The Carolina Hurricanes had a wild offseason. After acquiring Nikolaj Ehlers and K’Andre Miller this summer, the goal is to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006. However, before they get there, they will have to endure a gruelling regular season as favorites to win the Metropolitan Division. First up, the Hurricanes host the New Jersey Devils on Thursday night to open the 2025-26 season.
Devils vs. Hurricanes Preview
The Hurricanes open their season against a rival who is also favored to win the Metro this season. Here is where you can watch or listen to the game:
Watch: ESPN+ and Hulu
Listen: 99.9 The Fan (Mike Maniscalco and Tripp Tracy)
Puck Drop: 7:30 p.m. Eastern
The Hurricanes announced their opening night roster on Monday, which includes 13 forwards, seven defensemen, and three goalies. There were no real surprises, as management stayed with the same group throughout most of training camp and the preseason.
It was clear early that the Hurricanes would give a long look to Logan Stankoven as their second-line center, and he seems to be the right-shot centerman the team has been looking for. Stankoven will be flanked by Andrei Svechnikov, who had 15 points during the 2025 Playoffs. Jackson Blake will be his other winger after scoring 17 goals and 34 points in his rookie season.
Related: Carolina Hurricanes Announce 2025-26 Opening Night Roster
The trio will help form a potentially formidable top six, which includes the top line of Ehlers, Aho, and Jarvis – a line with real speed, playmaking ability, high-end motors, and who can all score at will. This is the best top six the team has seen in a while, and they are all signed for at least the next four seasons.
The hope is that Ehlers will stay healthy. He only played in 69 games for the Winnipeg Jets last season. Playing a full season in Carolina would be a big boost to the club, while Aho could have a 90-point season, with Ehlers and Jarvis on his wings.
If Jarvis can stay healthy as well – and isn’t troubled by his shoulder – there’s a chance the Winnipeg native could be in for an 80-plus point season in his fifth NHL season. Look out for the top six and the top power play unit of Aho, Ehlers, Jarvis, Svechnikov, and Shayne Gostisbehere to be tough to stop this season.
The Hurricanes’ opening-night assignment will be to shut down the Devils, who will have two healthy Hughes brothers and their captain, Nico Hischier. They also cannot overlook Jesper Bratt, who took a huge step forward last season. He will be on the top line with Hughes and will be worth keeping an eye on.
The Hurricanes must also limit their penalties, especially against a Devils team that can cause problems on the power play. While the Hurricanes’ penalty kill was the NHL’s best last season, they don’t want to play with fire to open the campaign.
The Hurricanes have also been one of the best 5v5 teams in the NHL over the last few seasons, and they will want to continue to control the tempo of games and get quality shots on Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom. Carolina will need to shoot up high and get him moving from side to side if they want to score goals on Thursday night.
Related: Hurricanes’ Blake on Second Year Mindset & Relief to Stay Long-Term
Emotions and expectations are high as the Hurricanes embark on their quest to make the playoffs for an eighth consecutive season. They have been on the doorstep of making the Final three times in the first seven seasons of the Rod Brind’Amour era, but it all starts with game one against the Devils on Thursday night.
