May 10, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Hurricanes center Jack Roslovic (96) celebrates his goal against the Washington Capitals during the second period in game three of the second round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Lenovo Center. (James Guillory-Imagn Images)

Jack Roslovic wasn't on the ice when the Carolina Hurricanes clinched their first-round series. He wasn't even on the bench.

Instead, the forward was watching from a press box on the fifth level of Lenovo Center, having been a healthy scratch for the past two games.

Despite tying his career-high in goals (22) and appearing in all but one regular season game (he only missed that one due to illness too), the 28-year-old wasn't in the lineup in a critical game.

Roslovic had started the series against New Jersey, even having a hand in the team's opening goal in Game 1, but after a double overtime loss in Game 3, he found himself replaced by trade deadline acquisition, Mark Jankowski.

"We talked before the series that I wanted to get [Mark Jankowski] in there, but it was just that for the first time all year, we get to the playoffs and were fully healthy up front, which we hadn't had that," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour on the decision to change his lineup. "It was a tough decision to leave him off to start, but I felt like after the other night, it was a good time to throw him in."

It's not easy being the odd-man out, but it was going to have to be somebody.

With 14 healthy forwards on the roster, Carolina had some tough decisions to make.

"That was not an easy decision," Brind'Amour said. "It was the first time we had been healthy all year. Basically the start of the playoffs up front.

"It wasn't because of his play or any reason to take him out, we just can't dress everybody."

Roslovic doesn't pretend to be unfazed by the situation. I mean, like every NHL player, he's a competitor. He wants to be out there. But he's also mature enough to know it's not about him.

"From the day that I got here, I realized the buy in, and it sounds cliche, but the comradery and the way we're coached and the way we all buy in to one system," Roslovic said.

Roslovic was still watching from above when the Canes started their second-round series against the Washington Capitals, but after Jankowski went down with an injury in that opening game, Roslovic had an opportunity to get right back into the lineup.

"We made that decision knowing that if someone gets hurt, he's the one going in," Brind'Amour said. "There was no second guessing that."

Game 2 was a good showing for the versatile forward, outchancing the Capitals 20-8 in his minutes, but the team just wasn't able to find the scoresheet.

But in Game 3, Roslovic made his presence felt with a huge goal, giving the Hurricanes a 2-0 lead heading into the third period, which led to them eventually putting the hammer down at the end.

"It's a deep team, a really good team so it's nice to come back and try to help the guys out as best I can," Roslovic said.

He also picked up another assist in that game and continued to be strong in the dot, now with a 57.1% faceoff win percentage this postseason.

"Obviously that was a huge goal," Brind'Amour said. "During the regular season, he's a guy that can score. When he gets a chance, he can put it in the net and he did tonight. He's got a lot of value to us because he plays center, plays right wing, is great on the power play. We're lucky to have gotten him."

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Healthy Scratch To Impact Player: Jack Roslovic Stepping Up For Carolina Hurricanes