Takeaways From The 2026 Preseason

RALEIGH, N.C. - Sunrise. Raleigh. Greensboro. Nashville.

Following four games in four different cities in six days, the 2026 preseason has officially come and gone in the blink of an eye.

There wasn't a ton of mystery entering the slate of tune-ups for Carolina, who are methodically set to run back most of their championship-winning roster from just three short months ago, but they were important contests nonetheless.

Sure, who fills Seth Jarvis' void for a month or so is of interest, and who claims the sixth and seventh roles on defense is of note, but both have a variety of options and are in good hands no matter which decision is made.

The reality is that, in both of those cases, it won't be just one player winning each role and staying there permanently either. Things can, and will, change.

But they were competitions after all, and each took steps toward a result over the stretch.

Now, with just one day remaining until we get our answers, let's take a look back at some of the lasting impressions of the week that was.

Rest Is A Weapon...

Meticulously holding most of their expected roster out of game action until Saturday's exhibition finale in Nashville, the Canes showed that there was no need to be concerned about any sort of rust.

Looking like they were picking up right where they left off on June 14 in Las Vegas, the 6-0 victory over the Predators would be hard to nitpick.

The line of Jackson Blake, Taylor Hall, and Logan Stankoven appeared to be right back to being one of the best lines in all of hockey; Nikolaj Ehlers needed just 13 minutes to record multiple points, and Brandon Bussi was a perfect 22-for-22 in his first full outing.

The power play went three-for-four, and the penalty kill was perfect on all four attempts. What else could you want?

Now, it's about doing it for real.

The roster looked healthy and sharp and starts its regular season with the biggest test imaginable, as the 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers, arrive in Raleigh to kick off the NHL's 2026-27 campaign at Lenovo Center.

The Future Is (Still) Bright...

With most of the expected 18-skater roster on the sidelines for the first trio of bouts, it was a massive opportunity for the organization's youth to show what they can do against some of the league's best.

Beginning the week with a pair of games against a supremely talented Panthers roster, there were many good things to be taken away from their showings. Among them:

• Charlie Cerrato is going to play an important role at center for the Chicago Wolves this season. It will be his first full pro season, but he looks very mature and pro-ready.
• 2026 third-round draft pick Zach Lansard showed flashes of tremendous promise and hung around with the team until after their third preseason game. He should be dominant for Regina (WHL) this season.
• Whether they stick with the big club or not, Bradly Nadeau and Felix Unger Sorum both showed that they can hang and are in position to take the next step.

Greensboro Rocks...

The Lenovo Center will continue to be the Loudest House, but for one night, it was really nice to play in front of a home crowd in a different area of the state.

Nearly 14,000 were there in support at First Horizon Coliseum on Thursday, showing that the Canes really do have excellent support statewide.

The evening would have been a success regardless of the scoreboard, but a comeback of epic proportions cemented the night as a highlight that many will remember for a very long time.