Preseason Preview: September 24 vs. Nashville

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The Carolina Hurricanes host the Nashville Predators at First Horizon Coliseum on Thursday, home of the ECHL's Greensboro Gargoyles.

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When: Thursday, Sept. 24

Puck Drop: 7:00 p.m. ET

Watch: Hurricanes.com (In-Market), ESPN+ (Out-Of-Market)

Listen: 99.9 The Fan, Hurricanes App

Last Time Out...

• A young Canes roster pulled off the upset at Lenovo Center on Tuesday, taking down a veteran Florida Panthers roster 3-2 in a shootout.
• Forwards Bradly Nadeau and Justin Robidas both scored for a second consecutive game, and Nadeau, along with Felix Unger Sorum, struck in the skills competition.
• Brandon Bussi started in net for Carolina, going 11/13 in just over 30 minutes of work. Cayden Primeau took over in relief and went a perfect 20-for-20 the rest of the way, including overtime.

Preseason Playing Roster Changes...

• Both lineups for Carolina this preseason have been filled with younger players due to the more lax rules.
• The new rule states that a club shall dress a minimum of eight (8) veterans for any exhibition game. A veteran shall constitute:
  • (1) any Player who has played one hundred (100) or more career NHL Games
  • (2) any Player who has played four hundred (400) or more career games in the NHL and/or AHL
  • (3) a forward or defenseman who played in thirty (30) NHL Games during the previous season
  • (4) a goaltender who either dressed in fifty (50) or more NHL Games or played in thirty (30) or more NHL Games in the previous season
  • (5) a first-round draft choice from any of the five (5) previous years’ NHL Drafts, and/or
  • (6) a second-round draft choice from any of the three (3) previous years’ NHL Drafts.
• With just four preseason games instead of the previous six, Rod Brind'Amour and staff will have to be tactical in how they deploy their veterans between tonight and Saturday.

Junkyard Dawgs...

• Tonight marks the first game action for Jackson Blake, Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven this preseason. That trio tore through the playoffs last year, ranking first, second and fourth in team scoring, respectively. 
• It's also the first time the Canes are icing any skater who ranked among their top 12 postseason scorers during last spring's run to the Stanley Cup. With just one more tune-up tilt on the docket following tonight's home game on the road, Rod Brind'Amour indicated the likelihood that more lineup regulars will be back in action in Nashville on Saturday.
• "I think you'll obviously see everyone else the next game, but you do have to play at some point [to] get your timing back," said the Canes' bench boss, who has largely ridden a crew of young talent and depth players through the first half of the exhibition slate. "So these guys, get them in now, and go from there."

Competition On The Blue Line...

• As long as Alexander Nikishin remains without a contract, the Canes will have at least two open spots on their blue line. With a mix of veterans (P.O. Joseph, Mike Reilly, and Juuso Valimaki) and young talent (Charles Alexis Legault and Joel Nystrom) seemingly in the mix, tonight will feature at least three of those five.
• Thus far in camp, Reilly, who played 42 regular-season games and two postseason contests for Carolina last year, has been working alongside Shayne Gostisbehere.

In Net...

• Tonight will feature one or both of Pyotr Kochetkov and Ruslan Khazheyev between the pipes for Carolina.
• Kochetkov faced a plethora of work in Sunday's exhibition opener, making 28 saves in his first appearance since Dec. 20, 2025.
• Khazheyev spent most of last season with the Greensboro Gargoyles and is set to begin his third pro season.

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 white uniforms for all four preseason games.

What's Next After This Game?

• The Canes are scheduled to practice on Friday. They'll wrap up their four-game exhibition schedule on Saturday afternoon in the Music City.
• Next Preseason Game: Saturday, Sept. 26 at Nashville | 3:00 p.m. ET | WATCH: Hurricanes.com (In-Market), ESPN+ (Out of Market)