The Carolina Hurricanes will enter the 2025-26 regular season having lost five of six preseason games and allowing 21 goals. More than 30 different players suited up in a Hurricanes jersey, including newly acquired players and those called up from the AHL.
The Hurricanes took on the Nashville Predators, Tampa Bay Lightning and the Florida Panthers, giving head coach Rod Brind’Amour the chance to assess and finalize the roster. Many of the veterans tallied points, showing why they have a secure spot.
Top names that stood out were wingers Bradley Nadeau, Givani Smith, Kevin Labanc and center Justin Robidas. Each showed up and showed out with multiple points to each of their names. Smith played with intensity, dropping the gloves multiple times during the preseason. However, all of these names were cut from the finalized roster despite their performances.
When Brind’Amour was asked postgame if he liked the way Smith was going about things, his response was brief and to the point, answering back with a question: What’s not to like about it?
Another new name, goaltender Cayden Primeau, started two of the six games and ended 1-1. One of the games was the only win the Canes got of the preseason against the Nashville Predators, winning 4-2, leaving Primeau with a .900 save percentage.
“I felt better as the game went on,” Primeau said after the first game against the Lightning. “It was the first time in game situations. You can scrimmage and practice as much as you want, but nothing replicates the game, so it was good to get game action. I definitely think puck touches could use some cleaning up, but like I said, it’s just the first one.”
Although earlier this week, Primeau was put on waivers to be reassigned to the Canes’ affiliate team, the Chicago Wolves, but was scooped up and signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs, forcing him to leave the organization after suiting up for only two games.
In place of Primeau, a new face was acquired through waivers, goaltender Brandon Bussi, from the Florida Panthers. Coming in this late forces him to be thrown into opening night, without the chance to get a feel for the team in any preseason games.
New players, left-wing Nikolaj Ehlers and defenseman K’Andre Miller, put up zero stats and didn’t quite perform how they were expected. The chances were there, but the finishes were lacking.
What fans did appreciate was the hard work and effort put into the games by center Logan Stankoven, who was all over the ice, setting up his teammates with multiple opportunities. The center dropped back to defend when necessary, but was at the opposite end of the ice, ready to shoot the next second.
“[The game is] stuck with all the penalties, so you’re really getting no flow, but I thought he did a good job,” Brind’Amour said. “That line is pretty good, it just didn’t score. He snapped around pretty well, and I thought he looked good throughout.”
The Canes have their work cut out for them going into the regular season, but with the roster finalized, the coaches can now put their focus on their new team and work out all the flaws before opening night.
The Hurricanes will open the season against the New Jersey Devils at the Lenovo Center Oct. 9 with a 7:30 p.m. puck drop.
