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St. Louis Blues right wing Alexey Toropchenko pressures Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker (Joe Puetz-Imagn Images)

3 Hurricanes Players Having Quietly Good Seasons

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Zach Martin | Last updated Mar 3, 2026 2:15 PM ET

As we draw closer to the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Carolina Hurricanes have a 38-16-6 record and 82 points. They have a firm grasp of the top spot in the Metropolitan Division and are in a fight for the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. While Sebastian Aho, Seth Jarvis, and Andrei Svechnikov have earned much of the spotlight, these three players have not been acknowledged enough.

Jalen Chatfield

As a defenseman, Jalen Chatfield‘s speed stands out. He can break up an odd-man rush and force the opposition into setting up a play. His backchecking and stick skills have thwarted opportunities for opponents to get to the net, while his defensive IQ is not praised enough for what he can do in transition and in the offensive zone.

Chatfield is strong in all three zones and currently leads the Hurricanes with a plus-20 rating in 53 games. Despite missing seven games due to a concussion sustained against the Minnesota Wild earlier this season, he has been a lockdown defenseman for Tim Gleason and head coach Rod Brind’Amour. He is also two assists shy of setting a new career high in assists (high is 14) and nine points shy of a new high in points (high is 22).

He has been used more on the penalty kill this season, averaging 2:08 of ice time compared to 1:45 in 2024-25. His role has evolved, especially with all the injuries to the blue line, and he has excelled. At $3 million per season and with one year left on his deal, he has been a bargain for the Hurricanes.

Sean Walker

Sean Walker has also seen a significant increase in ice time due to the multitude of injuries to the blue line. He’s averaging 22:04 per game, along with an average of 1:51 on the penalty kill. That’s only six seconds off his career high on the penalty kill, dating back to the 2023-24 season with the Philadelphia Flyers and Colorado Avalanche.

Walker has already tied his point total from last season (16), while only being seven assists and eight points shy of tying his career highs (19 and 24 in 2019-20 with the Los Angeles Kings). Plus, he’s one assist and two goals shy of setting new highs with the Hurricanes.

After signing his five-year, $18 million deal before last season, Walker has proven why the Hurricanes targeted him in free agency. Even during the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Walker came up big for the team. When asked about his playoff performance, Brind’Amour stated, “I’m glad you mentioned Walks. I think he’s been under the radar, really, all year. Whatever we ask him to do, he kind of fills in or takes charge every night. He took the lead back there. He was really solid.”

Walker deserves praise for being the rock on the defense, while taking on a bigger role this season. Who knows where the Hurricanes would be had he not stepped up in a big way through the first couple of months?

Eric Robinson

Through 47 games this season, Eric Robinson has 11 goals and 16 points, missing time due to an upper-body injury suffered on Jan. 19 against the Buffalo Sabres. He’s four goals shy of setting a new career high, which he set last season with 14. While he won’t set a new high in points, he has been impactful this season with his combination of size, speed, and scoring touch.

His three game-winning goals have tied his career high from the 2019-20 season with the Columbus Blue Jackets. He is also scoring at a 17.2% rate with 11 goals on 64 shots. While the quantity is not there, it’s all about the quality. In the first season of his four-year, $6.8 million deal, Robinson has shown why the Hurricanes wanted to keep him in Raleigh after his one-year prove-it deal in 2024-25.

Chatfield, Walker, and Robinson’s names might not make headlines, but they have done well in the roles given to them. Their impact as depth players has helped the Hurricanes rise to the top of the standings. When it comes to three players who are having quietly good seasons in Raleigh, look no further than Chatfield, Walker, and Robinson.