EDMONTON -- Andrei Svechnikov said his knee is improving, but he knows it’s still going to take some time before the Carolina Hurricanes forward is back to feeling his normal self.
Svechnikov is recovering from an injury sustained last season on March 11 during a 4-0 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. He had surgery March 16 to repair a torn ACL in his right knee.
The forward practiced with the Hurricanes at Rogers Place on Tuesday in preparation for their game against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday (9:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, SN1, TNT, MAX).
“I know how I can play and I’m not there yet. I know that,” Svechnikov said. “But it’s only going to get better over time. I missed eight months and it’s kind of hard to miss that, but you have to forget about that and start trying to play my game, for sure.
Any injury [is] a tough situation, especially when it’s an ACL. What went through my mind at the time was that I cannot control this, and I just have to worry about what I can control, just have the surgery and rehab the best you can. It’s tough, and it’s tough to miss the playoffs when you have a chance to win the Stanley Cup, but we are hoping to have a big year again this year.”
As a result of the injury, Svechnikov missed the final 18 games last season and all of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He was second in scoring for Carolina prior to the injury with 55 points (23 goals, 32 assists) in 64 games.
The Hurricanes reached the Eastern Conference Final before being swept by the Florida Panthers in four straight games. Svechnikov then missed the first eight games of this season before returning Oct. 27 against the San Jose Sharks. He has 11 points (one goal, 10 assists) in 15 games.
Selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, Svechnikov is in his sixth season with Carolina. His best offensive season was in 2021-22, when he had 69 points (30 goals, 39 assists) in 78 games and five points (four goals, one assist) in 14 playoff games.
He has 275 points (113 goals, 162 assists) in 362 regular-season games and 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists) in 40 playoff games.
“The doctor said when it happened it was going to take between six months and a year to feel back to normal and I still need those few months, [but] I think it’s going to be fine after that,” Svechnikov said. “There are some moments when you go into the [boards] and you worry about it a little bit, but it’s always going to be like that in the near future and for the next couple of months before you feel 100 percent.”
The Hurricanes (14-9-1), who are second in the Metropolitan Division, opened a six-game road trip with a 2-1 loss at the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Svechnikov has seven points (one goal, six assists) in his past seven games.
Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour is confident Svechnikov’s production will increase as he continues to feel more like himself on the ice.
“He’s a big part of what we’re doing,” Brind’Amour said. “I think his numbers aren’t there yet, but he’s a talented player and if we want to have any success, we need him to be what he can be. I don’t think he’s quite there yet, but I think it’s coming. I think he looks good and if you talk to him, he feels good. The numbers aren’t there yet, but he’s played well.”
The Hurricanes were 4-4-0 without Svechnikov to start this season but are 10-5-1 since his return. He was unavailable for a 4-1 win at the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 28 because of an illness.
Carolina captain Jordan Staal he’s excited about what’s to come with a healthy Svechnikov back in the fold.
“He’s been improving; obviously being out that long and not in the mix, it’s tough,” Staal said. “For the injury itself, it’s very challenging for him to back from. He’s a horse, so he needs to get his body going. More and more he looks like himself, and he’s really starting to show what he can do again. It’s been a good start for him so far.
“He comes every day ready to work and ready to have some fun and compete. He’s a competitor, and that’s what we love about him the most -- he makes it a lot of fun stepping into the game, knowing he’s on our side and helps us get ready to go.”
