COLUMBUS, OH. - The Carolina Hurricanes are prioritizing the health of their star players on Tuesday, holding out several key pieces when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Sebastian Aho, Frederik Andersen, Jake Guentzel, Seth Jarvis, Brett Pesce, Jaccob Slavin, Jordan Staal, and Andrei Svechnikov will all take in the action from the press box, getting another night of rest before the Stanley Cup Playoffs begin this weekend.
With those players out, the team will have several new faces in the lineup, highlighted by the NHL debuts of Jackson Blake and Bradly Nadeau.
Both signed earlier this month, the two up-and-comers have a big opportunity ahead of them.
"It's a good experience. I hope they play well, obviously, and have a great memory," Rod Brind'Amour said after confirming the slew of lineup changes. "That's really what it's about for this game."
In addition to those two getting in, Max Comtois, who was recalled from the Chicago Wolves just before morning skate, will also make his team debut.
A veteran of 210 NHL games, gets his services put to use after being signed as a depth option by the Canes earlier in 2024. Perfect for a game like tonight, he joins the unit after 43 points in 62 games at the American Hockey League level this season.
Comtois was recalled along with Dylan Coghlan, who arrived from Springfield, MA as the team was on the ice. It remains to be seen whether he will draw in.
And lastly, behind it all, Spencer Martin will see his first action in net for the first time in six weeks.
Forced into the role of the team's third goalie after Andersen returned in March, Martin now gets another crack at the team that placed him on waivers in January.
"Spence" is 4-0-1 and carries a .922 save percentage with Carolina and his last game played came against these same Blue Jackets on February 29.
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Tonight's Betting Odds
Odds at Time of Publishing, provided by Fanatics Sportsbook: Canes -160
To view more Fanatics Sportsbook betting lines, click here.
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Tonight's Projected Lineup...
Forwards
Teravainen - Drury - Necas
Nadeau - Kuznetsov - Fast
Comtois - Kotkaniemi - Noesen
Lemieux - Martinook - Blake
Defense
Skjei - Burns
Orlov - Morrow
Chatfield - DeAngelo
Goaltenders
Martin
[Backup: Kochetkov]
Out (Roster Management)
Sebastian Aho
Frederik Andersen
Jake Guentzel
Seth Jarvis
Brett Pesce
Jaccob Slavin
Jordan Staal
Andrei Svechnikov
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PP1: Guessing tonight's power play units with the above-listed lineup is like guessing the lottery numbers. Brent Burns will likely be the QB though as he keeps his ironman streak going.
PP2: Player 1, Player 2, Player 3, and Player 4 with one of either Skjei, DeAngelo, or Morrow serving as the QB.
