nsjonline
The Carolina Hurricanes concluded their home-and-home preseason series against the Florida Panthers with a 3-2 shootout victory on Tuesday at Lenovo Center in Raleigh. For the second consecutive game, Carolina iced a lineup composed mostly of its younger prospects against Florida's full NHL squad, and the youthful Hurricanes held their own despite the challenging matchup.
Bradly Nadeau and Justin Robidas found the back of the net during regulation, while Nadeau and Felix Unger Sorum scored in the shootout to secure the win. Goaltender Cayden Primeau was perfect in relief, stopping all 20 shots he faced after replacing Brandon Bussi, who played half of regulation in his preseason debut.
Defensive Roster Battle Intensifies
The most heated competition in training camp has been for the sixth and seventh defenseman positions. With Alexander Nikishin at a contract standstill with the team, head coach Rod Brind'Amour has at least five players vying for two openings. Veterans Pierre-Olivier Joseph and Juuso Valimaki each have over 200 games of NHL experience, while Mike Reilly has surpassed 400 games. Meanwhile, younger players Charles Alexis Legault and Joel Nystrom demonstrated they can handle themselves after being called up to the NHL last season.
The three veterans are all capable puck movers with power-play experience. Nystrom is smaller but reliable, while Legault brings physicality from the blue line. This gives Carolina options in determining who best fills the role. Reilly and Nystrom appeared in both preseason games and played 42 and 38 regular-season games, respectively, for the Hurricanes last year.
"Just had a good summer and focus on being stronger," Nystrom said of his offseason. "I'm a little bit heavier, and be faster too. So I feel I had a great summer, so I'm here prepared to compete."
Right-Handed vs. Left-Handed Considerations
Beyond the veteran-versus-youth dynamic, the Hurricanes must also consider who best fits their needs. While Shayne Gostisbehere played extensively on the right side last year, the two youngsters—Legault and Nystrom—could have a slight edge simply because, as right-handed defenders, either would allow Gostisbehere to play on his natural side.
"I think it is a big deal, but it's not the determining factor," Brind'Amour said of possibly leaning toward a righty. "We're going to try to put the best guy in there that can do the job, whoever that is. We don't discriminate on that. It's the best player is going to get in there. But I think it's an advantage to have righty-lefty, for sure."
The No. 7 job will likely go to one of the veterans since Carolina won't want a younger player sitting and watching while they could instead be developing in the AHL. There are still two preseason games to go, but right now Reilly has looked the best among the five defensemen. The coaching staff, however, could see him as the No. 7 while giving one of Nystrom or Legault the chance to fill Nikishin's spot.
"There are only two more opportunities to make an impression," Brind'Amour said. "That's where the shortened preseason hurts probably some of those guys, because it's really not a fair assessment coming off a whole summer. Right now (we) have two spots kind of up for grabs, if you will. So we want to wait a couple more games before we make any decisions."
Nadeau Making Strong Case for Roster Spot
Nadeau is doing everything he can to make an impression and try to make the opening night roster. The 21-year-old sniper scored for the second time in as many games Tuesday and had a game-high seven shots on goal against a roster full of established NHLers. He capped his night off with a shootout goal.
"He's noticeable, and he's a threat," said Brind'Amour, who was quick to praise Nadeau's goal-scoring mentality but also mentioned how the third-year pro has grown his all-around game. And it's not just Nadeau's NHL-ready shot that's getting him on the scoresheet. His goal Tuesday came near the paint when he first deflected a Reilly shot and then beat Gustav Forsling to the rebound for a first-period goal.
"I think just getting into those spots and getting those scoring changes has been good so far in those two games," Nadeau said, "and just make sure I keep doing it if I get another chance here in those other games coming up." Nadeau logged a game-high 25:10, including 3:26 on Carolina's 5-for-5 penalty kill.
Robidas Continues to Impress
Robidas lost track of Aleksander Barkov in the preseason opener in Florida, allowing the Panthers captain to score. "Roby was there with him, but then he wasn't," Brind'Amour said Tuesday morning. "And that's a great learning tool. He's in the right spots. He knew that was his guy. It's just that's the difference in this league. That's why you want to put him in these situations."
But Robidas, an often-overlooked 2021 fifth-round pick, continued to show he can produce against NHL opposition. He scored in the preseason opener and, like Nadeau, did so again Tuesday. Robidas pounced on a loose puck in the second period and snapped a shot over the left shoulder of 6-foot-5 Florida goalie Akira Schmid to tie the game against the Panthers.
Robidas has two goals and an assist in the first two preseason games, and in four career NHL games, he has a goal and three points. He also finished second on the Wolves in goals and scoring last season. He might be a half step behind Nadeau and Unger Sorum in the forward prospect pecking order, but Robidas continues to show he's on the cusp of getting more NHL time.
Goaltending Depth on Display
Pyotr Kochetkov saw all 60 minutes of Sunday's first preseason game and was under siege much of the night in a 6-3 loss. Bussi, meanwhile, played just over half of regulation Tuesday, allowing two goals on 13 shots in a solid if unspectacular preseason debut. Those two will battle for starts in Raleigh this year, but it was Primeau who had the best moment in net through two preseason games.
Primeau, poised to be the Chicago Wolves' No. 1 goalie this season if Carolina can get him through waivers, stopped all 20 shots he faced and two more in the shootout to pick up the win against the Panthers. "That was kind of perfectly, I would say, the way you sum up goaltending," Brind'Amour said of Primeau's performance. "The game's going and we needed some saves at the right time, and he did it."
Primeau, 27, probably can't help but wonder what would have happened had he not been claimed by the Maple Leafs last preseason. That opened the door for Bussi, who stormed through it. Primeau struggled in Toronto and then returned to the Carolina organization, helping the Wolves to the Calder Cup final but not getting the NHL chance with the Hurricanes.
Brind'Amour knows how important it is to have three goalies, and Primeau's debut this preseason was certainly encouraging. "Obviously, things to work on," Primeau said of his game. "Sloppy at points, but overall, good to get the rust out from the summer."
The Hurricanes might have a bit of a poison pill to keep another team from claiming Primeau when the time comes to put him on waivers: Instead of a one-year deal, Carolina gave Primeau a two-year contract worth $912,500 annually. Then again, one playoff team's goalie—Philadelphia's Dan Vladar—has already gone down this preseason, and Primeau's first preseason performance will certainly have teams considering him if there is a need.
Originally reported by nsjonline.