The Canes acquired forwards Mikko Rantanen and Taylor Hall in exchange for Martin Necas and Jack Drury. The Carolina Hurricanes are in the midst of a battle right now and it's not just the one for a playoff spot. No, the much more immediate problem for the Canes is that some sort of illness has run through the locker room. The Hurricanes have already had three players in the last week miss games due to sickness (Jack Roslovic against NYR, Sebastian Aho and Taylor Hall against CHI) and it seems like the problem is only getting worse as captain Jordan Staal is the latest absence. Following the team's morning skate before their Saturday night game against the LA Kings, coach Rod Brind'Amour declared that the whole team was essentially a game-time decision. "All these guys are questionable, so I don't know," Brind'Amour said. "We sent [Staal] home but he's on the fence whether or not he's going to play. I don't know any lineups so don't even ask me. I'll know at 5:30." It's a tough blow for Carolina, but one the team is just going to have to try and push through. Since the outbreak, the team is 2-0-0, even with having to play down a man against the Blackhawks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/carolina-hurricanes-to-play-short-a-man-as-illness-sweeps-through-room] on Thursday. "It is what it is," Brind'Amour said. "It's unfortuante, but that's what we're dealing with. Got a game to play. Prepare whoever is ready to go the best we can and then we have to go after it." We'll find out tonight during warmups who all will be able to play for Carolina. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjEyMTgyOTk5MDg3NzIwMDY0/google-news.png] Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwmeDfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] to never miss a story.
