The Carolina Hurricanes will be without star winger Andrei Svechnikov for at least a little bit longer according to head coach Rod Brind'Amour.

"We kind of hoped that he would be ready," Brind'Amour said after Tuesday's practice. "Certainly looks good and everything, but that's not something you want to rush him back from. He's close, but not ready."

As such, Svechnikov will miss the Canes' season opener, a home game against the Ottawa Senators.

"I feel pretty good, but it's still been hard," Svechnikov said. "I haven't played hockey for a while and I'm just trying to get back with the boys."

Svechnikov — who didn't play in a single preseason game and has worn a yellow, no-contact jersey throughout the duration of training camp — was reevaluated on Monday, but according to Brind'Amour, he didn't reach the necessary benchmarks

"The medical staff here has a certain criteria he has to reach with the strength [of the knee] and he's obviously not quite there," Brind'Amour said.

It's been 208 days and nearly seven months since Svechnikov underwent reconstructive surgery on his right ACL (March 16, 2023-October 10, 2023) and the forward has been trending in the right direction, but just isn't quite ready.

"You watch him out here and you can't tell that there's anything there," Brind'Amour said. "But you just can't take a chance. He's got to be 100% and feel that he's good to go and then it will happen."

Last season, Svechnikov had 23 goals and 55 points in just 64 games and was a game breaker for the Canes before going down in mid-March.

Carolina is certainly a less dynamic team without him, but they have more than enough talent to hold them over until Svechnikov's return, especially with the addition of Michael Bunting.

"We had an idea that this could possibly happen," Brind'Amour said. "We played without him a lot, unfortunately, at the end of the year and through preseason here. It is what it is. It's next guy up and we're just going to keep going and hope he returns soon"

But soon, may not be immediately as Brind'Amour wasn't too sure that Svechnikov would be joining the team for their six-game road trip following the home opener.

"Probably not... well I don't know, we'll see," Brind'Amour said when asked if Svechnikov would make the trip. "He's real close but it's got to be right. I don't anticipate it happening though."

Regardless of how many games he misses, it's important that Svechnikov returns fully healthy and ready to go because Carolina is going to need him come playoff time if they want to take home the ultimate prize.

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