Bothered by some discomfort in his midsection since Monday, February 21 vs. Philadelphia, the first-year Cane skated with the group this morning and is expected to draw in for the team to have 18 skaters tonight.
Forward Nino Niederreiter was handed a
one-game suspension by the NHL Saturday
, meaning he is unavailable for this evening's game. The group will also once again be without Jordan Martinook, who was revealed to be "out at least a couple of weeks" per Rod Brind'Amour following morning skate. With #21 and #48 out of the lineup, the group is expected to have 11 forwards and 7 defensemen on their bench tonight.
In net, Frederik Andersen was in the starter's crease at morning skate. The All-Star netminder suffered a loss in his most recent outing, allowing three goals on 21 shots in Toronto on Thursday. Through 40 starts this year Freddie is 30-9-2.
The projected lineup for tonight's 6 p.m. start is:
Forwards:
Teravainen - Aho - Jarvis
Svechnikov - Trocheck - Necas
Lorentz - Staal - Fast
Kotkaniemi - Stepan
Defensemen:
Slavin - DeAngelo
Skjei - Pesce
Smith - Cole
Bear
Starting Goalie:
Andersen
Injuries:
Martinook
Suspended:
Niederreiter
Note: Lineup subject to change prior to opening faceoff
Worth A Click:
Preview: Canes vs. Rangers
Mailbag #20: Approaching The Trade Deadline
Stepan's Ride To Raleigh & Fit With The Canes
Hurricanes March Schedule