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Logan Stankoven of the Carolina Hurricanes celebrates after scoring a goal against the New Jersey Devils in the second period of Game One of the First Round of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)

Hurricanes’ Struggling Third Line Highlights Systemic Issues

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By Conor Power | Last updated Jan 26, 2026 11:25 AM ET

For as long as Rod Brind’Amour has been the head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, they’ve been one of the best defensive teams in the NHL. His man-on-man system is unique among NHL deployments. No one else plays with the intensity in the forecheck that the Hurricanes do, and one line has exemplified this perfectly since Brind’Amour took the step behind the Hurricanes bench: the “third” line. Brind’Amour doesn’t number his lines, but it’s the one anchored by Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook. Whether it has been Jesper Fast, William Carrier, Nino Niederreiter, or a host of other wingers who have spent time with that duo, they’ve perfectly embodied the Hurricanes’ system.

However, 2025-26 has been a new season. It’s brought challenges at every opportunity. That reliable duo has faced more difficulty on the ice than in any other season they’ve been on this roster together. The on-ice results for both players have started to regress, and the effect on the team has become evident. Suddenly, a team that was near bulletproof with multiple goal leads developed a habit of choking on them. A Hurricanes team known for defensive play has become lackluster in its own end.

Jordan Staal

Carolina’s captain is the water carrier for the Hurricanes’ iconic “shutdown” line. They’re known throughout the league for their willingness to play for the team and for being content to shut down the opposition’s best players. For years, Jordan Staal sacrificed his own offensive game to play more in his own zone. According to NHL Edge, Staal has spent 34.8-37.7% of his ice time in the defensive zone since 2021-22. For reference, Sebastian Aho has never started in the defensive zone more than 34.6% in a season. Staal is relied on as the defensive stalwart.

If we treat 2022-23 to 2024-25 as a single sample, Staal averages 2.01 expected goals against per 60 minutes (xGA/60) at even strength according to Natural Stat Trick. That’s incredible. Only Jack Drury, Jesper Fast, and Stefan Noesen averaged better, and none of them played more than 2,000 minutes in that time. Staal played almost 3,000, at 2,982:16. He’s been so good as the Hurricanes’ shutdown center. Now, what about the 2025-26 season?

In 2025-26, Staal has an xGA/60 of 2.56. That’s drastically higher, suggesting his defensive abilities haven’t shone through as they have in the past. It’s not ridiculously high, but it’s not the number of the Selke finalist shutdown center he has been over the years for Carolina. When Carolina cannot rely on its shutdown line, the entire team has to adjust, which puts more pressure on the other players in the lineup.

Jordan Martinook

The other side of the coin is Martinook. He and Staal have done this job together since Martinook was acquired from the Arizona Coyotes during the 2017-18 season after both teams missed the postseason again. Martinook has been a staple of this lineup during his time in Raleigh. It has been one of the most challenging times for similar reasons to Staal. He’s been used just as much as Staal to slow down opponents, but he’s done a better job than Staal.

Martinook’s xGA/60 is 2.37, which is middle of the pack for the Hurricanes, 11th on the team of the 22 that have played at least 100 5-on-5 minutes. That’s still not good enough from someone who is entrusted to shut down the best the NHL can throw at him. He, like Staal, is supposed to embody the Hurricanes’ system by throwing down the offenses thrown in front of him.

That Shutdown Line

We’re getting to a point where that line has gone from shutting opponents down to needing to win its shifts by outscoring the problem. The issue is that Martinook is on pace for his lowest point total since 2021-22 when he played only 59 games. Staal has just 17 5-on-5 points this season, despite apparently becoming the solution to the Hurricanes’ power-play issues, but that’s not been at all what he’s paid for.

Now, there are reasons for it. The most obvious is that traditionally, the Hurricanes deploy Jaccob Slavin behind the shutdown line. He’s not been there. He is the best defensive defenseman in the NHL, and his absence makes it harder for the rest of the team, especially in their own zone. In such a high-intensity, man-to-man system, a touch of poor positioning can sink the team, and that has been happening frequently this season. When that’s combined with the seemingly endless rotation of injuries the Hurricanes have endured, it makes sense.

However, the Hurricanes need better from their identity line. It’s the first time under Brind’Amour that this duo has struggled. They’ve begun to find it recently, but they need to continue to right the ship defensively. If they can keep recovering and get back to what they were a couple of seasons ago, the Hurricanes can return to the out-and-out contender they were predicted to be this season.