Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour has delivered some much-anticipated injury news regarding his top defender, Jaccob Slavin.
Slavin has been sidelined since suffering a lower-body injury against the Philadelphia Flyers on October 11. As a result, the American defender has missed the Canes’ last six games. Unfortunately for Hurricanes fans, Slavin is set to remain on the sidelines for the near future.
Brind’Amour spoke to reporters on October 27, following his team’s latest practice. According to NHL.com reporter Peter Dewar, the veteran coach said that Slavin is still “a little ways away” from returning to the lineup. While no specific return date was provided, it’s likely that Slavin will not feature in the team’s next few matchups.
Slavin was previously held out of all preseason preparations due to injury. During this time, he was seen wearing a knee brace while giving a pep talk to NC State’s football team. He managed to return to the starting lineup for the regular season opener but was once again spotted wearing the brace after the game against the Flyers.
### Hurricanes Hit by Injury Bug to Start Season
Slavin is not the only injury concern for the Hurricanes at the moment. Fellow defenders K’Andre Miller and Shayne Gostisbehere have also missed action due to injuries. On the offensive side, forwards Eric Robinson and William Carrier were lost during a victory against the Colorado Avalanche on October 23. Both wingers are expected to be long-term absentees.
Despite these setbacks, Brind’Amour provided some positive updates on the defensive corps. Gostisbehere participated fully in practice on October 27, showing progress in his recovery. Miller is expected to return soon as well; the coach mentioned that the former New York Ranger should be back “around the corner.”
In addition to these five skaters, the Hurricanes have been without goalkeeper Pyotr Kochetkov. The Russian netminder has yet to appear this season due to a lower-body injury. Like Gostisbehere, Kochetkov has returned to practice with the team. It remains to be seen whether he will serve as backup to veteran Frederik Andersen against the Las Vegas Golden Knights on October 28, or if Brind’Amour will continue with Brandon Bussi in that role for now.
### Canes Navigate Tough Road Trip Without Key Players
Despite the early injury challenges, the Hurricanes have maintained a strong start to the season. After a brief two-game homestand, the team just completed a six-game road trip out west. Missing several key players, the Canes still managed to secure victories in four of these away games.
Notably, the final four games of the road trip featured matchups against playoff contenders for the 2024/25 season. Canes defender Jalen Chatfield spoke about the team’s impressive 6-2 start following Monday’s practice.
“It shows what kind of team we have,” Chatfield told reporter Walt Ruff. “We have guys that stepped up, guys we called up, guys playing more minutes. We’ve got a couple of good wins, and still have a lot to learn, but overall, it was a pretty good trip.”
While injuries have tested the depth of the Carolina Hurricanes early on, the team’s resilience and adaptability bode well as they look ahead to a challenging season.
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