The Carolina Hurricanes Stanley Cup hopes have taken a massive hit. Star winger Andrei Svechnikov is set to undergo season-ending surgery on a torn ACL Thursday, the team announced.
Forward Andrei Svechnikov will undergo knee surgery on Thursday. He will miss the remainder of the season and playoffs. https://t.co/PZfcznWIuw
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) March 14, 2023
The injury happened on March 11th against the Vegas Golden Knights where Svechnikov played just 17 minutes before exiting. After further examination, the worst-possible diagnosis became a reality for the Canes.
Carolina president Don Waddell had this to say about Svechnikov’s upcoming procedure. Via NHL.com:
“After further consultation with global experts in this field, it has been determined that the best course of action for Andrei’s future is to have this surgery, and to have it done by our team orthopedist, Dr. Marty Isbell,” said Waddell. “We’re confident that Andrei will make a full recovery.”
Svechnikov has been one of the Hurricanes’ best players in 2022-23, notching 55 points in 64 games played. That includes 23 goals and 32 assists. A first-round selection in 2018 by the organization, the 22-year-old Russian has collected 264 points in 347 NHL appearances to date. He posted four points in his last five games prior to the injury.
Carolina is currently one of the top teams in the league and leads the Metropolitan Division with a 44-14-8 record. They rank 12th in goals scored with 3.28 per night and with Andrei Svechnikov now on the shelf until next season, that means others need to step up alongside Sebastian Aho and Martin Necas, especially because Max Pacioretty also remains on the IR with a torn Achilles and is unlikely to play again this season.
On a more positive note, the Canes ended a three-game losing skid on Tuesday night with a dominant 5-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets as Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored twice and supplied an assist. The Toronto Maple Leafs are up next Friday on the road.
