While the team has made moves over the last two days to trim its roster, the Carolina Hurricanes took a chainsaw to the group on Tuesday and slashed it to 26 names. Following the team's 4-3 overtime loss to the Panthers on Monday night, the Canes reassigned, waived, and released several players as the Opening Night roster starts to shape up.
Some of the moves weren't very surprising, but there are still a few headlines that will catch many Caniacs' eyes. One move in particular will earn a lot of attention, especially after how he's played this preseason. Here are some of the notable storylines remaining as the Hurricanes approach the start of the regular season.
Bradly Nadeau among the cuts to Chicago
I won't lie and call this a head-scratching decision by the front office. This makes sense in that the Canes' current roster has a surplus of veteran forwards. However, I'm not sure there was anything more Bradly Nadeau could've done to prove that he's ready for the NHL this preseason. He was simply outstanding, showing excellent growth in areas outside of just scoring.
In five games, one of two players to play in all five preseason contests, Nadeau was the team's leading scorer with three goals and five points, trailing only Washington's Sonny Milano and Seattle's Jani Nyman in goals and sitting tied for 4th in the league in points. He'll probably get more playing time on Chicago's top line, but the Canes need to create room for Nadeau to make the jump.
Among those joining Nadeau in Chicago are Justin Robidas, Felix Unger Sorum, Gleb Trikozov, Joel Nystrom, and Nikita Quapp. The group also includes Ivan Ryabkin, who left Monday's game with a lower-body injury. It seems to be a good sign that he could stick around in the AHL, but a return to juniors and the QMJHL doesn't seem to be out of the picture yet.
Along with the outright reassignments, the Canes placed five players on waivers for purpose of them sticking in Chicago. This group includes Tyson Jost, Ryan Suzuki, and Wolves captain Josiah Slavin. The team also released Oliver Kylington and Kevin Labanc from their PTOs. My hope is that Labanc is gone because he earned an NHL deal elsewhere after providing three assists in five games.
Givani Smith and Charles-Alexis Legault remain on the roster
With the cuts that transpired, the dream lives on for Givani Smith, the last player on a PTO in camp with the Canes. We've gushed over Smith's game since joining the team at the start of camp. To go with his league-leading 28 penalty minutes, Smith is one of the three players this preseason who has scored multiple goals, trailing only Nadeau and tied with Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Defenseman Charles-Alexis Legault is also still with the Canes as the eighth man on the blue line. With several players still nursing injuries, like Jaccob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield, keeping Legault around for the preseason finale makes perfect sense. To his credit, Legault has earned this opportunity through his work during the rookie showcase and training camp.
Who is left to cut to get the roster to 23 players?
With the roster at 26 names, the Hurricanes only have to cut three guys to meet maximum roster requirement. There are two names that feel pretty obvious at the moment. Legault will be sent to Chicago once the team is confident that the defense is ready. Cayden Primeau remains with the group as the third goalie, but he'll likely get moved to be the Wolves' starter.
This leaves one mandatory cut, which will be to the forward group. There are 15 forwards remaining after these moves, with Juha Jaaska and Givani Smith being the most probable to be moved. Jaaska has been hurt for most of camp and is yet to make an appearance this preseason. I think Jaaska will be sent to Chicago, independent of whether Smith inks a deal with the Canes.
The likelihood of Smith signing a deal with the Hurricanes feels like a toss-up. I think he has absolutely earned it with his work this preseason, but I'm not sure if it'll actually happen. If not with the Canes, I'm rooting for him to find a landing spot.
Everything appears to be falling into place for the Carolina Hurricanes. With a little over a week until we start playing for real, the team is taking shape. There is still the chance that we see a little movement before Opening Night next Thursday, but I don't anticipate there being anything too drastic. Getting and keeping everyone healthy would be a good first step.