The Hurricanes announced that they’ve recalled defenseman Riley Stillman from AHL Chicago. The team had an open roster spot, but center Jack Drury was moved to injured reserve in a corresponding transaction.
Stillman, 26, has been sent between the NHL and AHL countless times this season. Used as a frequent healthy extra, he’s yet to see NHL ice in 2024-25 but has been rostered for seven games since returning from offseason lower-body surgery in mid-November. He was sent to the minors before the holiday break and wasn’t necessarily expected back after the Canes summoned Ty Smith over the weekend. However, after Shayne Gostisbehere missed Saturday’s win over the Devils with an upper-body injury, they were down to six healthy defensemen on the active roster.
Thus, Stillman comes back up to serve as a familiar extra option for the time being while the more offensively-inclined Smith suits up in Gostisbehere’s absence. Smith and Stillman had been in the same boat for most of the season, serving as a No. 7 but never getting into the lineup. That changed over the weekend when Gostisbehere’s injury marked the first time a regular Carolina defenseman has missed a game all season.
If the left-shot Stillman does get an NHL shot, it will be his first NHL appearance since April 2023 with the Sabres. While on assignment to the AHL this year, he has a goal and three assists with 11 PIMs and a -1 rating in nine appearances. In 158 career NHL games with the Panthers, Blackhawks, Canucks, and Sabres, he has four goals and 22 assists for 26 points with a -19 rating, 104 PIMs, and 318 hits while averaging 15:49 per game.
Drury’s IR placement doesn’t affect his timeline for a return from hand surgery that he underwent earlier this month. He’s not expected back until Jan. 15 against Buffalo at the earliest.