Carolina Hurricanes 2026-27 Roster Projection 1.0

We are officially another day closer to the start of the 2026-27 season for the defending Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. While there aren’t many changes this upcoming season compared to what we saw last season, there could be one or two new names on the opening night roster. In a way-too-early roster projection, what could the Hurricanes roster look like on opening night in October?

Bringing the Forward Momentum in Raleigh

Here are the projected lines for the Hurricanes:

One of the names that stands out right away is the Hurricanes’ top prospect, forward Bradly Nadeau. After the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, general manager Eric Tulsky mentioned that Seth Jarvis will be out 4 to 6 months due to having shoulder surgery. He went on to add that, “There’s a very real chance that we end up with sort of an open spot in our lineup for a month or two for a young player to step in and get an opportunity to show what he can do.”

The one player that was mentioned right away was Nadeau, who had another stellar season for the American Hockey League (AHL) Chicago Wolves. He had 27 goals and 56 points in 52 games last season for head coach Spiros Anastas and the Wolves. When asked about the 2023 first-round pick, Tulsky stated, “He absolutely will be in the conversation if we need a call-up at the start of the year. I think it would be a good opportunity for him to get some runway.”

When it comes to where he could start in the lineup for head coach Rod Brind’Amour, it makes sense to put him on a line with Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook. If there are two guys to learn the system from, especially over a month or two span, the Jordans are the way to go. When starting out his career in Raleigh, Jarvis was placed on that line and went on to learn the system and become a 30-plus goal scorer three seasons in a row.

Regarding Nadeau, he has spent most of his time on the fourth line. Bump him up to the third line with Martinook and Staal, and there could be a good progression of his skill, along with an understanding of the system. Some believe that Nadeau should see some time on the first line with Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. While there is a case to be made, starting him out on the third line for a few weeks, then seeing how he does on the top line could be an option as well.

When it comes to the second and fourth lines, there shouldn’t be many changes there. After having a phenomenal 2026 Playoffs as a unit, there is no reason to break up the “Junkyard Dog” line of Taylor Hall, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake. Stankoven led the Hurricanes in goals in the postseason (11), while Blake led in assists (13) and points (20). Plus, Hall had 19 points to round out one of the best lines in the playoffs.

Regarding the fourth line, it makes sense to keep William Carrier, Mark Jankowski, and Eric Robinson together as well. That trio played well together all season and in the playoffs. They can combine for speed, toughness, and sneaky scoring ability. The extra forwards will be Nic Deslauriers, who signed a two-year extension between winning the Stanley Cup and the Championship Parade, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi. The question will be if Kotkaniemi will be on the roster come opening night. As of now, he is still a Hurricane.

Hurricanes’ Defense & Goalie Tandem

Regarding the defense, as of now, nothing changes. However, the Hurricanes have given restricted free agent (RFA) Alexander Nikishin a qualifying offer, but he has not signed it yet. There have been rumors that Nikishin and his camp are looking for an average annual value of $8 million per season. John Buccigross, while on Frankly Hockey on June 26, mentioned how Nikishin and his camp could be asking for a huge number, “sounds like $8-ish (million).”

Tulsky addressed the rumors surrounding the young Russian defenseman on Friday night (June 26): “He was a big piece of our team this past year, and may be a big piece going forward. Naturally, the one (player) who is not under contract is the one who stirs up a bunch of speculation. But our goal is to keep taking steps anyway we can.”

As of now, let’s say Nikishin does sign an extension, it’ll be hard to see Brind’Amour and defense coach Tim Gleason breaking up the pairings. After missing over half the season in 2025-26, the hope is that Jaccob Slavin will be good to go at 100 percent health come opening night. The Hurricanes are expecting the best defensive defenseman to lead the way on the blue line and on the penalty kill. Once both guys were healthy and got some time together, especially in the playoffs, Slavin and Jalen Chatfield were solid down the stretch and through the Stanley Cup Final. Games 4-6 showcased why Slavin is so highly praised for his defense.

Sean Walker was the anchor on the blue line last season, especially when most of the group was out at different times due to injuries. Outside of getting rest for Game 82, he played every regular season game in Carolina. While there were some rumblings last offseason following the sign-and-trade for Miller, he progressed well as the season went along. During the playoffs, however, Miller took his game to another level. Even Wayne Gretzky stated that Miller was playing the best defense he’s seen throughout the playoffs. During media scrums, both guys talked highly of each other, and they became one of the most underrated pairings in the postseason.

Regarding Shayne Gostisbehere, if he were able to play more than 55 games last season, he could have easily broken Brent Burns’ single-season point record for a defenseman (61). Unfortunately, a few injuries ruined that chance, but he looks poised to take charge in 2026-27 as the power-play one quarterback and the biggest offensive threat for the Hurricanes. While he is entering the final year of his deal, Gostisbehere is someone to keep an eye on for a huge season offensively. Could there be an extension at some point?

Regarding the goalies, Tulsky stated that the Hurricanes would be “comfortable” with the tandem of Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov if that’s how it plays out this offseason. After Frederik Andersen signed a one-year, $2.8 million deal with the Edmonton Oilers, it seems like the Hurricanes will go in that direction.

When it comes down to it, it makes sense to stick with Bussi and Kochetkov in 2026-27. After signing his three-year, $5.7 million deal, it seems like Bussi could be the 1A in the tandem with Kochetkov being the 1B. Bussi finished the 2025-26 season with a 31-6-2 record alongside a 2.47 goals-against average (GAA), a .895 save percentage (SV%), and two shutouts. In his four games during the playoffs, he finished with a 3-1-0 record alongside a 1.60 GAA, a .931 SV%, and one shutout.

It’ll be interesting to see how Bussi does with 1A duties after playing his first full NHL season. But if the 31 regular season wins, along with his three straight wins in the Stanley Cup Final, say anything, he will rise to the occasion.

As for Kochetkov, he will be coming off a season where he missed most of it due to hip surgery and will be entering the final season of his four-year, $8 million deal. When he was healthy last season, Kochetkov played well for Carolina. He had a 6-2-0 record following eight starts in nine games played. He finished with a 2.33 GAA, a .899 SV%, and one shutout. Despite the surgery last season, he has won a combined 56 games over the last three seasons. Plus, his worst GAA in a season is 2.60 (2024-25), while his best is 2.33 (2023-24 and 2025-26).

Overall, outside the possibility of Nadeau breaking into the lineup and Välimäki being the seventh defenseman, the Hurricanes are returning 98% of their Stanley Cup-winning roster. While it’ll be weird to not see Andersen in the crease, they are in a good spot overall with Bussi and Kochetkov. Plus, it’ll be something to keep an eye on with how they’re doing this upcoming season when Jarvis returns before the calendar flips to January 2027. Either way, the Hurricanes look poised to defend their crown and hopefully repeat as Stanley Cup champions. No matter how the roster looks on opening night, the only thing that matters is that Hurricanes hockey will be back.