Recap: Canes' Prospects Fall To Preds

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes opened the 2026 Prospect Showcase at Lane Arena on Sunday with a 4-1 defeat to the Nashville Predators.

Following a scoreless but physical first period, Michel Myloserdnyy put away a rebound to nudge the Preds ahead 6:48 into the middle frame. A late penalty then proved costly for Carolina, with Nashville's Cole O'Hara capitalizing on the man advantage ahead of the second break.

Exerting a bit more control in the closing stanza, the Canes found life at 7:08 through 2026 third-round pick Zachary Lansard, who picked off a breakout pass at the blue line before firing home from the right circle. The comeback was short-lived, though; a breakaway marker from Aiden Fink and an empty-netter in the closing minutes lifted the Predators to victory.

Ruslan Khazheyev stood between the pipes throughout the contest for Carolina, turning in several stellar stops despite the scoreline.

Additional Observations...

• Serving as captain of the squad, Charles Alexis Legault wasted little time setting the tone this afternoon. Laying a clobbering hit on the first shift of the contest, he followed it up with a fight inside the first 10 minutes of action. Appearing in 12 NHL games last season, the towering defender hopes to add another level to his game in his third pro season.
• Although he did not receive the necessary run support, 2023 fifth-round pick Ruslan Khazheyev was stellar in net for Carolina today. Turning in a plethora of highlight-reel saves, the 21-year-old backstop continues to show growth as he participates in the event for a third time. Playing 41 games for Greensboro (ECHL) last year, he'll hope to make a few appearances with Chicago (AHL) once again during the 2026-27 campaign.

They Said It...

Chicago Wolves Head Coach Spiros Anastas discussing what the organization is looking for at an event like this…
“The biggest thing we’re looking for is trying to establish our style of play. Whether they’re guys we’re going to see in Chicago, or guys who are competing for a spot here with the Canes, or prospects that we’re going to see in the future. It’s just the style of play, the habits, the expectations. Wins and losses aren’t that important. We went 0-3 (at the Showcase) last year, and I think both of our organization's teams did pretty well. So, we’re not too concerned about that, but we are going to dive into the video to look for those habits and those styles of play that we’re trying to establish.”

Goal-scorer Zachary Lansard on getting acclimated to the organization after getting drafted this summer…
“It’s been great. It’s something I’ve been looking forward to and working toward for the last few months. Getting here and just trying to take everything in, from how guys treat each other and everything else, I want to take it back to Regina and kind of be a leader there. I’m just trying to take everything in, have a smile on my face, and enjoy the week here.”

Defenseman Charles Alexis Legault on his explosive start to the day and how he takes his game to a new level this season…
“Just getting back into it. I thought the best way was just to get physical. Hockey’s a physical game, and it kind of turned me on a little bit. I think I play better because of it… I play a physical brand of hockey, so just being physical consistently, and after that, playing a simple brand of hockey as well. Just keeping it simple, making the plays that need to be made and don’t try to do too much.”

What's Next?

The Canes close out the Prospect Showcase on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Puck drop is set for 2:00 p.m. and will be streamed for free on Hurricanes.com.