- Seth Jarvis is skating again, but he won’t be in the lineup when Carolina opens the season
- Rehab from shoulder surgery is on schedule, with late October the earliest realistic return
- Read below for what Jarvis said about the spot he leaves open and the three names chasing it
Seth Jarvis is back on the ice.
He still won’t be in the Carolina lineup when the Hurricanes raise their banner. Todd Gibson of CBS 17 caught the 24-year-old putting in a full skate at Lane Arena on Friday morning, slap shot and all. Watch him move:
Jarvis told reporters including Chip Alexander of the News & Observer that his rehab is on schedule. Asked about the hole he leaves in Carolina’s top six to start the year, he sounded more curious than worried.
“There’s definitely a spot and I’m excited to see what they can do.”
The surgery repaired a torn labrum and rotator cuff that Jarvis first hurt during the 2023-24 season and played through ever since. He went under the knife once the Stanley Cup Final wrapped.
General manager Eric Tulsky put the recovery at “probably four to six months” in June, which pushes the earliest possible return to late October. Carolina almost never rushes these, so a December date is live too.
One wrinkle helps the front office. Jarvis will be LTIR-eligible on opening night, per Brian La Rose of Pro Hockey Rumors, and the Canes still have to get Alexander Nikishin under contract.
Somebody has to take those minutes. Walt Ruff of Hurricanes.com laid out three candidates, and Bradly Nadeau is the obvious one. The 2023 first-rounder has 114 points in 116 AHL games and became just the sixth teenager in league history to score 30 goals as a rookie.
Tulsky was asked how Nadeau looked during his two call-up stints last season.
“He absolutely will be in the conversation if we need a call-up at the start of the year. I think it would be a good opportunity for him to get some runway.”
Felix Unger Sorum is right behind him. The 2023 second-rounder put up 66 points in 72 games with Chicago last season and his 49 assists tied for third among all AHL skaters. Justin Robidas is the dark horse at 5-foot-8, with 115 points in 128 games over two AHL seasons and an “A” on his sweater for the Wolves.
All three are in Raleigh this weekend for Carolina’s prospect showcase at Lane Arena, which runs Sept. 13-15. Jarvis gets a front-row look at the audition for his own spot.
