Excitement is building as the Carolina Hurricanes gear up to face the Seattle Kraken this Saturday, potentially welcoming back a key player from injury. Defenseman Jaccob Slavin, who has been sidelined for the last ten games due to an upper-body injury, participated fully in the morning skate, pairing up with teammate Jalen Chatfield. After the session, Slavin expressed his confidence, stating he felt "100% ready" to return to action.
Head coach Rod Brind'Amour echoed this optimism when speaking to the media, saying, "I think he's going to [play]. We'll see how he is after this morning, but the plan is to have him play." This is significant news for the team, especially since Slavin is scheduled to represent the United States in next month's Winter Olympics. Unfortunately, injuries have plagued him this season, limiting his appearances to just five games.
To accommodate Slavin’s return, Joel Nystrom has been reassigned to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League.
In goal, the Hurricanes will rely once again on Brandon Bussi, who has been on a remarkable run. In his latest match against Dallas on Tuesday night, Bussi achieved a historic milestone by becoming the fastest goaltender in NHL history to reach 15 wins, accomplishing this feat in only 18 games with an impressive record of 15 wins, 2 losses, and 1 overtime loss.
(Note: It’s important to note that Slavin was activated from injured reserve after this initial report was prepared.)
Here's the projected lineup for tonight's game:
Forwards:
Svechnikov - Aho - Ehlers
Hall - Stankoven - Blake
Martinook - Staal - Jarvis
Carrier - Jankowski - Robinson
Defense:
Slavin - Chatfield
Miller - Walker
Nikishin - Gostisbehere
Starting Goaltender:
Bussi
Injury Report:
- Pyotr Kochetkov (Hip Surgery | "Likely Out For The Year" as of December 29)
- Charles Alexis Legault (Hand Injury | Out 3-4 Months From November 11)
- Noah Philp (Concussion Protocol | No Timetable For Return)
- Jaccob Slavin (Upper-Body Injury | Week-to-Week as of December 22; Returned To Practice January 6)
Scratches:
- Jesperi Kotkaniemi
- Mike Reilly
Power Play Units:
- PP1: Aho, Ehlers (Staal), Jarvis, and Svechnikov with Gostisbehere
- PP2: Blake, Hall and Stankoven with Miller and Nikishin
Jordan Staal has been taking faceoffs for the first power play unit. If he wins the draw, he stays on the ice to continue the play. However, once the puck exits the zone, he makes way for Nikolaj Ehlers, who takes his place.
What do you think about Slavin's return? Will it make a decisive difference in the game against the Kraken? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
