4. Brett Pesce is needed in the lineup
Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce are the top defensive unit for Peters and the Canes. They provide stability on the back end that is unmatched by almost any other top defensive pairing in the league.
However, Pesce missed three games while going through concussion protocol after getting injured in practice. That left Peters scrambling to figure out the defensive pairings, especially the first pairing alongside Slavin.
While Trevor van Riemsdyk was solid for the Canes so far, he did not play well when paired with Slavin. Justin Faulk was a good replacement and Hanifin was good also. However, nothing can match the defensive guru that is Pesce on the blue line.
Neither Slavin nor Pesce notched a single point, but they were able to lock down the Jackets top players in Cam Atkinson and Artemi Panarin, holding both without a point. That is what the Canes need them to do on a nightly basis.