Hurricanes Resting Numerous Players
Shortly before tonight’s game against Chicago, the Carolina Hurricanes shared several who won’t play: Jalen Chatfield, Jaccob Slavin, Jordan Staal, Jordan Martinook, Seth Jarvis, Sebastian Aho, and Andrei Svechnikov.
A laundry list, it’s enough to raise some eyebrows, but the main motivation of doing so is rest against a bottom-ranked team. The Hurricanes already locked up their divisional title, as they await their first round opponent, currently projected to be Ottawa if the playoffs started today.
Only one of the bunch is known to be injured, Chatfield, who left Tuesday’s action and is not 100%, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told the media, including Walt Ruff, team reporter.
Yesterday the club recalled Skyler Brind’Amour, Bradly Nadeau, Josiah Slavin, and Charles-Alexis Legault from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, and sure enough each of them are in the lineup tonight. It’s perfect timing considering they’re able to join the Hurricanes right across town, in time to play the nearby Blackhawks with limited disruption.
Brind’Amour’s presence is impossible to miss on name alone, as he’ll play with his father behind the bench for the first time since last year. No stranger to such April call-up duty, he found the back of the net for his first NHL goal late last season. The local product has become a respectable AHLer in his own right, sixth on the Wolves in scoring with 34 points in 66 games this year.
Slavin also carries a name synonymous with the Canes, as the brother of Jaccob. The 27-year-old is making his team debut, with first NHL action since 2021-22. A respected veteran at the AHL level, the winger is the captain of the Wolves, putting up 25 points in 66 games.
With the sentimental call-ups aside, Nadeau stands out as a promising youngster. The 20-year-old was a first rounder of the Canes in 2023 (30th overall) and already has the most NHL experience out of the bunch at 11 games (three points). Boasting an elite shot, the 5’11” winger is considered Carolina’s top forward prospect, with real top six upside. His AHL production has been excellent, 58 goals across 115 regular season games, and he’ll enjoy a spot on the second line still working to put it together at the highest level.
Finally, Legault is the only defenseman of the bunch, where he’s locked in on the third pairing. The 22-year-old has managed to skate in eight games with the big club this year, recording two points. The Quebec native has only modest AHL numbers, but at 6’4”, he hardly has to contribute in that area.
Carolina’s farmhands clinched a playoff spot, so the four will be summoned back across town shortly. The Hurricanes have three more regular season games after tonight, and they will rotate their lineup, continuing to be careful with more pressing matters around the corner.
Carolina Hurricanes Recall Four Players
Having already wrapped up the Metropolitan Division title, the Carolina Hurricanes have the opportunity to give their typical players a rest. To that end, according to a team announcement, the Hurricanes have recalled forwards Skyler Brind’Amour, Bradly Nadeau, and Josiah Slavin, and defenseman Charles-Alexis Legault from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
Brind’Amour, son of Carolina’s head coach, Rod Brind’Amour, has the chance to play in the third NHL contest of his career tomorrow night. He debuted last year around this time of the season, scoring one goal in two games with a -3 rating, averaging 16:35 of ice time per night. The Quinnipiac University alumnus has scored 16 goals and 34 points in 66 games with AHL Chicago this season.
Although the 26-year-old Brind’Amour isn’t seen as one of the better forward prospects in the Hurricanes’ system, Nadeau is. The former first-round pick of the 2023 NHL Draft has been electric in the AHL, scoring 58 goals and 111 points in 112 games over the past two seasons. Still, he’s been fairly quiet in his NHL opportunities to date, registering one goal and three points in 11 contests since the end of the 2023-24 campaign.
Meanwhile, the Brind’Amours won’t be the only familial connection on the team. Slavin, the brother of team captain Jaccob Slavin, will have the opportunity to play in his first NHL contest since the 2021-22 campaign, then with the Chicago Blackhawks. The 27-year-old veteran has had a respectable season in the AHL, scoring six goals and 25 points in 66 games as the Wolves’ captain.
Lastly, Legault, 22, has had the most NHL playing time among the quartet this season. Filling in as an injury replacement earlier in the campaign, Legault has one goal and two points in eight games on his NHL resume. Playing in his first professional campaign, the Montreal, QC native has registered three goals and seven points in 22 games for AHL Chicago.
Hurricanes’ Eric Robinson Could Be Out Through Olympic Break
The Carolina Hurricanes could face an extended stretch without one impactful winger. Eric Robinson could be out until the team returns from the Winter Olympics break on February 26th, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer. Robinson left Carolina’s Monday win over the Buffalo Sabres in the first period after he was knocked awkwardly into the ice by Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin. He was nursing his left shoulder on his way off the ice and has since appeared at practice with that arm in a sling.
