The Carolina Hurricanes concluded their six-game preseason schedule on Saturday in Nashville, fielding a lineup that closely resembled the one expected for the regular season opener at Lenovo Center against the New Jersey Devils.
Throughout the preseason, the team prioritized player health, limiting risks and providing opportunities for other players to showcase their abilities. Among those who stood out was forward Givani Smith, who joined training camp on a professional tryout. Smith drew attention early by engaging in fights during exhibition games and later added a goal to his record. Although he was assigned to the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Chicago Wolves after Friday’s game, Smith remains available for call-up if needed.
Bradly Nadeau also made an impression during camp. After a strong 32-goal season in the AHL last year, Nadeau produced five points in five exhibition games this preseason. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour commented on Nadeau’s progress: “It’s tough because, yeah, we’d love to keep him here, but we also have to figure out what makes sense,” after Nadeau was assigned to Chicago (AHL) last week. “You can see we have lots of forwards, so it wouldn’t really make sense at this point with the way the schedule worked out. (We’d rather) keep him going and keep him playing. Plus, he’s developing really well. We’ll obviously keep our eye on him. He did everything he needed to do.”
Brind’Amour also addressed whether Nadeau could be called up during the season: “It just depends on the kinds of call up. It has to be the right fit. We don’t want to call him up to play six minutes per night,” Brind’Amour continued. “It just depends on where we’re at. Obviously, he’s a high-end player for us and we love how he’s progressing.”
The Hurricanes finished their preseason with a 1-3-2 record but managed to avoid significant injuries as they prepare for Thursday’s opener. At the start of camp, Jaccob Slavin was held out as a precaution while K’Andre Miller and Mark Jankowski wore no-contact jerseys; Jalen Chatfield and Pyotr Kochetkov missed time due to minor injuries as well.
As of Sunday in Nashville, Chatfield, Jankowski, and Kochetkov all returned to skating activities and are expected to be ready for opening night. If either Miller or Slavin is unavailable for Thursday’s game against New Jersey, Mike Reilly and rookie Charles Alexis Legault are next in line for roster spots.
Legault distinguished himself over five preseason games with his defensive play and physical presence at 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds. Despite competition from Oliver Kylington and Gavin Bayreuther during training camp, Legault secured his place with consistent performance.
The Hurricanes now turn their focus toward starting their regular season campaign healthy and prepared at home.
