Hurricanes Vs Blue Jackets: Svechnikov expected back as Carolina reshuffles for 7 p.m. ET faceoff in Columbus
hurricanes vs blue jackets is set for Tuesday at 7: 00 p. m. ET at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, with Carolina expecting winger Andrei Svechnikov to be available after he missed Monday’s practice. The Hurricanes are on the road after two days off and are coming off a win over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday, while the Blue Jackets enter a divisional matchup with recent momentum. The immediate question for Carolina is how the forward lines and power-play look if Svechnikov returns, with multiple roster decisions still unresolved heading into puck drop.
Projected lineup focus: Svechnikov in, Gostisbehere still out
Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters Monday that Svechnikov “didn’t feel 100%, ” after the winger was absent from practice. By Tuesday afternoon, Brind’Amour said the 25-year-old is fine and expected to play against Columbus. Svechnikov last played Saturday in Tampa, scoring his 24th goal of the season.
On the back end, the Hurricanes will again be without defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, who is dealing with a lower-body injury and is set to miss a fifth consecutive game. Gostisbehere has been out since March 6 in Edmonton, leaving Carolina to continue without what the team described as a point-producing presence on the blue line.
In net, Brandon Bussi is scheduled to start for Carolina. For Columbus, the expected starter is Jet Greaves.
Hurricanes Vs Blue Jackets: The roster squeeze up front and special-teams tweaks
Even with Svechnikov trending toward a return, Carolina’s forward group still has moving parts. Eric Robinson filled in at Svechnikov’s spot alongside Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis at Monday’s practice, while Nic Deslauriers skated with William Carrier and Mark Jankowski.
That setup leaves a key decision for Carolina: whether Robinson was simply holding a place until Svechnikov returned, which could open the door for Deslauriers to make his team debut, or whether Robinson slides back into a prior role with Carrier and Jankowski—potentially leaving Deslauriers as a healthy extra again.
Carolina’s power-play alignment also shows a notable wrinkle. Jordan Staal has been taking faceoffs with the first power-play unit; if he wins the draw, he stays on the ice, and once the puck exits the zone he changes off with Nikolaj Ehlers rotating on. The listed first unit includes Aho, Ehlers (with Staal involved on draws), Jarvis, Svechnikov, and Nikishin. The second unit is listed as Blake, Hall, Jankowski, Stankoven, and Miller.
Immediate reactions: Brind’Amour on Svechnikov, and key injury updates
Brind’Amour’s message on Tuesday afternoon was direct: Svechnikov is “fine” after not feeling “100%” the day before, clearing the way for him to be available at 7: 00 p. m. ET. That update shifts the storyline from availability to deployment—where Svechnikov slots in, and which forward becomes the odd man out.
The Hurricanes, meanwhile, continue to operate without Gostisbehere (lower-body). Another significant injury note remains on the team’s list: goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is out following hip surgery and was listed as “likely out for the year” as of Dec. 29.
Quick context: standings pressure and a divisional test in Columbus
Carolina enters the night at 42-18-6, while Columbus is 34-21-11, with the Blue Jackets positioned two points outside a playoff spot. Columbus has recorded a point in nine straight games, setting up a matchup that Carolina cannot overlook as the regular season advances.
What’s next at 7: 00 p. m. ET: final line choices, goalie confirmations, and the next test of momentum
Once warmups begin Tuesday evening, the biggest tells will be whether Svechnikov returns to his usual spot immediately and whether Deslauriers dresses, clarifying Carolina’s forward mix for the night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7: 00 p. m. ET, and the result will double as a measuring stick: can Carolina carry its Saturday momentum into a road divisional game against a Columbus team riding a nine-game point streak? Whatever the final combinations, the urgency around hurricanes vs blue jackets will be shaped by who actually takes the ice—and how Carolina adapts without Gostisbehere on the blue line.
