The Week Ahead: Category Five Hurricanes

It's a great week to have Carolina players on your squad, as the Hurricanes play a whopping five times.

Usually, you can rely on your backup playing twice in this situation, but the Hurricanes have three goalies on the roster.

I would expect Brandon Bussi to play three times, while Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen each play once.

All stats are through Saturday night unless otherwise noted.

Visit RotoWire's NHL Daily Starting Lineups to find out starters for every game on the schedule!

WEEK OF DECEMBER 29-JANUARY 4

5 Games – Carolina

4 Games – Chicago, Colorado, Columbus, Florida, Minnesota, Montreal, Nashville, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Vancouver, Vegas, Washington, Winnipeg

3 Games – Anaheim, Boston, Buffalo, Calgary, Dallas, Detroit, Edmonton, Los Angeles, New York Islanders, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Philadelphia, San Jose, Seattle, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Utah

Florida and St. Louis play all four games at home.

Minnesota, Montreal and Nashville play all four games on the road.

Anaheim, Calgary, Carolina, Chicago, Columbus, Ottawa and Vancouver play three games at home.

Boston, Buffalo, the New York Rangers, Philadelphia, Tampa Bay and Winnipeg play three games on the road.

ANAHEIM

Games this week

vs. San Jose, vs. Tampa Bay, vs. Minnesota

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Ducks have given up 20 goals in their last four games. Lukas Dostal started all four, going 1-3-0 while allowing 15 goals on just 83 shots (.819 save percentage). The sudden slump has dropped his record to 13-9-1 with a 3.01 GAA and an .894 save percentage... Jackson LaCombe continues to quarterback the first power-play unit. The defenseman has six goals and 16 assists in 38 games, including a goal and six points with the man advantage.

BOSTON

Games this week

@ Calgary, @ Edmonton, @ Vancouver

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Bruins make their annual trip to Western Canada... David Pastrnak scored his 15th of the season Saturday in a 4-1 loss to Buffalo... Tanner Jeannot (undisclosed) missed his first game of the season Saturday... Jeremy Swayman has started five of the Bruins' last seven games, going 1-3-1 with a 3.76 GAA and an .850 save percentage. Backup Joonas Korpisalo has been even worse, allowing eight goals on 50 shots in the two games Swayman did not start.

BUFFALO

Games this week

@ St. Louis. @ Dallas, @ Columbus

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Sabres missed Rasmus Dahlin on Saturday as he was unable to fly back from Sweden, where he spent the holiday to be with his fiancée. Dahlin should return Monday for a contest in St. Louis... The Sabres are the hottest team in the NHL after their 4-1 win over Boston on Saturday. The victory was their eighth in a row... Defenseman Mattias Samuelsson had a goal and two assists in the contest, giving him six goals and 18 points with a plus-15 rating in 35 games.

CALGARY

Games this week

vs. Boston, vs. Philadelphia, vs. Nashville

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Philadelphia (Wednesday)

Notes

The Flames have won three of their last four games including a 3-2 win over Edmonton on Saturday... Ryan Lomberg, not exactly a noted goal scorer, has three tallies in his last five games... Joel Farabee had 22 goals and 50 points with the Flyers two seasons ago, and the Flames hoped they were getting that player when they dealt for him last season. Well, the 25-year-old has nine goals and 18 points in 38 games this season, not exactly numbers worthy of a top-six forward.

CAROLINA

Games this week

vs. New York Rangers. @ Pittsburgh, vs. Montreal, vs. Colorado, @ New Jersey

Tired: @ Pittsburgh (Tuesday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Hurricanes play a rare five-game week. Their goaltending situation is in the introduction... Logan Stankoven has replaced Seth Jarvis (upper body) on the top line alongside Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov... Jackson Blake has three goals and an assist in his last five games, giving him 11 goals and 23 points in 47 appearances.

CHICAGO  

Games this week

vs. New York Islanders, vs. Dallas, @ Washington, vs. Vegas

Tired: vs. Vegas (Sunday)

Rested: vs. Dallas (Thursday)

Notes

The 'Hawks play four games this week, including three games in four nights... Spencer Knight should get three starts, with Arvid Soderblom playing once... Tyler Bertuzzi snapped a six-game point drought with a pair of goals Saturday. Bertuzzi has 18 goals in 34 games... Chicago is down its top two centers, as Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar have upper-body injuries. Bedard could return this week, but Nazar is out at least three more weeks.

COLORADO

Games this week

vs. Los Angeles, vs. St. Louis, @ Carolina, @ Florida

Tired: @ Florida (Sunday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Avalanche play three games in four nights as part of a four-game week... Mackenzie Blackwood and Scott Wedgewood are expected to share the crease... Sam Malinski has been surprisingly good offensively this season with three goals and 21 points in 37 games. He has already set a career high in points, his previous best being 15 in 76 games last season... Valeri Nichushkin has three goals and 10 points in his last 11 games.

COLUMBUS

Games this week

@ Ottawa, vs. New Jersey, vs. Buffalo, vs. Pittsburgh  

Tired: @ Ottawa (Monday)

Rested: vs. New Jersey (Wednesday)

Notes

The Blue Jackets play four games this week, including three games in four nights... Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins should share the crease... Sean Monahan has been a disappointment this season. He had 57 points in 54 games during an injury-riddled 2024-25, and the Blue Jackets likely had him penciled in for 70 points over a full season. Well, the 31-year-old has only 17 points in 36 games, though he does have eight points on the power play.

DALLAS

Games this week

vs. Buffalo, @ Chicago, vs. Montreal

Tired: @ Chicago (Thursday)

Rested: vs. Montreal (Sunday)

Notes

The Stars have gotten their monies worth from Mikko Rantanen. They signed him to an eight-year, $96 million contract and the 29-year-old Finn has 15 goals and 54 points in 38 games, including his current six-game point streak in which he has 12 points... Wyatt Johnston had three helpers Saturday, giving the young star 20 goals and 25 assists in 39 games.

DETROIT

Games this week

vs. Winnipeg, @ Pittsburgh, vs. Pittsburgh   

Tired: @ Pittsburgh (Thursday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Red Wings play three games in four nights... Look for John Gibson to play twice with Cam Talbot receiving the other start... Detroit plays a home-and-home series with the Penguins, so look for Moritz Seider to step in if things get rough... