- In a report from Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News, New York Islanders forward Matt Martin was not on the ice for practice, and rookie forward Ruslan Iskhakov has appeared to take his spot in the lineup. The change could be for a few reasons, as the Islanders may be looking to inject more offense into their lineup, after failing to score more than one goal in Game 1, and failing to close out Game 2 after holding a lead. Furthermore, Martin could be a tad banged up after Game 2, as he got into a fight with Carolina Hurricanes forward Stefan Noesen towards the end of the game.
- Not suiting up in any games for the Hurricanes so far this playoffs, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer reports that Carolina forward Jesper Fast is once again not on the ice for practice. This rules him out for tomorrow night’s game, as head coach of the Hurricanes, Rod Brind’Amour relayed earlier that if Fast is unable to practice today, he would not be in the lineup for Game 3.
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Hurricanes Rumors
Brett Pesce Likely Out For Remainder Of First Round
According to Luke DeCock of The News & Observer, the Carolina Hurricanes will be without one of their better defensemen for the rest of their first-round series against the New York Islanders. DeCoxk reports that Brett Pesce suffered a non-contact injury in Game 2 of the series, and will likely miss the rest of the first round as he’s considered week-to-week.
Since Pesce is only considered week-to-week and could jump back into the lineup as soon as the second round if Carolina can advance, it is more than likely that Pesce did not endure any sort of tear. As one of the more steady defensemen on the roster, it is still a tough blow to the Hurricanes as they look to take a commanding lead in the series tomorrow night.
Playing in all 82 games last season for Carolina as well as 15 games in last year’s playoffs, Pesce suffered a lower-body injury earlier in the season that kept him out of the lineup for nearly a month. Still managing to suit up in 70 games this season, Pesce scored three goals and 13 points, only on the ice for 65 goals against in 1,420 minutes of action.
Fortunately for the Hurricanes, they have built one of the best defensive cores in the league over the last several years, which should give them ample opportunity to withstand the Islanders in the first round. Given that Pesce was playing on the second-paring with Brady Skjei to start the playoffs, the team will have the chance to plug in Scott Morrow, Jalen Chatfield, Dylan Coghlan, or Tony DeAngelo to fill the void.
Hurricanes Recall Three Players From AHL
Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal is reporting that the Carolina Hurricanes have recalled three players from the AHL after their seasons came to an end. The Hurricanes have brought up defenseman Dylan Coghlan, forward Max Comtois, as well as goaltender Antti Raanta to serve as Black Aces during the Hurricanes playoff run. Without a salary cap or roster limit in the playoffs, the Hurricanes can bring in extra players to serve as depth during the postseason.
Coghlan played all but one game this season in the AHL with the Springfield Thunderbirds. The 26-year-old posted 16 goals and 25 assists in 61 games with Springfield, while he managed to get into one NHL game with Carolina where he was held scoreless. Coghlan was an NHL regular with the Vegas Golden Knights just two years ago and was dealt to Carolina alongside Max Pacioretty for future considerations back in July 2022.
Comtois also dressed in just one NHL game this season with Carolina, posting a single assist in 13:04 of ice time back on April 16th. The 25-year-old spent most of his season with the Chicago Wolves where he posted 19 goals and 25 assists in 65 AHL games. Comtois looked like a breakthrough player during the shortened 2020-21 season after he tallied 16 goals and 17 assists in 55 NHL games with the Anaheim Ducks, however, his point totals dropped to 16 and 19 over the next two seasons and the Ducks elected to not qualify him last summer leading to him becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Raanta was solid with Carolina in the two seasons before this year, dressing in 55 games and posting a 34-8-7 record with a save percentage over .910. However, this year the 34-year-old’s play has fallen off a cliff as Raanta has struggled at both the NHL and AHL levels. In 24 games this season, Raanta has a 12-7-2 record with a .872 save percentage and a 2.99 goals-against average, while his AHL numbers with Chicago are even worse as he’s 2-2-4 in eight AHL games, sporting a 3.54 goals-against average and a .873 save percentage.
Michael Emerson Commits To Merrimack
- Hurricanes youngster Michael Emerson has committed to Merrimack, reports Mike McMahon of College Hockey News (Twitter link). The winger was a sixth-round pick last year, going 190th overall. He started the season at North Dakota but left after six games, opting to go back to USHL Chicago, where he posted 20 points in 27 contests.
Fast Ruled Out For Game One
The Hurricanes will be without one of their wingers for their series opener against the Islanders today. Chip Alexander and Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer relay that Jesper Fast will be unavailable for the first game of the series at a minimum due to a neck strain suffered on Tuesday in the final game of the regular season. However, the injury isn’t expected to keep the veteran out for long as GM Don Waddell said that it’s “a matter of days” before Fast returns to the ice though head coach Rod Brind’Amour added the 32-year-old won’t play until he gets at least one full practice in. Fast is coming off a quiet year that saw him collect just 19 points in 73 games but he was one of Carolina’s key secondary scorers in the playoffs last season so they’ll certainly be hoping he can return as soon as possible.
Hurricanes Reassign Dylan Coghlan, Max Comtois
The Hurricanes have reassigned defenseman Dylan Coghlan and winger Max Comtois to AHL Springfield and Chicago, respectively, GM Don Waddell announced today. The latter recorded an assist in his Carolina debut, a 6-3 loss to the Blue Jackets yesterday. Both were summoned yesterday to play spot duty in the Canes’ final game of the season while they rested multiple stars, including Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin.
Comtois, 25, has posted 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 62 games with Chicago this season, his first as a professional outside the Ducks organization. He was a second-round pick of Anaheim in 2017. He led the team in scoring during the shortened 2021 season but followed that up with 35 points and a -37 rating in 116 games over the following two years and was not given a qualifying offer when his contract expired last summer.
