The first round of the 2026 NHL Draft came and went without the Carolina Hurricanes making a pick. We knew that would be the case, with the Canes sending the 31st selection to the Nashville Predators for a pair of second-round picks to be used, or traded, on Saturday. During his appearance with the media, Eric Tulsky provided a few updates on some injured players.
The two biggest announcements were that Eric Robinson (knee) and Seth Jarvis (shoulder) had undergone surgeries shortly after the Stanley Cup Final concluded. He estimated Robinson's recovery time at six to eight weeks, while Jarvis was expected to miss the next four to six months, potentially putting him out well into the season.
With a shorter recovery window for Robinson, there is hope that he will be good to go for training camp in September. He reached double digits in goals for the second straight season, scoring 12 times, though his point production dipped to 18. However, he was very good during the postseason, scoring three times in the Eastern Conference Finals while playing on the Canes' best line.
The news about Jarvis wasn't very surprising in that we knew he was playing hurt throughout the playoffs. That much was crystal clear. It's a labrum issue that has been nagging him for a few years, and now is the right time for him to get surgery. He's coming off a third straight 30-goal campaign, posting 66 points during the regular season and another 11 in the playoffs.
It's unclear when Jarvis had his operation, so we can't perfectly map out when we can expect him back. If his recovery is on the shorter side, he could be back during the first few weeks of the season. However, if the team allows him to heal properly and he needs the full six months, Jarvis might not be making his season debut until after New Year's Day.
An extended absence from Jarvis makes training camp even bigger for a few of the Canes' prospects, especially Bradly Nadeau and Felix Unger Sorum. Nadeau got a few looks during the season, scoring the first three goals of his NHL career throughout 12 games. Unger Sorum made his NHL debut in the season finale, assisting on the opening goal for his first NHL point.
Obviously, this is not the ideal news to end the night on if you're a Hurricanes fan, but it's probably something that needed to happen for both players. Hopefully, Robinson's recovery is quick enough that he's good to go for the start of the season, and Jarvis won't be too far behind. We wish them the best and hope for speedy and complete recoveries.
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