Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal will miss one to two months with a torn calf, head coach Rod Brind’Amour confirmed Tuesday. The 38-year-old suffered the injury during warmups before Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers and was subsequently ruled out of the matchup.
NHL analyst Walt Ruff shared the update on X, where fans weighed in on Staal’s absence.
One fan wrote:
“Big challenge while he’s out but we also saw this team overcome last season’s injuries. Prayers for a quick recovery for Staal-will miss seeing him on the ice.”
Another added:
“you know it’s bad when he gives a real time range”
One fan was optimistic about Carolina managing without Staal and wrote:
“We are prepared to weather this storm. This is why we didn’t trade KK. Let staal get healthy, come back in early January or whatever. He’ll have a lot less wear & tear on him come April-June.”
Another asked:
“So what happens when the captain is injured? We pick a new captain or what”
Another was happy for Staal to take his time recovering, writing,
“That’s ok. Rest him an extra month too so he’ll be nice and fresh come playoff time”
Hurricanes face lineup changes after Jordan Staal injury
Jordan Staal’s injury leaves Carolina without the center Brind’Amour relies on to defend against some of the league’s top forwards. With Seth Jarvis also out while recovering from shoulder surgery, the Hurricanes will have to make changes to their lineup.
“He gets the tough matchups every night,” Brind’Amour said. “No hiding that now. We’re all going to have to step up a little more with those two guys out, in particular.”
Jesperi Kotkaniemi is expected to fill Staal’s spot, and Carolina could call up a forward from the minors.
Jordan Staal finished last season with six goals in the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights and 12 points in 19 playoff games. He also took on difficult defensive assignments throughout Carolina’s run to the championship, earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
He had no points through Carolina’s first six games this season. The Hurricanes have started 5-1-1, but replacing Staal’s work at center will be a challenge while he recovers.
Edited by Sonali Verma