The Carolina Hurricanes embarked on their annual State Fair trip last weekend. After five games in eight days, the Canes returned to Raleigh with a 3-1-1 record, earning seven valuable points, and it didn't come without its share of challenges. They were already without their captain, and the injuries kept coming. Nevertheless, the team persevered and did some great work.
With injuries plaguing the trip, the Hurricanes used 22 skaters. Of those 22, 19 recorded at least one point, and the only players who didn't- Felix Unger Sorum, Skyler Brind'Amour, and Mike Reilly- weren't in the lineup for every game. Teams can talk about getting contributions from everyone until they're blue in the face. The Canes back it up on the scoresheet.
While everyone showed up for the team during the trip, some did more than others. To put a bow on the State Fair journey, I wanted to talk about those who stepped up, those who could've done a little more, and a few who fell somewhere in between. There was much more good than bad over the last week as the Canes kept their momentum rolling with them.
Home, Sweet Home: Andrei Svechnikov
Heading out west, Andrei Svechnikov was on a heater. He'd recorded back-to-back multi-point games in the lead-up to the trip, including a two-goal, three-point performance in the final home game against Washington. He had 11 points in eight games to start the year. Once he got on the road, production came to a near halt.
Svechnikov didn't find the scoresheet until the final stop in St. Louis. His puck retrieval allowed the Canes to score on the power play in the third period, giving Svechnikov the secondary helper. Outside of Vancouver, where he had six shots, Svechnikov wasn't throwing much at the net. He was held to just one shot in three of the five games. The good news? He didn't take any penalties either.
On the Rise: Nicolas Deslauriers
I don't know what got into Nicolas Deslauriers during this trip, but he suddenly decided that he was going to turn into a point producer, and we're all grateful for it. The veteran didn't play in the opening game against Winnipeg, stepping in when Mark Jankowski was injured ahead of the contest in Calgary. All he did was set up the opening goal.
His best performance came in Vancouver, where he showed that he was a sniper. His first goal of the contest saw him get the goalie moving before elevating a shot from in tight. Notice how I said "first" goal because he'd get another before the end of the night, and it would be the game-winner. While he didn't score in the final two games, his three points bested his total from all of last season.
On the Rise: Jesperi Kotkaniemi
After not playing in the first two games of the season, Jesperi Kotkaniemi has dressed for every game since then. He started the season on the wing, but injuries have forced him back to center ice, and he has thrived with each opportunity given. He is playing some of his best hockey in a few years after recording four points in five games.
Kotkaniemi picked up a point in four of the five contests, including goals on back-to-back nights in Winnipeg and Calgary. He scored three times, adding his third in St. Louis on Saturday and finishing third on the team away from home. He was also a team-best +6. I've said it a few times, but it's a very good thing that the Canes didn't let him go this offseason after much speculation that he was gone.
Holding Steady: Seth Jarvis
Truthfully, I just wanted an excuse to talk about Seth Jarvis and his return from offseason shoulder surgery. After nothing but bad news on the injury front for most of the trip, it was nice to see Jarvis back in the lineup against Edmonton on Thursday. I don't want to say that I called it, though I guessed early that this would be the stop we'd see him return.
Not only was he back in the lineup. He was contributing, too. Obviously, there were some adjustments that needed to be made after not seeing NHL action for over four months. When he scored that gorgeous goal against the Oilers, it felt like Jarvis was back for good. He added two more assists in St. Louis in the second period. It's good to have Jarvis back in the lineup. The Canes needed him.
Home, Sweet Home: Brandon Bussi
While the Canes are keen on deploying their tandem as evenly as possible, it is clear that one goalie has met the challenge, and the other has struggled to find consistency. Brandon Bussi falls in the latter category. He was in the net for both of Carolina's losses during the road trip, though I'd argue you could call him a "touch-luck loser" on both occasions.
His start in Calgary last Sunday wasn't that bad. He finished with 31 saves in a 3-2 loss, and the winning goal was as much on the defense as it was on him. However, the game in Edmonton was the one that had people talking. Bussi stopped just 16 of 21 shots and conceded the only goal in the shootout. The tying goal in regulation was particularly tough, with the team really needing that stop.
On the Rise: Pyotr Kochetkov
Conversely, Pyotr Kochetkov maintained his perfect start, accounting for all three of the team's wins to improve to 7-0-0. His seven consecutive wins to open the season trail only Frederik Andersen's eight in 2021-22. It also matches the longest winning streak of his career after winning seven straight games in 2024-25. Kochetkov has been on a roll to start the year.
Each start on this road trip featured at least one game-saving save. In Winnipeg, he shut down a few odd-man chances with sprawling stops. In Vancouver, his only "rough" start, and in St. Louis, he denied breakaways in tie games before his team finally took over. His victory over the Blues was a 24-save shutout, his first of the season and the 12th of his career. Kochetkov is the team's #1 right now.
On the Rise: Jackson Blake
It was a quiet start to the trip for Jackson Blake, with Taylor Hall's injury certainly playing a part in that. He was a -2 against Calgary and didn't have a point during the back-to-back to begin the road trip. One small tweak in Vancouver changed that. Over the final three stops, Blake recorded five points, finishing tied for third on the team.
It began with a three-assist game against the Canucks, as his line combined for nine points in the win. He found the back of the net on the power play in Edmonton, scoring his second goal. Against the Blues, Blake drew a penalty and assisted on the game-opening goal during the delayed sequence for his 100th NHL point. He has blossomed into an incredible playmaker.
Holding Steady: Sebastian Aho
Almost everything I said about the start of Blake's trip could be applied to Sebastian Aho as well. He recorded an assist against Calgary, but he wasn't driving the play or finding ways to be incredibly dangerous through the first three games, which was wild considering the team's offensive efforts against Vancouver. Fortunately, he found a way to stick the landing.
Aho recorded multi-point games in Edmonton and St. Louis, scoring a goal and adding an assist against the Oilers before picking up two assists against the Blues. He played over 20 minutes in each game, except for the finale. He also won nearly 60 percent of his face-offs over the five games. Aho still sits atop the team lead with 18 points, with his 11 helpers tied with Blake for the most.
On the Rise: Logan Stankoven
I'm not sure how you can look at Logan Stankoven's start to the season and not be incredibly impressed. It was a slow build, but his hat trick against the Canucks earlier this month helped kickstart an incendiary run. After two slower games, with just an assist against the Jets, I think he needed another game against Vancouver to find himself again.
In front of 400 friends and family members, Stankoven tortured the Canucks a second time, scoring twice and adding an assist for his second three-point contest of the season. It began a three-game goal streak that he's carrying home with him. Stankoven owns the team lead in goals (8), one more than Aho, after tying for the team lead while traveling.
On the Rise: Nikolaj Ehlers
Maybe we need to come to terms with the idea that Nikolaj Ehlers is a slow starter. While he had four assists to begin the season, Ehlers had yet to find the back of the net. He chose a very appropriate time to get his first of the season, wiring a power-play goal home in Winnipeg, providing the game-winning goal against his former team in the third period.
Moving Ehlers next to Stankoven and Blake was the real catalyst. He also had a three-point game in Vancouver, giving up his hat trick to get Stankoven his second goal of the night. Ehlers recorded his 600th point in Edmonton before scoring a fourth goal in St. Louis. Ehlers mirrored Stankoven's line for the trip, tying him with four goals and six points. I think Ehlers has finally gotten going again.
Add us as a preferred source on Google