With October in the books, the holiday season is going to come fast and furious for the Carolina Hurricanes. The team faces a busy month ahead after a strong start to the season. However, injury concerns grow by the day, with a new player seemingly being added to the injury report after each game.
The Hurricanes enter November with a 7-3-0 record, sitting third in the division, behind Pittsburgh and New Jersey. They're one of the most prolific scoring teams in the league, while their defense, which has been destroyed by injuries, is operating at a league-average clip. Special teams haven't been as great, with the league's worst power play and the penalty kill missing its big guns.
The November schedule features a few repeats
For the 15-game slate in November, the Hurricanes will face 10 unique opponents. This means the Hurricanes will face five teams twice throughout the month, including both games in their season series with the Winnipeg Jets and the Minnesota Wild. They'll also face the Bruins twice on the road, and the Sabres and the Rangers both at home and on the road.
There are only two sets of back-to-backs on the schedule, marking the team's first two of the season. Only one features travel between games, with the other being a pair of home games. The Canes will play seven cross-conference games, five inter-conference games against the Atlantic Division, and three division games. Only seven games are against playoff teams from a season ago.
Games to Watch in November
5. November 21 vs. Winnipeg
Assuming nothing crazy happens between now and the 21st, Nikolaj Ehlers will make his highly anticipated return to Winnipeg. The 10-year Jet is among the most prolific scorers in the franchise's history, but he made the move to Raleigh over the summer, bringing an end to his decade in Winnipeg.
Despite Ehlers' departure, the Jets have continued to soar through the league's first month, sitting at the top of the conference after winning the President's Trophy a season ago. Mark Scheifele has already rewritten the history books this season, while Kyle Connor is still torching the back of the net. He'll be worth every penny of the $12 million per season extension he inked.
4. November 9 at Toronto
The second half of the first back-to-back of the campaign, the Hurricanes will host the Sabres on the 8th before flying across the border to meet Toronto. I hate back-to-backs with travel, but it's even tougher when you have to clear customs. Nevertheless, it's how things will operate next Saturday and Sunday. That in itself will provide a test for the Canes.
The Toronto Maple Leafs, as expected, aren't quite the same team without Mitch Marner, who was traded to Vegas this summer, but they're still plenty dangerous on offense, led by their "new" Core 4. Their issue has been health and goaltending in Joseph Woll's absence. They own the 4th-worst save percentage in the league, as of Halloween.
3. November 15 at Edmonton
Being in the Eastern Conference, I find the Hurricanes lucky to only face Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl twice a year instead of three or four times. On this night, the Canes will be facing them in the second half of a back-to-back, while Raleigh is the third stop on Edmonton's seven-game road trip along the East Coast.
You almost always know what to expect from the Oilers. The two-time defending Western Conference champs feature unbelievable skill, but their defense and goaltending can be lacking. Their start this season hasn't been anything incredible, but it's still early enough for them to figure things out. This should be a fun Saturday night in Raleighwood.
2. November 4 at New York (R)
It hasn't been the start I expected for the New York Rangers this season. After going from the President's Trophy winners in 2024 to missing the playoffs in 2025, the Rangers aren't off to the fastest of starts, though they scored a big comeback win over the Oilers to finish the month. However, with as packed as the division is, the Rangers are very much in the hunt.
The Hurricanes, historically, haven't been great at Madison Square Garden, but they earned two wins on the road en route to a season sweep of the Rangers a year ago. The Rangers, who've been without Vincent Trocheck for most of October, could get him back in time for the game, giving them a major boost when this major division collision happens on TNT on Tuesday night.
1. November 11 vs. Washington
With the Capitals being one of the Hurricanes' two division opponents they meet only three times, this Tuesday night battle is the only time Alex Ovechkin will make an appearance in Raleigh this season. This means it could also be the last time the league's all-time leading goal scorer visits the building he was drafted in, with his future uncertain beyond this season.
Outside of the Ovechkin of it all, this should be a spirited battle between playoff combatants after the Canes eliminated the Capitals in five games during the 2nd round of the playoffs. There is always plenty of bad blood when these two collide, especially after their brutal late-season encounter last season. Hopefully, the Canes will be a little healthier by the time Washington comes to town.