Robinson has returned to the utility role he carved out in the Hurricanes lineup last season. He has 10 goals, 15 points, and an offense-best plus-seven in 44 games this season. Those marks are well in-line with the 14 goals, 32 points, and plus-14 – all career-highs – that Robinson posted in his first year with Carolina. Even from a bottom-six role, the 30-year-old winger has proven to bring a routine, positive impact.
The Hurricanes brought Jesperi Kotkaniemi back into the lineup after a healthy scratch, following Robinson’s injury. Kotkaniemi made good work of the return, recording one assist, two shots, and three hits in Thursday’s shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. He could stick in the lineup for at least six more games should Robinson indeed sit out through the Olympics. Carolina could also see this as a chance to reward one of their top prospects with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. The Wolves are led in scoring by Justin Robidas, Bradly Nadeau, and Felix Unger-Sorum – all candidates to earn a brief recall if Robinson lands on injured reserve.
Hurricanes Claim Noah Philp Off Waivers, Reassign Bradly Nadeau
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Carolina Hurricanes claimed center Noah Philp off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers. The Hurricanes shared that they’ve reassigned forward Bradly Nadeau in a corresponding roster move.
Interestingly enough, Friedman reported this morning on 32 Thoughts that this could be coming down the pipeline for Philp. Friedman suggested that multiple teams had contacted the Oilers regarding Philp. It stands to reason that the Hurricanes were one of those teams.
It would have been much easier for Edmonton to trade Philp after he had cleared waivers, given that he wouldn’t have to be waived again for some time if a team was wishing to stash him in the AHL. Given that the Hurricanes claimed him today, they’ll need to attempt to pass Philp through waivers again should they try to reassign him to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
Regardless, Philp will have a new opportunity in Carolina for the time being, though it’s not clear where exactly he fits into the lineup. Seth Jarvis is currently the only injured forward on the team, and there’s little chance of Philp taking a hold of a first-line role.
Realistically, if the Hurricanes want him in a consistent role, Philp will take over for Jesperi Kotkaniemi or Mark Jankowski, each of whom has disappointed throughout the season. Philp doesn’t have much experience to fall back on, though, scoring two goals and five points across 30 games in Edmonton.
Still, his relatively large frame and respectable output in the AHL likely inspired Carolina to take a flyer on him. Despite briefly retiring for the 2023-24 season, Philp owns a 38-34-72 scoring line in 130 AHL contests.
Meanwhile, Nadeau returns to AHL Chicago after being recalled to replace Jarvis on the active roster. The 20-year-old winger played in two games for the Hurricanes throughout the recall, scoring one goal while averaging 13:54 of ice time per game.
Hurricanes Recall Bradly Nadeau, Place Seth Jarvis On IR
More bad news has come through for the Carolina Hurricanes. Top winger Seth Jarvis will be forced out for an extended period after crashing into the net post in overtime of Friday’s loss to the Florida Panthers. The Hurricanes placed Jarvis on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and recalled winger Bradly Nadeau on Saturday.
The timing could work to Carolina’s benefit. This move will force Jarvis to miss at least two games but he could be activated before the Hurricanes’ match against the Detroit Red Wings next Saturday.
Carolina will hold their breath hoping that timeline works out. Jarvis has, again, been one of their best. He leads the team with 19 goals, and ranks second with 29 points, through 34 games so far. More than that, he was riding a streak of good health, not missing any games to start the year after he missed nine last season. Jarvis was still able to net 32 goals and 67 points last season, matching his point totals from – and one goal less than – he managed in 81 games of the 2023-24 season.
Filling Jarvis’ role has proven to be a difficult task for Carolina, marked by a 4-5-0 record without him last season. This time around, Jarvis’ absence should pave way for Jackson Blake to take on top-line minutes. Blake has 21 points in 34 games this season. He also ranks third on the offense in takeaways (14) behind Jarvis (19) and Sebastian Aho (17). Blake has proven his ability to fill any role throughout the last two seasons but this opening could be a chance to step up and cement his spot in the Hurricanes’ top-six long-term.
It will also offer a chance for Nadeau to finally find his stride at the NHL level. He is in the midst of a five-game scoring streak in the AHL and has 13 points in his last 10 games. That stretch has brought the 20 year old up to 20 points in 18 games this season, good for third on the Chicago Wolves in scoring. Nadeau finished second in scoring for Chicago last season, with 58 points in 64 games. Despite the streak of strong offense, he hasn’t yet found his production at the top level. Nadeau has just two points in nine career games with Carolina, including one goal in six games this season. He should slot into a bottom-six role as Blake, Taylor Hall, and Eric Robinson step up in Jarvis’ absence, but could offer much more upside if he finally finds his touch.
