Trevor Carrick was not long for the NHL. After being recalled on Saturday by the Carolina Hurricanes after Trevor van Riemsdyk ended up on injured reserve, he played just 7:32 in yesterday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. Head coach Bill Peters decided to rotate through five defensemen instead of using Carrick much, and the team has now returned him to the Charlotte Checkers where he will continue to develop his game.
This could mean that van Riemsdyk is ready to return, as he was eligible to come of IR several days ago. If his concussion symptoms have disappeared, he could be back in the lineup tomorrow night. Otherwise, Klas Dahlbeck seems likely to get the call.
The Hurricanes have enough defensive depth to overcome van Riemsdyk’s absence, but had trouble scoring goals before yesterday’s outburst. The team is 2-1-1, but had just six goals in their first three games before potting five against Edmonton. If this team is truly going to compete for an Eastern Conference playoff spot, they’ll need to start scoring in bunches like last night.