Familiar Cast Of Canes Welcomes Ehlers, Miller As Camp Begins

RALEIGH, N.C. - When the Carolina Hurricanes took to the ice together for the first time as a team on Thursday, players and fans alike had a palpable buzz about having Nikolaj Ehlers and K'Andre Miller skating with the club.

Star players at their own position, they were big fish targeted by the organization over the summer, with hopes they could be the pair that helps the club get over a hump that's stood in its way for the last seven springs.

There's a long road ahead between now and then, though, and it starts by getting the pair up to speed on the basics of being a Hurricane - learning the coaching staff's systems and its nuances, tendencies of their new teammates, and so on.

But when Rod Brind'Amour addressed the media at Invisalign Arena, he pointed to the other side of the equation - the pre-existing familiarity the team does have.

This time last year, from both the outside and later revealed on the inside, there were questions about realistic expectations for the team. The 2024 offseason was one of change for the organization, as it had lost five major pieces to its roster, and a bulk of the discussion was about new faces fitting in and prospects trying to crack the opening night lineup.

Today? A sizeable contrast.

Of the 22 skaters in the team's veteran "C1" group, 17 of them have already skated in a game with the team.

"Having less changeover was nice. You have less explaining to do, from my end," Brind'Amour reasoned. "Instead of having eight guys that you've got to (get up to speed), you only have three that you're really focusing on, because all of the other guys should know what's going on."

Indirectly referencing new defenseman Mike Reilly as the third member of the important newcomers, the trio enters a locker room eager to embark on its new journey.

"Every year takes on a new life. Whatever you've done last year (doesn't matter)," Brind'Amour continued. "Everybody's starting at the exact same spot, so that's exciting."

As the group took to the ice, they were noticeably without anchor defenseman Jaccob Slavin. Brind'Amour later revealed that the decision was made out of precaution, and that the prospective Team USA blueliner was "just a little sore" from some summer sessions.

Elsewhere on the injury front, two yellow, no-contact sweaters graced the ice today - forward Mark Jankowski and the aformentioned Miller. Along similar lines, the head coach said that the two were "just a little nicked up" over the summer, and the team wants to slow-play their workload in camp.

Of those on the ice, forward Logan Stankoven, participating in his first season lead-up with the team after being acquired in March, received a ton of eyes. One of the biggest question marks coming into the season was who would serve as the team's "second line center," and fresh off signing an eight-year contract on July 1, "Stanky" was rewarded with the first crack.

"We know what kind of kid he is. He's willing to take on whatever we hand him," Brind'Amour praised. "You have to be willing to understand that there's a lot of work that has to go into playing center. There are a lot of little things people don't really understand, and you have to be willing to take the bumps a little bit. The fact that he's done it in the past helps."

Going on to give his usual qualifier that the forward lines and pairings will likely change throughout camp, Brind'Amour also said that the experiment may last a few days, or it may stick for a while. "We'll see."

Familiarity was also a theme within the C2 group, which consisted of up-and-coming prospects mixed with some veteran talent. Nineteen of the 23 skaters logged games with the Chicago Wolves last season, including all seven defensemen, who rotated in different pairings throughout Thursday's session.

Last season, Jackson Blake began camp in the C2 group before cracking the Canes' opening night roster and going on to enjoy a rookie season that earned him an eight-year, $45 million contract extension. Though difficult, it's a path that's always open, and there are a handful of C2 skaters who are eager to follow their peer.

Players like Bradly Nadeau, Justin Robidas, Felix Unger Sorum, and others who have impressed either in previous camps or in stints with the big club know this is their best chance to show how they can help the Canes, and Brind'Amour is keeping a close eye on who begins to take a step forward as Blake did.

"That's what's great about this time of year, too. We're going to have this next group now. Is there someone that we go 'ooh'?" offered Brind'Amour before C2 hit the ice. "That's basically what happened with Blaker last year, right? It wasn't on the radar necessarily to be (that) year, and then all of a sudden, you know...Happened to Jarvy a couple of years ago, it wasn't really 'hey, you're going to be on the team.' So that's this time of year, that's definitely something you hope happens."

"I'm not going to single anyone out. We have some pretty good, high prospects that we think are going to push for spots at some point. But...let's see."