Thanks to their tremendous organizational depth, the Carolina Hurricanes overcame several injuries both before and during their six-game road trip to emerge 4-2-0 against six high-quality opponents. It took the entire team, from their superstars up front to the goalies behind them, to get home with eight points in the bank.
They began the trip without Jaccob Slavin and Pyotr Kochetkov, who stayed at home while nursing injuries. Then, they proceeded to lose Shayne Gostisbehere, K'Andre Miller, William Carrier, and Eric Robinson over the final four stops. It forced several youngsters into the lineup, all of whom played well in their absence.
The hope was that we'd get positive news following Monday's practice, especially regarding the players who didn't travel or were sent home early to recover. When speaking with the media, Rod Brind'Amour provided clarity on the six injured players, with a few encouraging updates that could trickle into Tuesday's return home against Vegas.
Shayne Gostisbehere and Pyotr Kochetkov might be available on Tuesday
The best sign we could've expected was seeing Gostisbehere and Kochetkov on the ice with the team for Monday's practice. Both were full participants in normal sweaters, with Gostisbehere spending much of the practice paired with Jalen Chatfield, while Kochetkov cycled through with Frederik Andersen and Brandon Bussi.
While Brind'Amour hadn't spoken with Gostisbehere before updating the media present, that Gostisbehere was a full participant and worked with the top power play feels like a good indication that he could be ready to face the Golden Knights. If not on Tuesday, he should be ready by Thursday's tilt with the New York Islanders.
Goalies are a lot tougher to predict, especially since the head coach plays that close to the vest in the lead up to games. I wouldn't go so far to suggest that Kochetkov will be in the net on Tuesday, but I wouldn't call it impossible for him to be dressed on the bench backing up, more than likely, Frederik Andersen, with a chance to make his season debut on Thursday or Saturday in Boston.
The rest of the injured list is uncertain at the moment
As Gostisbehere and Kochetkov returned to the ice, the same can't be said for Jaccob Slavin or K'Andre Miller. Both defenders are still being bothered with lower-body concerns. It appears that Miller is a little closer to a return than Slavin, who Brind'Amour described as "a little ways away," with little indication as they when either will be ready to return.
The outlook for both Eric Robinson and William Carrier seems better than what had been initially reported, too. What appeared to be a long-term concern for both players might be weeks rather than months, especially with neither expected to need surgery for their current ailments. While it'll still be a while, it's better news than expected for both forwards.
It's hard not to be excited about this news. The Hurricanes got to the other side of the trip. Now, things can return to some semblence of normalcy over the next little while. Even if neither Gostisbehere nor Kochetkov is ready on Tuesday, their returns feel imminent. Slavin and Miller should be close behind them. It's positive news for the team, especially with how competitive the division is.