Hurricanes Recall Bradly Nadeau, Assign Gavin Bayreuther To AHL
10:00 p.m.: Shortly after their overtime loss to the Oilers, the Hurricanes announced they’ve reassigned Nadeau back to AHL Chicago. He did not play in tonight’s contest.
2:33 p.m.: The Hurricanes have made a pair of roster moves heading into tonight’s game against Edmonton. The team announced that they have recalled winger Bradly Nadeau from AHL Chicago. To make room for him on the roster, defenseman Gavin Bayreuther has been returned to the Wolves.
It’s the second recall of the season for Nadeau. The 20-year-old got into six games in his first stint, picking up his first career goal while averaging 11:30 per game. It’s already the third straight year that Nadeau has received NHL action as he got into one game in 2023-24 after being drafted 30th overall and made two appearances with them last season.
Nadeau has been quite productive in his limited action with the Wolves this season, picking up three goals and four assists. That comes on the heels of an impressive rookie showing in 2024-25 where he had 32 goals and 26 assists in 64 games with Chicago. If he gets into the lineup again on this recall, it’s likely that his minutes will be managed in a bottom-six role as it was in his first stint.
As for Bayreuther, the 31-year-old didn’t see any game action with Carolina after being recalled last weekend. He has three goals and three assists in nine AHL contests with the Wolves and has 122 career NHL outings under his belt with a total of 28 points. He returned to North America this season after playing with Lausanne in Switzerland in 2024-25.
Hurricanes Reassign Bradly Nadeau
The Carolina Hurricanes have assigned top prospect Bradly Nadeau back to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. Nadeau played six games and scored his first NHL goal on this recall. That was his only point, though, and he’ll now return to the minor-leagues after no scoring in his last three games.
Nadeau has carved out a reserved seat in Chicago’s top-six this season. He scored four points in three games before being recalled to Carolina. That mark ranked third on the team in scoring at the time, though he’s fallen to eighth in six games since his call-up. He’ll face the challenge of climbing back up Chicago’s scoreboard following this move, a task that should prove easy for the former first-round pick. Nadeau scored 58 points in 64 games of his rookie AHL season last year, the most of any Wolves rookie since 2007. He carved out a top-line spot next to Ryan Suzuki and Justin Robidas, one that stuck around through the first two weekends of this season. He’ll return to that spot when Chicago takes on rivalry matchups versus the Iowa Wild and Grand Rapids Griffins this weekend.
Nadeau was also a hot scorer in junior hockey. He scored 45 goals and 113 points with the BCHL’s Penticton Vees in the 2022-23 season, the most of any draft eligible prospect in the BCHL since Beau Bennett (120 points) in 2009-10 and Kyle Turris (121 points) in 2006-07. That scoring earned Nadeau the 30th-overall selection in the 2023 NHL Draft. He followed that up with 19 goals and 46 points in 37 games at the University of Maine, again a milestone mark – the most from a teenager in the Maine roster since Steve Kariya (50 points) in 1996-97 and Paul Kariya (100 points) in 1992-93. Nadeau has found impressive scoring at every step from juniors to the AHL, and while his impact away from the game will need to continue improving, his breakthrough in the NHL seems on its way.
Hurricanes Recall Bradly Nadeau
The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled forward Bradly Nadeau from the AHL. Nadeau has scored in three games straight to start the Chicago Wolves’ season, with four points total. Carolina will now reward that hot start with the second mid-season call-up of the young pro’s career. He should help supplement the lineup while wingers Eric Robinson and William Carrier are out with injury. Both veteran wingers are expected to miss an extended period, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told NHL.com’s Walt Ruff.
Nadeau has already played in three NHL games. He made his NHL debut at the tail end of the 2023-24 season, after signing with the club following the end of his freshman season at the University of Maine. Nadeau was assigned to the minor-leagues for the majority of the 2024-25 season, but made two appearances in the NHL in the final games of the season. He has recorded one assist, two blocked shots, and two hits in the Hurricanes lineup.
While he’s still searching for a spark in the NHL, Nadeau has looked unquestionably productive in the minor leagues. He has 62 points across 67 career games in the AHL. His stat line is slightly stained by a minus-19, but Nadeau’s ability to drive play and create scoring chances has nonetheless proved reliable. He’s taken on a top-line role in the Wolves’ lineup, and steadied his play with support from veteran linemate Ryan Suzuki.
