The Carolina Hurricanes will head west without Taylor Hall after the veteran forward was ruled week to week with an upper-body injury. Hall exited Tuesday’s 4-2 win against the Washington Capitals in the second period, creating another hole in a Carolina lineup that has been rolling despite early injuries.
Coach Rod Brind’Amour offered no firm timetable Friday. “It’s a week-to-week deal,” he said, adding that the club would have a clearer answer after another week.
Quick facts
- Taylor Hall is week to week after suffering an upper-body injury against Washington.
- Carolina is 6-1-1 and has won six consecutive games after opening 0-1-1.
- Captain Jordan Staal remains out for one to two months with a torn calf.
- Seth Jarvis could make his season debut during the five-game trip, pending medical clearance.
- The Hurricanes open the trip at the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
Hall, 34, has three goals and two assists through eight games this season. He is also closing in on a major career marker: his next three appearances would bring him to 1,000 NHL games.
Across 997 regular-season games with the Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, Arizona Coyotes, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks and Hurricanes, Hall has produced 305 goals and 487 assists for 792 points.
The first overall selection in the 2010 NHL Draft earned the Hart Trophy with New Jersey in 2017-18 after posting a career-best 93 points, including 39 goals, in 76 games. Last spring, he supplied seven goals and 12 assists in 19 playoff games as Carolina captured the Stanley Cup.
Jarvis nearing a return
Carolina could get a significant boost during the road swing if Seth Jarvis is cleared to return. The forward has not played this season after June surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder.
Brind’Amour said he hopes Jarvis can join the team during the trip, but stressed that the forward still needs final clearance. Jarvis led the Hurricanes with 32 goals last season and added four goals and seven assists in 19 postseason games.
Jarvis said his shoulder has responded well as he works through rehabilitation, extra skating sessions and battle drills. The lack of full team practices has limited his opportunities to test himself in regular game-prep settings, but he said he is feeling good and wants to get back into the lineup soon.
Staal’s calf injury and Hall’s absence have pushed Carolina to look deeper into its organizational depth. The club recalled Bradly Nadeau from AHL Chicago on Wednesday, then brought up Felix Unger Sorum a day later.
Nadeau skated Friday between Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake, occupying Hall’s practice spot. Unger Sorum worked alongside Eric Robinson and Jesperi Kotkaniemi.
Brind’Amour said both young forwards impressed during preseason but were blocked by a full roster. With injuries now affecting the forward group, he expects each player to get an opportunity and believes their familiarity with Carolina’s systems should ease the transition.
Nadeau said a call-up is the kind of opening a young player waits for, and he intends to make the most of it. He called the chance to skate with Stankoven and Blake an exciting one and said his job is to support them and contribute on the ice.
Center Sebastian Aho acknowledged that Staal and Hall leave difficult vacancies, but sees a chance for younger players and regulars taking on additional minutes. He said Carolina cannot replace those players individually and will need a full-team response.
The Hurricanes begin their five-game road trip against Winnipeg on Saturday, carrying a six-game winning streak and a reshaped forward group into the next puck drop.
