There’s no sense in easing into the season and that shouldn’t be the case for the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes.
They meet in a rematch of the 2025 postseason when they open their seasons against each other Thursday night in Raleigh, N.C.
“You’ve got to be dialed in the whole time,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said. “That’s the challenge, staying focused and being the best every day and not worrying about the big picture.”
The Devils and Hurricanes met in last spring’s playoffs, with Carolina advancing in five games in the Eastern Conference’s first round. The teams split a pair of overtime results in the series, but Carolina won all three games on home ice.
While the Devils were knocked out in the first round, the Hurricanes advanced to the Eastern Conference finals before losing to eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida.
“We’ll certainly get a great test right off the bat,” Brind’Amour said. “There’s still so much to go over and get reps at it. You really want to get going. Guys are really itching.”
The Devils’ lineup is expected to include defenseman Brett Pesce, a former Carolina player, though he missed time after an injury during a preseason game last week. He’ll be in his 700th game the next time he’s on the ice.
“I feel great,” Pesce said. “Ready to roll.”
The Devils have their top five scorers from last season returning in forwards Jesper Bratt (88 points), Jack Hughes (70), Nico Hischier (69), Timo Meier (53) and defenseman Luke Hughes (44).
There could be plenty of eyes on Devils winger Arseny Gritsyuk as he’ll be set for his NHL debut.
“You’ve got a guy who’s trying to get adjusted,” New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe said. “As the season goes along as everyone gets more confidence and comfortable (we’ll expand roles) … You can’t get it all in in the preseason.”
Carolina has the core of its offense returning, with points leader Sebastian Aho (74 points) and goals leader Seth Jarvis (32 goals). Goaltenders Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov are also back in the nets, while defenseman Jaccob Slavin anchors the blue line.
The Hurricanes will be interested in seeing how winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who had 24 goals and 39 assists last season for Winnipeg, and defenseman K’Andre Miller — a pair of newcomers — fit in. Those players won’t be locked into line combinations or pairings.
“It’s going to change a lot,” Brind’Amour said of some pairings. “Obviously, we’ve got a couple new guys, and we have to figure out how they mesh.”
There’s also the matter of assessing the further development of defenseman Alexander Nikishin, who made his NHL debut in the spring. Brind’Amour said it’s likely that Nikishin would be eased into any special teams’ roles if he earns those.
The Hurricanes are hoping defenseman Jalen Chatfield is ready after he missed weekend work.
“We’ll see where we go,” Brind’Amour said of Chatfield.
Carolina only has two home games in the first 2 1/2 weeks of the season, so starting strong in front of home fans would be ideal. The Devils play their first three games on the road.
–Field Level Media
