Hurricanes Roster Update After Hall News & Unger Sörum Call-Up

The Carolina Hurricanes have had an eventful couple of weeks. They dropped the first two games of the season, then went on a six-game winning streak. Then, all of a sudden, they are without Jordan Staal (partially torn calf) for a month or two, and now Taylor Hall is officially out week to week with an upper-body injury. Over the last few days, the Hurricanes have recalled forwards Bradly Nadeau and Felix Unger Sörum from the Chicago Wolves due to the Staal and Hall injuries. With all the injury and roster news, where does the team stand ahead of their five-game road trip?

Out: Hall & Staal, In: Nadeau & Unger Sörum 

During training camp and the preseason, Nadeau and Unger Sörum made their case as to why they were ready to play NHL minutes with the Hurricanes. However, roster spots weren’t available. Now that Hall and Staal are out for a bit, the two prospects will have a chance to showcase their skills. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour stated before the team left for Winnipeg, “Both those guys, I thought, played great in the preseason. We just didn’t have spots available. We’ve got injuries, so I’m sure they’ll get some action here.”

It’s no secret that Brind’Amour would rather give younger players ice time with the Wolves rather than limit them in the NHL. “If they do certain things, you have to give them opportunities; otherwise, what is the point? Both are skilled players, and trying to get them power-play time is likely what we need to do.”

When the team took to the ice on Friday morning (Oct. 16), here is what the forward lines looked like with the additions of Nadeau and Unger Sörum:

With Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov combining for 24 points in the last seven games, it makes sense to keep William Carrier with them. The trio has been rolling since Oct. 3 against the Philadelphia Flyers, which kicked off the current six-game winning streak. Back on Oct. 15, The Hockey Writers mentioned an idea about Nadeau playing with Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake. With Hall out, the St-François-de-Madawaska, NB native could slide right onto the second line with 2/3rds of the “Junkyard Dawgs”.

Placing Nadeau with Stankoven and Blake makes it easier for him to ease into a bigger role alongside two guys who are just two or three years older than him. It could be the “young guns line” with those three on the second line. Plus, it makes it easier to keep Nikolaj Ehlers with Jordan Martinook, as those two had tons of chemistry last season, especially in the playoffs. Without Staal there, Mark Jankowski has to step into some Conn Smythe-sized shoes. However, he has played well over the last two games as the third-line center, keeping his goal streak alive at five.

Since Carrier will stay on the top line with Aho and Svechnikov, and the Hurricanes are keeping Nic Deslauriers as the healthy extra, it made sense to place Unger Sörum on the fourth line with Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Eric Robinson. It eases him into the system, as he has not played as many meaningful games as Nadeau. The Swedish/Norwegian forward stated after practice on Friday about this being his “first call-up”: “This kind of feels like my first call-up. Not that my first game wasn’t important, but this is with games that matter more, so it’s gonna be fun.”

Unger Sörum said he’s going to take it day by day and not get ahead of himself. “It’s a really good team, and you just want to help. You just have to take it day-by-day, go out there and do your best, and have fun.”

It’ll be interesting to see how the Hurricanes will fare during their five-game road trip, especially with Nadeau and Unger Sörum in the lineup. Plus, the duo will get some power play time, as both were on the second unit with Jankowski, Stankoven, and K’Andre Miller. It’s good to see them get some special teams minutes, not just 5-on-5 time.

No matter how the lines are set, the Hurricanes will be seeking to keep their winning streak alive on Saturday, Oct. 17, against the Winnipeg Jets and Sunday, Oct. 18, against the Calgary Flames. They’re 6-1-1 in eight games in the 2026-27 season and hope to make it eight straight after the weekend. With Nadeau and Unger Sörum in the lineup, the next core is here and looking to make their case to show that they are truly ready to become everyday NHLers.