- The Carolina Hurricanes announced tonight that forward Derek Stepan would not return to their game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Per the team, Stepan suffered an upper-body injury. We will likely receive more information on the nature of Stepan’s absence tomorrow.
- The Washington Capitals have issued two injury updates of their own. Per a team announcement, both John Carlson and T.J. Oshie are doubtful to return to tonight’s contest against the Nashville Predators due to lower-body injuries. Like with Stepan, we will likely get more information on these injuries tomorrow.