The Carolina Hurricanes are 2-0-0 after a pair of victories to begin the season against the Devils and the Flyers. They've gotten good performances from pretty much every player in their lineup to this point. Everything seems to be clicking, outside of their power play, for everyone. That's the good news.
The bad news is that the injury bug is rearing its ugly head early this season, and it might've gotten one of the team's most valuable players before the second week. It all began with Pyotr Kochetkov, who wasn't available for the first game, propelling newly claimed Brandon Bussi into the backup spot. On Saturday, Rod Brind'Amour expected Kochetkov to miss at least the next week.
Adding insult to injury, top defenseman Jaccob Slavin took his final shift with 4:00 left in the third period, keeping him off the ice for the start of overtime, which we've grown accustomed to seeing. Details were scarce following the game, with more expected to be known on Monday after the team skates and before it heads out of town.
These two injuries cast a unique light on the upcoming six-game road trip. The Canes are about to spend two weeks away from the Lenovo Center, potentially without two important pieces in the lineup. Here's a quick preview of what to expect from this road trip, and how Kochetkov's and Slavin's injuries could impact the next stretch of the schedule.
The trip features the toughest four-game stretch on the schedule
This six-game road trip is the team's longest of the season, allowing them to get it out of the way early as the State Fair rolls into town. The team spent last season's trip rolling through Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Seattle, and Western Canada, going 5-1-0 with a pair of OT wins. The year prior, the team went 2-4-0.
The trip begins with a tour of California, starting with a young San Jose Sharks team. While not a playoff team yet, there are so many young stars in the making that they'll be a dangerous first opponent. After that, they'll be in Anaheim to face a Ducks team that could threaten for a playoff spot if the rest of the Pacific Division isn't careful.
After that, the Canes face their toughest stretch of the season, facing Los Angeles, Vegas, Colorado, and Dallas each over eight days. It's one of two times this season that the Canes will face at least four playoff teams in a row. If we want to be technical, this stretch features five straight games, with the Canes facing the Golden Knights a second time once they return from their trip.
There are so many interesting stories to watch during these six games. The Canes will face several former players, including, but not limited to, Jeff Skinner and Dmitry Orlov in San Jose, Brent Burns and Martin Necas in Colorado, and Mikko Rantanen in Dallas, for Logan Stankoven's first trip back to face the Stars. There's also the first encounter with Vegas' newest weapon, Mitch Marner.
How Slavin and Kochetkov being unavailable impacts the team
As I mentioned, we don't know the severity of what Jaccob Slavin is dealing with. It could be bad, or it could be nothing too serious, but the Canes will need to prepare for it all. That he stayed on the bench feels like a good sign, but the complete prognosis will be made clearer on Monday. Until then, all we can do is speculate.
If Slavin misses time, Mike Reilly would be the first man to step in. Reilly has been a healthy extra for the first two games, and he has 10 years of NHL experience with several teams around the league. The Canes could call upon Gavin Bayreuther to be the extra man as the most experienced defender on the Wolves' roster, or they could call up Charles Alexis Legault to bring in another righty.
The situation between the pipes is a little more delicate. Frederik Andersen has occupied the crease for the first two games, and while the Hurricanes don't play any back-to-backs, asking him to play all six games on this trip would be both risky, given his health concerns, and pointless, since there's a perfectly healthy goalie backing him up.
While Kochetkov is only expected to be out for a week, there's no reason to rush him back into the fold if they truly have faith in Brandon Bussi. He's yet to make an NHL appearance in his career, but playing him against San Jose or Anaheim would be a good sign of the coaching staff's trust. If Kochetkov is truly ready next week, carrying three goalies isn't a bad idea.
Realistically, the Hurricanes going .500 on this trip would be perfectly fine. While San Jose and Anaheim are by no means easy wins, they're two teams we expect the Canes to beat. A split against the four playoff teams would also be fine. We have great expectations for this team, so they need to find ways to beat the best of the best, but I don't expect a perfect trip.