The Quebec native didn’t land an NHL offer in free agency and ended up in training camp with the Golden Knights on a PTO but failed to earn a contract. He signed a minor league pact with Chicago shortly thereafter, and the Canes picked up his NHL rights on a one-year, two-way contract in early March. They’ll maintain control of his signing rights this summer as a pending RFA with arbitration rights.
Coghlan, 26, is in his second season in the Carolina organization. Most of his time with the Canes has been spent in the minors, though, and yesterday was his first and only NHL appearance of the season. He was held without a point and posted a -2 rating in nearly 18 minutes of ice time. With no AHL affiliation agreement in place in 2023-24, Carolina has loaned Coghlan out to Springfield, the Blues’ top-level affiliate, for the whole season. He’s got 16 goals and 41 points in 59 games there, leading their defenders in scoring.
The former Golden Knight was trending toward being a full-time NHLer during the end of his time in Vegas, recording 13 points in 59 appearances with them in 2021-22 while averaging 14:12 per game. However, he was traded to Carolina following that season as the sweetener for them to take the final season of winger Max Pacioretty’s contract at a $7MM cap hit. He played sparingly for the Canes last year, averaging 12:43 per game in 17 appearances, and re-signed with them at an $850K cap hit last July after reaching restricted free agency. He’ll be an RFA again this summer, his final year of such eligibility.
Hurricanes Recall Dylan Coghlan, Max Comtois
Now that the Carolina Hurricanes have officially clinched the second spot in the Metropolitan Division, the organization has opted to sit a multitude of players for the team’s game tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets. With several spots in the lineup open, the team has called up defenseman Dylan Coghlan and forward Max Comtois from the Springfield Thunderbirds and Chicago Wolves, respectively.
Coghlan has been a part of the Hurricanes organization for the last two years, coming over from the Vegas Golden Knights in a trade including Max Pacioretty. Although he played 17 games in Carolina last season, tonight will mark the first time that Coghlan has suited up for the Hurricanes this season. A strong performer in AHL Springfield, Coghlan has scored 16 goals and 41 points in 59 games and is sitting second on the team in scoring overall.
Comtois, on the other hand, is in his first season with the Hurricanes organization after spending the last five years with the Anaheim Ducks. Failing to become a consistent goal-scorer in Orange County, Comtois had to settle for an AHL contract in AHL Chicago this past offseason. Appearing to reacquire some of his offensive talents, Comtois has scored 19 goals and 43 points in 62 games for the Wolves this season, which may be enough to earn him a league-minimum contract on an NHL roster next year.
Three Hurricanes Return From Undisclosed Injuries
- A flurry of lineup changes are taking place for the Hurricanes in today’s match against the Blackhawks, the team’s Walt Ruff relays. Captain Jordan Staal and defensemen Jalen Chatfield and Brett Pesce will return after missing Friday’s win over the Blues with undisclosed injuries. Brady Skjei will exit the lineup for load management down the stretch, while winger Teuvo Teräväinen remains out for a second straight game with an undisclosed injury. It’s the second-to-last game on Carolina’s schedule, and a regulation loss today locks them into second place in the Metropolitan Division.
Prospect Zion Nybeck Signs With Oskarshamn
- Hurricanes prospect Zion Nybeck has changed teams in Sweden as Oskarshamn in Sweden’s Allsvenskan announced that they’ve signed the forward to a one-year deal. The 21-year-old was a fourth-round pick back in 2020 (115th overall) but the majority of his time professionally has been spent in the second division. This past season, Nybeck had 17 goals and 27 assists in 52 games with AIK, good for second on the team in scoring. Carolina has until June 1st to sign Nybeck and the fact he’s staying in Sweden suggests that the Hurricanes won’t be doing so.
Hurricanes Sign Jackson Blake To Entry-Level Contract
The Hurricanes have signed right-wing prospect Jackson Blake to a three-year, entry-level contract effective immediately, per a team release. Blake will receive a $775K base salary in 2023-24 and $832.5K in 2024-25 and 2025-26, plus signing bonuses of $92.5K each year. He’ll earn $80K at the AHL level for all three seasons. Brad Elliott Schlossman of the Grand Forks Herald reported yesterday that Blake had traveled to Raleigh and was likely to turn pro.
Blake, 20, spent the last two seasons with the University of North Dakota, where he quickly emerged as one of the top young players in the college circuit. A 2021 fourth-round pick of the Canes, Blake exploded for 42 points (16 goals, 26 assists) in 39 games with the Fighting Hawks in his freshman year, leading the team in scoring and capturing three NCHC year-end honors, including the conference’s Rookie of the Year. He was also named to the USA’s roster for the 2023 World Juniors, where he contributed to their bronze-medal effort with a goal and five assists in seven games.
Blake took things to another level this season, finishing fourth in collegiate scoring with 60 points (22 goals, 38 assists) in 40 games. As a result, he was the team’s nominee for the Hobey Baker Award for the top collegiate player and is one of three finalists for the award alongside presumptive 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini and top Ducks prospect Cutter Gauthier.
Described as an “explosive playmaker” by Hurricanes GM Don Waddell, Blake checked in as the number-four prospect in Carolina’s system in The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler’s 2024 ranking of NHL prospect pools. Two of three players ahead of him, defenseman Scott Morrow and winger Bradly Nadeau, have also turned pro out of college in the last couple of weeks and signed ELCs effective immediately.
The son of former Islanders winger Jason Blake is the eldest and most polished of the three and is most likely to land a spot on Carolina’s opening-night roster in 2024-25. Thanks to his August birthday, he’ll be 21 at the start of next season. He’ll be an RFA upon expiry of his deal in 2026.