Carolina Hurricanes: 5 Unanswered Questions after a Questionable November

When is Erik Haula ever going to get back and healthy?

Erik Haula got hurt halfway through the month and we have yet to hear any update on his situation. No return timeline, no evidence of any treatment, and no sighting of the player anywhere since. That scares me. While he isn’t the glass cannon that Micheal Ferland was, this seems all too familiar to the heavy checking forward’s situation from last year.

Both men came into Carolina and started making splashes early and scoring. Ferland brought a physicality that was more visible than anything Carolina had in the past but it came with a heavy price. Haula was a mastermind when it came to the powerplay and his absence is clearly missed.

Ferland had since moved on to Vancouver where he continues to move on and off the IR. Haula seems to be bugged by his knee and some reports indicate that when he aggravated it once again it began to swell and the only medicine for him was time off, rest, and perhaps some ice. The question becomes, will this become something of a regularity and can Carolina afford it?

Haula is an excellent hockey player with a high hockey IQ. There is no doubt about what he brings to the table. A healthy Haula is a dangerous player on the ice. An injured Haula is one that is eating up Cap space and possibly keeping the team from acquiring a forward to replace him without placing him on the LTIR.

The fact that he technically isn’t on the Injury Reserve is a reassuring one. Who knows, perhaps as you read this Haula is lacing up his skates to test out his knee and let us know for certain when he can be back.