Carolina Hurricanes fans looking for good news amid the team’s four-game losing streak aren’t in luck. During a short press scrum after practice in Ottawa this afternoon (Dec. 11), Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour gave an update on star right winger Andrei Svechnikov, who sat out for the team’s 4-3 loss at the hands of the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
“[Svechnikov] went to get an MRI,” Brind’Amour said to Bally Sports reporter Hanna Yates. “I don’t really know what’s going on there. I’m not sure.”
Brind’Amour did not give a timeline for the results to be made public if the player and team decide to do so. He also did not provide a timeline for another update on Svechnikov. Yet, an unfavorable update could spell disaster for the rest of the Hurricanes’ already inconsistent season.
Two Game Absences
Before the Thursday, Dec. 7 game against the Calgary Flames, Brind’Amour told the assembled media in Calgary, “We have one game-time decision. A couple of nicked-up guys.” Shortly before puck drop, the official word came from the team’s public relations account X — formerly known as Twitter.
Andrei Svechnikov will not play tonight due to an upper-body injury.
— Hurricanes PR (@CanesPR) December 8, 2023
When Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks arrived, Svechnikov was still out of the lineup, with no further information released by the team. Brind’Amour’s statement today is the first update fans have received, and it is an unwelcome one. As always, it’s unwise to speculate on the results or even the reason behind the MRI this afternoon. But that doesn’t mean it’s not noteworthy.
Andrei Svechnikov’s Recvory
“He’s a big part of what we’re doing,” Brind’Amour said in a press scrum last Tuesday (Dec. 5). “His numbers aren’t there yet, but he’s a talented player. If we want to have any success, we need him to be what he can be. I don’t think he’s quite there yet.”
Related: Hurricanes’ Svechnikov Close to “What He Can Be” After ACL Injury
After missing the first eight games of the Hurricanes’ season recovering from ACL surgery last March, Svechnikov has struggled to return to his peak form. It’s a common problem — even for stars — when returning from a long recovery process. No one would have blamed you for assuming Svechnikov just needed more game action to get up to speed. However, with the Hurricanes sitting outside of a playoff spot in the Metropolitan Division, you would want to see progress sooner rather than later.
With today’s MRI news, hopes that Svechnikov’s star power could be used to help the team recover have been deflated. Of course, the Hurricanes’ medical staff could just be cautious with a player the head coach sees as a necessity for their success. The MRI could come back clean, and he could rejoin the lineup in an upcoming game.
My question is if it’s too late. Is there enough runway for Svechnikov to return to Brind’Amour’s lineup card and return to the level of play that made him an NHL All-Star last season? Even if he’s back in the lineup within the next few games, will there be enough time?
Carolina Hurricanes in Chaos
Today’s news is just another recent event that has caused Hurricanes fans to worry about the team’s projections for the season. In the same press scrum this morning, Brind’Amour shared that defenseman Brett Pesce missed practice due to illness. The team still doesn’t have solid answers about the future of goalie Frederik Andersen after he was sidelined due to a blood clotting condition early in November.
Notes from a #Canes practice day in Ottawa –
— Walt Ruff (@WaltRuff) December 11, 2023
• Brett Pesce (illness) did not skate.
• Andrei Svechnikov (upper-body injury) is getting an MRI. Rod Brind'Amour doesn't know anything further at this time. pic.twitter.com/42B4YKRVJg
You also don’t have to read the tea leaves to know that the Hurricanes’ front office is working hard to move a defenseman. For fans in Raleigh, each passing day brings more questions and worries about the still relatively young season. Adding another possible long absence for Svechnikov feels like placing straw on the camel’s back while its knees shake.
