The Carolina Hurricanes shuffled their Friday practice in Finland around Jordan Staal, skating him with the regulars and keeping his status for Game Two against the Seattle Kraken open for later in the day. Rod Brind’Amour would only say the team would see how Staal felt on Saturday before deciding whether he would play.
The timing matters because the Hurricanes were not holding a morning skate, and their pregame availability was set for 10:30 AM Eastern. In other words, the lineup call was being pushed as close to game time as possible, with Staal on the trip and working in between Jordan Martinook and Seth Jarvis while Mark Jankowski slid back to his normal spot.
That practice alignment was the clearest sign yet that Staal could be available, even if it stopped short of a final answer. When he was with the regulars, Taylor Hall and Jesperi Kotkaniemi were Jankowski’s wingers, Eric Robinson was the odd man out, and the shift also kept Alexander Nikishin with Shayne Gostisbehere while Juuso Valimaki was bumped back with extras along with Mike Reilly.
Brind’Amour has made no secret that the team wants to manage the situation carefully. Nikishin playing was not a surprise because the Hurricanes wanted to get him more game action, but Staal’s case was different: he had to feel right before the staff would lock him into the lineup. That left the roster picture fluid on the same day the team was skating in front of fans and Finns at an open practice.
For Carolina, the decision reaches beyond one forward slot. The club is in Finland for the NHL's Global Series, and its roster use has been shaped by the need to keep Mike Reilly and Juuso Valimaki off waivers by using Staal’s spot. If Staal goes, Eric Robinson is the one most directly affected. If he sits, the Hurricanes stay with the group they have been using to manage the trip and the games in Finland.
The wider context only adds to the stakes. The Hurricanes arrived in Finland as reigning Stanley Cup champions and as one of the league’s showpieces for the Global Series, and the Friday practice suggested they were prepared to lean on their regular structure if Staal could handle it. The last word, though, was still Brind’Amour’s to make after seeing how he felt.
