But the schedule waits for no one to heal up, and the Canes will continue pushing forward with what they do have.
NHL debuts for Brandon Bussi, Charles Alexis Legault, and Joel Nystrom have added memories to the first five games of this two-week road trip, but the Canes have another colossal matchup ahead of them on Saturday when they face the Dallas Stars. Their welcome home on Tuesday night is a rematch against another one of the Western Conference’s best, the Vegas Golden Knights.
“It’s tough because no one is going to feel sorry for you. (The players we do have) They’re going to give you their best,” Brind’Amour said. “It puts you at a real tough disadvantage, especially with the blue line being down, that’s really, really tough on the guys, but I know we’re going to give it our best, that’s for sure.”
Although the pair has combined to play in just three NHL games, with Legault and Nystrom in the lineup, that gives the Canes six healthy defensemen. If they elect to recall another Gavin Bayreuther and Domenick Fensore are options with experience at the highest level.
The constant state of change on the back end has caused those who have been available for each game – Jalen Chatfield, Alexander Nikishin, and Sean Walker – to be counted on in big ways. Since Gostisbehere went down, Walker has logged an average of 26:02 time on ice per game, fifth-most among all NHL skaters during that time. Last season, the second-year Hurricane averaged just 16:50.
Up front, Mark Jankowski has been chomping at the bit to get back in the lineup, but if both Carrier and Robinson are sidelined, the team will need another forward, preferably a winger. The expectation is that the team will make a recall from Chicago (AHL) on Friday to fill that void.
Among the possibilities, Bradly Nadeau, if healthy, comes to mind. After scoring his lacrosse-style goal on Sunday, he left the contest later in the game and did not return. Givani Smith, who had an impressive training camp, has been working through immigration hurdles and has yet to make his season debut, and Juha Jaaska, who played 18 games for the team last year, is also hurt. Justin Robidas and Josiah Slavin, both of whom have played wing for the Wolves this season and have NHL experience, could also be on the table.
Only time will tell which direction the team elects to go, and who gets healthy when, but in the interim, any superstitions you may have at home for good health are welcome.