RALEIGH, NC. - Martin Necas returns to the Carolina Hurricanes' lineup on Friday after missing over two weeks with an upper-body injury.
Going down during practice on Thursday, January 4, #88 has been sidelined for the team's last five games. Carolina's leading scorer last season with 71 points, he is expected to skate alongside Stefan Noesen and Jack Drury at five-on-five, while also resuming his duties on the team's second power play unit.
Making way for Necas, Brendan Lemieux is likely to be the healthy extra.
Behind the group of skaters, Antti Raanta will play his 20th game of the season.
Rod Brind'Amour confirmed pre-game that rookie Yaniv Perets will still back up Raanta this evening. Carolina added another goaltender to the mix this afternoon, claiming Spencer Martin off of waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets.
"We'll just see how it goes," Carolina's head coach said when he was asked about Martin's role with the club. "With the guys we have down and the uncertainty with the whole position, I think we're just trying to give ourselves another option and a little more security there."
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Tonight's Projected Lineup...
Forwards
Svechnikov - Aho - Teravainen
Bunting - Kotkaniemi - Fast
Martinook - Staal - Jarvis
Noesen - Drury - Necas
Defense
Slavin - Burns
Skjei - Pesce
Orlov - Chatfield
Goaltenders
Raanta
Perets
Injuries
Frederik Andersen (Blood Clotting Issue)
Pyotr Kochetkov (Concussion)
Healthy Scratches
Tony DeAngelo
Brendan Lemieux
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PP1: Aho, Bunting, Jarvis, and Svechnikov with Burns
PP2: Drury, Necas, Noesen, and Teravainen with Skjei
