Preview: September 29 vs. Florida

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes officially kick off their title defense on Tuesday, hosting the Florida Panthers at Lenovo Center.

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When: Tuesday, Sept. 29

Puck Drop: 5:00 p.m. ET

Watch: ESPN | How To Watch

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

Preseason Recap...

• Holding most of their expected NHL lineup on the sidelines until Saturday's exhibition finale in Nashville, Carolina still managed to go 3-1 in its four-game slate.
• In the aforementioned matchup against the Predators, there was no rust to be found en route to a dominant 6-0 victory.
• The line of Jackson Blake, Taylor Hall, and Logan Stankoven, the lone trio of regulars to play in more than one game, finished as the co-leaders in scoring, all with four points in two outings.
• Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov both made two appearances, highlighted by Bussi's 22-save shutout at Bridgestone Arena.

Success At The Start...

• The Hurricanes have won five of their last six season openers and are 6-1-1 in season openers since Rod Brind’Amour took over as head coach in 2018-19.
• Brind’Amour is one of four coaches to record a point in each of his first six season-opening games with a single franchise, joining Lester Patrick (NYR, 7-0-0 from 1926-32), Tommy Ivan (DET, 7-0-0 from 1947-53), Toe Blake (MTL, 7-0-0 from 1955-61) and Rod Brind’Amour (CAR, 5-0-1 from 2018-23).

Life Without Jarvy...

• With forward Seth Jarvis on the sidelines still rehabbing offseason shoulder surgery, the puzzle pieces within the Canes lineup have to be moved around a bit.
• Thus far in practice throughout training camp, Eric Robinson has received an elevated role, operating alongside Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. The undrafted 31-year-old led Carolina with three goals in their Eastern Conference Final win over Montreal.
• Should Robinson remain in the role he's been in, it is expected that Nic Deslauriers would also play, potentially flanking Mark Jankowski and William Carrier. Jesperi Kotkaniemi is also available.

On The Blue Line...

• Defenseman Alexander Nikishin played in 81 of Carolina's 82 regular-season games last season, but remaining without a contract, the team moves forward without him.
• In his absence, Charles Alexis Legault skated with Shayne Gostisbehere on Monday. Legault, 24, has been a tremendous success story since being selected in the fifth round of the 2023 draft.
• The team also has the trusty and returning Mike Reilly as an option.

In Net...

• The Canes enter the season with Brandon Bussi, Pyotr Kochetkov, and Cayden Primeau all on their roster.
• Based on Monday's practice at Lenovo Center, Bussi may be in line to start. The 28-year-old had a fairy-tale 2025-26 season, which began with him being claimed off waivers from Florida the first week of October. Earning his playing time in net, he went on to be a rock for the unit the whole way, going 31-6-2 in his first full NHL season. He even stood tall between the pipes with a shutout in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, as Carolina closed out its second championship.
• Should Goaltending Coach Paul Schonfelder and staff elect to go the other way, Kochetkov is looking to get back on track after missing most of the last year with lower-body injuries. Now healthy, he was rewarded with a two-year contract extension last week and is eager to earn his share of the responsibilities with Bussi as the new campaign begins.

On The Other Side...

• Armed with a healthy Alexander Barkov and the addition of Brady Tkachuk, the Cats are looking to prove that missing the playoffs last year was just a one-season fluke following their back-to-back Stanley Cups.
• On top of adding a second Tkachuk, it's a time of change in net for Florida, who will be without Sergei Bobrovsky for the first time in seven years. With their former mainstay moving on to Toronto, the team will now turn back to Jacob Markstrom, who gets a change of scenery after two years in New Jersey.
• Paul Maurice's crew does not enter the season at full strength, though, as they'll be without Brad Marchand for approximately a month.

Injury Updates

• Forward Seth Jarvis is practicing in a yellow, no-contact jersey after offseason shoulder surgery. He was initially scheduled to miss "probably four to six months" from the end of June.

What Are We Wearing?

• The Canes are scheduled to wear their black uniforms.

What's Next After This Game?

• The Canes are scheduled to practice on Wednesday and Thursday. They'll return to game action on Friday when they host the Washington Capitals.
• Next Game: Friday, October 2 | vs. Washington | 7:00 p.m. ET | Hurricanes Hockey Network