Veteran toughness in Carolina. Deslauriers cherishing a rare playoff chance and is ready to contribute with his unique style.
The Carolina Hurricanes had a pretty forgettable trade deadline this year when you compare it to the blockbusters that were the previous two seasons (Jake Guentzel out of left field, the Mikko Rantanen fiasco).
There really weren't any notable moves to make this season, so instead the team opted to stand pat and make just one addition for a depth forward.
However, if you're Nicolas Deslauriers, I don't know if you could have asked for a better move.
The veteran pugilist went from the Philadelphia Flyers, (a team that at the time looked like a real longshot at making the playoffs, but now sit just one game away from advancing to the second round funny enough) to a true Stanley Cup contender.
A veteran of over 90 NHL fights, Deslauriers is regarded as one of the toughest SOBs in the entire league and that's something that has been sorely missing in Carolina.
Right away, he was welcomed into the Canes' locker room with open arms and you can just tell how much the guys have enjoyed having him around.
And for Deslauriers too, the Hurricanes' locker room just felt like home.
"There's so much," Deslauriers said when asked about his favorite things about being in Carolina. "I think just the culture, this is eight years in a row now for playoffs, and the maturity. The young guys just work so hard too. It's kind of a little bit of everything and it's made it an easy transition for me."
But for the 35 year old, 6-foot-1, 218lb tank of a man, there's something even more special about being a part of this group.
The veteran has been in the league for a long time, 13 seasons now, yet he's only ever appeared in one postseason series.
The veteran winger appeared in five playoff games back in 2022 as a member of the Minnesota Wild, but Deslauriers said he was injured back then and opted to play through it.
So for Deslauriers, his Game 4 appearance wasn't necessarily his first taste of playoff hockey, but it was the first time he's felt healthy going into the postseason.
"This was the first time I felt 100%," Deslauriers said. "So it was good, exciting."
Deslauriers knows at this point in his career and on a team like Carolina, he isn't here to play night in and night out.
No, his role is to be a good teammate in the locker room and bring some good vibes and energy.
But if his name is called, he's more than ready to bring his game to the table.
And so when Nikolaj Ehlers was ruled out for Game 4 against the Ottawa Senators, Deslauriers knew what to do.
"I'm not here to take a spot," Deslauriers said. "I'm here to wait until my name gets called upon. I hope Fly comes back because he's such a big key for us. But I was ready and I tried to make an impact."
The veteran didn't play very much in that game, in fact he logged more penalty minutes (4) then playing time (3:09), but he still managed to have four hits, a block, a shot on goal and did a pretty good job taunting the Senators bench in that span.
"I don't know if I've seen a guy play as little as that and have as much impact on a game," said Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour. "I mean, it was every shift. He's been just what we needed around here. The guys love him and he's been impactful on the ice when he's played."
"I was excited," Deslauriers said on his Hurricanes playoff debut. "That's what I want to bring. I think the guys are starting to know me a little bit and my character too. I didn't play much, but I wanted to be an impactful player even if it was just on the bench. I like to keep everyone calm and if there's something that happens, I'll be the first one in there."
And most notably, Deslauriers is a guy who is ready to stand up for his teammates.
When the Canes lost Alexander Nikishin after a late hit by Tyler Kleven, Deslauriers was ready to go ballistic and started challenging just about everyone on the Ottawa bench.
"Sometimes the wires touch," Deslauriers joked.
While he might not necessarily see much action, the veteran has already acclimated himself well not only to the room, but also the fanbase, who's been looking to get a guy with that level of snarl for quite a long time.
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