Hurricanes Daily: Carolina Announces Split Squad Roster, Vasilevskiy Sidelined

With two preseason contests and two wins under their belt, the Carolina Hurricanes have introduced new faces to their lineup and seen a handful of prospects impress early on in Raleigh.

As a split-squad doubleheader awaits on Friday, position and roster battles enter another day and many eyes are looking for blue liners or fourth-line forwards to claim their stake to a spot.

According to Walt Ruff, here is how the Hurricanes will tackle the doubleheader against Florida and Tampa Bay.

The #Canes have announced their rosters for tomorrow night’s split-squad games.

A more veteran group takes on the Lightning, while several prospects and PTOs face the Panthers. pic.twitter.com/bjd7dJ94bq

— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) September 28, 2023

It’s important to note that four players on the Carolina blue line will be inactive, as Jaccob Slavin, Brent Burns, Brady Skjei, and Brett Pesce will not travel to the Sunshine State.

While not all three of Caleb Jones, Jalen Chatfield, and Tony DeAngelo will be in the same city, they will have a big opportunity tonight to turn some heads and make a claim for a spot as a top six defenseman.

In other NHL news, Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy underwent successful back surgery and is expected to miss 8-10 weeks. As one of the game’s best goaltenders, this not only could change the outlook of the Atlantic Division, but also gives the Hurricanes a slight advantage.

Although there is no ironclad return date, Carolina faces off against Tampa Bay three times in the regular season before Thanksgiving, twice on the road and once at home.

Jonas Johansson was Vasilevskiy’s backup and barring a trade or claim off of waivers, is expected to be the Lightning’s netminder until his return.

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