Nadeau could now have his first extended chance at the NHL lineup as Carolina addresses their injuries. Carrier and Robinson have both averaged 10 minutes of ice time through seven games this season, with three and four points respectively. That depth scoring has been a core part of Carolina’s league-best start to the season, and gives Nadeau a mark to shoot for as he steps in. He should be expected to rotate through the team’s bottom-six, at least until he can play his way into a loftier role.
Hurricanes Reassign Scott Morrow
The Hurricanes have assigned rookie defenseman Scott Morrow to AHL Chicago with the regular season behind them, per a team announcement. The club also sent forwards Skyler Brind’Amour, Bradly Nadeau, and defenseman Domenick Fensore down to the minors after recalling them for the final few games of the season to allow for some stars to rest.
Morrow’s demotion is notable because he wasn’t part of the foursome that Carolina recalled on Tuesday. The 22-year-old has been up with Carolina since the trade deadline and frequently slotted into the lineup down the stretch, including the final five games of the regular season. Morrow, a 2021 second-round pick, finished the year with 1-5–6 in 14 games with all of his points coming at even strength.
He and impact prospect Alexander Nikishin were slated to begin the playoffs as Carolina’s extra defensemen, but the team will instead opt to keep the more veteran Riley Stillman around in the press box after recalling him along with Brind’Amour, Fensore and Nadeau this week. The stay-at-home rearguard is less of a redundancy compared to the dynamic Nikishin, who’s likely to see his NHL debut in the playoffs after signing his entry-level contract last week.
Morrow instead gets to bolster Chicago’s blue line and play meaningful postseason minutes as the Wolves have clinched a playoff berth. The first-year pro leads Wolves defensemen in scoring with 13-26–39 in 51 games, earning an AHL All-Star game appearance ahead of trying to land an opening night roster spot in Carolina in the fall.
As for the trio heading back to Chicago, the late-season call-up was most notable for Brind’Amour. The 25-year-old son of Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour scored his first NHL goal in last night’s loss to the Senators. Nadeau, Carolina’s first-rounder in 2023, also recorded his first NHL point, an assist, on Wednesday against the Canadiens. Fensore will have to wait until his next NHL call-up to get on the scoresheet.
Transactions Notes: Hurricanes, Jones, Carrick, Bjarnason, Copponi
Having already clinched the second playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, the Carolina Hurricanes had the opportunity to rest a few players for tomorrow night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. Keeping that in mind, the Hurricanes announced they’ve recalled forwards Skyler Brind’Amour and Bradly Nadeau and defensemen Domenick Fensore and Riley Stillman from their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, to fill in for the resting players.
Brind’Amour’s recall is significant for a few reasons. He’ll make his NHL debut tomorrow night against the Canadiens and will be the first NHL player to be coached by his father at the top level since Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry was briefly coached by his father, Dave Lowry, for 54 games in the 2021-22 NHL season.
Meanwhile, Nadeau and Fensore (who will also debut tomorrow night) are two of Carolina’s top prospects already playing in North America. Nadeau led the Wolves in scoring this season, managing 30 goals and 56 points in 63 games, while Fensore scored nine goals and 32 points in 66 contests.
Other transactions from around the league:
- According to a team announcement, the Los Angeles Kings have recalled defenseman Caleb Jones from their AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, on an emergency basis. Although he won’t be filling in for a defenseman, Jones’s recall is likely in response to Quinton Byfield sustaining an injury in last night’s contest against the Edmonton Oilers. Per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff, Oilers’ defenseman Darnell Nurse will have a hearing with the Department of Player Safety for cross-checking Byfield, leading to his injury.
- In another emergency recall, the Oilers have promoted defenseman Connor Carrick to the NHL level. Carrick’s recall could be due to the five defensemen injured on the Oilers’ blue line or because of the expected suspension looming for Nurse. The 31-year-old defenseman has scored 17 goals and 39 points in 60 games for the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors this year.
- Per the AHL transactions page and publicized by Jackie Spiegel of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Philadelphia Flyers have reassigned goaltender prospect Carson Bjarnason to their AHL affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Bjarnason was the fourth netminder taken off the board in the 2023 NHL Draft as the 51st overall pick and recently produced a 22-15-3 record in 40 games with the WHL’s Brandon Wheat Kings with a .913 SV% and 2.93 GAA.
- In another move by the Oilers organization, their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield announced they’ve signed forward Matt Copponi to an amateur tryout agreement for the rest of the 2024-25 AHL season. Copponi, drafted by Edmonton with the 216th overall pick of the 2023 NHL Draft, recently lost the 2025 NCAA National Championship with Boston University. Still, he was an effective secondary scorer for the Terriers’ program, putting up eight goals and 24 points in 40 contests this season.