Hurricanes & Slavin Hope for Health Stability in 2026-27

The 2025-26 season was an interesting one for Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin. He played the first two games of the season against the New Jersey Devils (Oct. 9) and the Philadelphia Flyers (Oct. 11). However, he would miss a good chunk of the season until his return in December. All in all, he played 39 regular-season games and followed it up by playing all 19 playoff games en route to a Stanley Cup. What can Slavin and the Hurricanes hope for this upcoming season, in what is shaping up to be a title defense?

Hoping for a Healthy Slavin

When it comes down to it, hopefully Slavin can stay healthy all season and play around 80 to 81 games, as he has done over the last couple of seasons. Before the 2025-26 season, he had played in 81 games in 2023-24 and 80 in 2024-25. If he can get to around 82 or 83 games this season, that would be ideal for the Hurricanes. While the defense played well in his absence, it would be a huge boost for the blue line to have the best defenseman in the NHL in the lineup every night.

When he was in the lineup last season, Slavin finished with one goal and eight points, along with a plus-8. Along with that, he was able to get back in time to win a gold medal at the 2026 Milano-Cortina Games for Team USA, and then win a Stanley Cup. With him winning both last season, he became only the second American player to do so.

Slavin is entering the second season of his eight-year, $51.17 million extension, with the average annual value (AAV) being $6.369 million per season. That contract alone makes him one of the three best contracts on the Hurricanes. Despite the first year not being what he wanted, expect him to come out hungry and showcase that he won’t let last season derail what he has done for the Hurricanes over the years.

Over the course of his career with the Hurricanes, Slavin has averaged 22:23 of ice time in 784 regular-season games. Last season, he averaged 22:19, making it 11 straight seasons of 20 or more minutes. During his 784 games in Raleigh, he has only 98 penalty minutes in the regular season. It’s an absurd number for what he has done in almost 800 games, and to be under 100. What makes it even more mind-blowing is that over the course of 105 playoff games, he only has 10. The last two postseasons combined have seen Slavin have a total of zero minutes. Safe to say his best ability is his availability.

That is even more so when he can stay healthy and on the ice. If the Hurricanes can have Slavin in the lineup for 80 to 83 games, they will be in a good place overall on the blue line. He is their number one defenseman, the best defensive defenseman in the NHL, and the best penalty killer on the team.

It’ll be interesting to see how Slavin will be this upcoming season, especially if his knee is feeling better after it kept him out for a bit. The hope is that he is 100% and ready to go, as the Hurricanes are hoping to make another deep playoff run to defend their Stanley Cup win back in June. If they want a chance to defend their crown, they will once again look at Slavin to lead the way on the blue line. What could the Hurricanes and their fans be in store for this upcoming season?