Hurricanes Looking Internally for Jarvis Replacement Following Surgery

Now that the dust is settled, news of injuries has been filtering out around the league. Regarding the Carolina Hurricanes, they announced on Friday night (June 26) that forwards Seth Jarvis and Eric Robinson had surgery following the Stanley Cup win. In terms of Robinson, he will be out four to six weeks after having knee surgery. However, Jarvis will be out longer than that.

Replacing Jarvis in the Interim

Following the first round of the 2026 NHL Draft, general manager Eric Tulsky informed the media of the surgeries of Jarvis and Robinson. While Robinson should be back by the start of training camp, Jarvis will be out longer than that. Tulsky stated that Jarvis got surgery to repair his torn labrum and rotator cuff that he suffered in 2023-24.

The timetable puts him out four to six months, meaning it could be an October to December return for the back-to-back-to-back 30-goal scorer. While it’ll be weird not seeing the Winnipeg native on the top line to begin the season, the surgery was much needed after suffering through it for the last two seasons.

“Shoulders are tough. Once it goes, you can keep aggravating it and limit what you can do… Eventually, it needs to be repaired. You can strengthen it and try to get through it, and he did that for a while. Last year, we had a deep run — if we had missed the playoffs last year, he probably would have had this last summer, I would guess.” Tulsky stated.

“But we had a deep run, and he started looking at the timeline and didn’t want to miss a big chunk of the season. Then we got to this year and had another deep run, and at some point, you just need to do it. You can’t be limited for the rest of your career. You start thinking, ‘maybe we’re going to have deep runs every year,’ just bite the bullet and get it done.”

When it comes to replacing the 24-year-old star, it seems like it could be a short-term answer until his return. Whether it comes internally or through free agency, the Hurricanes seem open to multiple possibilities. Tulsky stated, “We’re looking at everything, of course. It’s hard to say before July 1 what our lineup will look like on November 29… but there’s a very real chance here 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.”

It makes sense to look at the younger players within the organization to seize the chance to showcase what they can do, especially given the runway of October through December. One player that comes to mind is the 2023 30th overall pick, Bradly Nadeau. During the 2025-26 season, over two separate call-ups spanning 12 games, he tallied three goals. Back in December 2025, he was making a case to play in the top six, and could have another opportunity this upcoming season with Jarvis out.

While he was playing for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL), he tallied 27 goals and 56 points in 52 games. He followed that up with seven goals and 17 points in 21 games, en route to a Calder Cup Final appearance. Nadeau is likely the first call-up in case of injuries, as fans saw in 2025-26.

When asked about Nadeau getting the opportunity, Tulsky stated, “He’s been great in the (AHL). He had, sort of, two call-up stints this past year. I thought in the first one, he looked like someone who was acclimating for the first time. In the second one, he looked like someone who was acclimated. You could see the progression. 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.”

Even with the praise coming from the Hurricanes’ general manager, it’s not a guarantee he will be the guy to take over after training camp in September. He will be one of a few options for the open spot following the preseason and heading into opening night to begin the 2026-27 season. Make no mistake, the Hurricanes know that he is ready and, given the chance, could be the player to get the runway necessary to showcase his skills for a longer stretch of games.

Two other guys who could get looks are Felix Unger Sorum and Justin Robidas. Both guys had 66 (Unger Sorum) and 60 points (Robidas) for head coach Spiros Anastas and the Wolves this previous season. While they might not have played as much as Nadeau, they’ve shown in the AHL that they have the skills to get the chance if called upon. However, if there were a depth chart of who gets called up first, Nadeau is at the top of that list.

It’ll be interesting to see what path the Hurricanes take when opening night in early October rolls around. Free agency starts on Wednesday, July 1, and training camp begins in September. Could the Hurricanes seek outside help until Jarvis returns? Or will they look internally for his interim replacement to showcase what they have? Either way, it’ll be something to keep an eye on as the months roll along.