Key Hurricanes battling injuries and illness ahead of Rangers clash. Roster shuffles loom as several game-time decisions hang in the balance.
The Carolina Hurricanes just can't seem to get their entire roster together this season.
Returning home from a four-game road trip, the Canes took the ice for practice on Tuesday, but notably missing a handful of key players.
The Hurricanes were without five players: Jaccob Slavin, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, K'Andre Miller, Jordan Staal and Pyotr Kochetkov, and all five could potentially be out for Wednesday's game against the New York Rangers.
Staal missed Sunday's game in Buffalo with an illness and it still something he's working through.
"Jordo's still not feeling great," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "He had the flu or whatever, but I'm hopeful that he'll be ready to go tomorrow."
Kochetkov was supposed to play in Winnipeg, but apparently his injury from earlier in the season has flared back up. He hasn't dressed for a game since his win in Boston and he is not expected to dress tomorrow either.
"It's kind of what he dealt with before and it just doesn't feel right," Brind'Amour said. "Goalies are kind of interesting. If it doesn't feel quite right, it's hard to go in there."
Miller has been logging big minutes for the Hurricanes and has already dealt with an injury once this season and seems to be a bit banged up again.
"Miller, he got... I don't know what the word is, but nicked up against Buffalo," Brind'Amour said. "He didn't feel good. Finished the game and everything, so I would hope he'd play tomorrow, but that still remains to be seen."
The former New York blueliner has yet to suit up against his old team so far this season.
While Slavin and Kotkaniemi skated on their own before the official practice, neither is close to a return yet per Brind'Amour.
"I don't really have any updates on any of those other guys, unfortunately," Brind'Amour said "I wish I did. Until they get practicing with us, it's not really worth talking about."
The Canes have three goaltenders and seven defensemen, so they can absorb the absences of Kochetkov and Miller right now if need be, but if Staal can't go, the team will need to make a callup in order to have 12 forwards in the lineup.
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