Hurricanes recall veteran defenseman Riley Stillman

Before tomorrow’s intra-division game against the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Carolina Hurricanes added some depth to their blue line. The Hurricanes announced they’ve recalled defenseman Riley Stillman from their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.

Stillman lost the first month of the 2024-25 NHL season to a lower-body injury and was finally activated from the injured non-roster list on November 12th. Since clearing waivers the next day, the seven-year veteran has received five call-ups by Carolina this year.

He’s been a stable presence on AHL Chicago’s blue line this season. Although he’s only scored two goals and five points in 15 contests, that’s only one point shy of his 47-game output from last season. Aside from his mild offensive production, Stillman has a -2 rating on the year and is sixth on the team in PIMs.

Although the Hurricanes face several injuries to their forwards, the team’s blue line is not currently affected. That makes Stillman’s recall more peculiar, given that a home game against the Blue Jackets wouldn’t require additional depth.

Another noteworthy aspect of Stillman’s recall is the selection of him over defenseman Ty Smith. Smith cleared waivers 10 days ago and has only spent a few days on the roster since. That gives Carolina nearly a month of Smith with complete flexibility but they’ve chosen to have him remain in AHL Chicago for the time being.