Carolina Hurricanes 2026-27 Roster Projection 2.0

The name that jumps out right away is Felix Unger Sorum. After scoring the game-winning goal with 2.6 seconds left on Thursday night (Sept. 24), he was slotted on the top line with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 26). He was also on the second power-play unit for head coach Rod Brind’Amour. Throughout the game, it seemed like Unger Sorum fit right in with the roles he was given. He drew two penalties, one against Steven Stamkos and one against Roman Josi.

Unger Sorum also got the primary assist on a Mark Jankowski goal, giving the Hurricanes a 5-0 lead at the time. It was a simple one-touch pass right into Jankowski’s wheelhouse before he ripped it top shelf. It was one of those high-IQ plays that draws a ton of attention.

There is still a ton to discuss regarding who will make the opening night roster for the forwards. There is still a possibility Nadeau could draw in after scoring goals in back-to-back games during the preseason against the Panthers. Plus, the Hurricanes have two veterans who could be playing on Tuesday, such as Nic Deslauriers and Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

However it plays out before Tuesday’s game: Unger Sorum and Nadeau made it tough to keep either one out of the lineup. That said, since the former was given an extra look, and with how he played against the Predators over the last two games, Unger Sorum might have kicked the door down for the opportunity.

Building the Blue Line & Netminders

Regarding the defense and goalie tandem, a lot has changed since early July. In terms of good news, the Hurricanes gave Pyotr Kochetkov a two-year extension. The new deal will keep him in Raleigh through the 2028-29 season and be paid $3.95 million annually. Both he and Brandon Bussi will be unrestricted free agents (UFAs) at the conclusion of their deals in three years.

In terms of the not-so-good news, Alexander Nikishin and the Hurricanes are not any closer to signing a deal. Back on Sept. 15, it was reported that the Russian defenseman sent a “change of scenery” trade request to the Hurricanes. On the latest 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Elliotte Friedman provided an update that Nikishin has been permitted to talk with other teams. However, he states he does not know which teams in particular.

That said, with Nikishin still not signed, it opened the door for two roster spots to be filled on the Hurricanes’ blue line. Throughout training camp, there was a battle between Charles Alexis Legault, Joel Nystrom, Mike Reilly, Juuso Valimaki, and Pierre-Olivier Joseph for those spots.

However, following roster cuts on Friday (Sept. 25), Nystrom and Joseph were sent down to the Chicago Wolves, leaving Valimaki, Legault, and Reilly to fight it out for the last two spots. Reilly makes sense as the possible seventh defenseman because he played over 40 games last season due to injuries decimating the blue line. He also came into the playoffs in Round 1 against the Ottawa Senators and had two assists in his first game.

Brind’Amour, after the game on Thursday in Greensboro, stated when asked about the defensive battle,  “That’s another spot we got competition moving forward. Everyone knows what’s going on there. There’s a few guys that we got to, you know, I certainly don’t think that the competition’s over by any stretch. So, we got one more game. But, yeah, that’s going to have to be a big discussion there.”

After the way Legault has played throughout the prospect showcase, training camp, and the preseason, there is a good chance he could draw in on Tuesday night. Furthermore, it helps that he is a right-shot defenseman, giving the Hurricanes a balance of three left-handed and three right-handed blueliners. It looked like he held his own on Saturday with Shayne Gostisbehere as his defensive partner. Plus, Legault is a solid penalty killer; he could bring some flexibility to the penalty kill for assistant coach Tim Gleason.

With a handful of days remaining until the start of the 2025-26 season, no one is envious of the tough decisions Brind’Amour, his staff, and the front office have to make over the next few days. They still have to trim the roster from 28 players to 23 before the Monday night (Sept. 28) deadline. With them still trying to figure out three spots in the lineup with five players vying for those positions, there will be some tough decisions to be made in Raleigh.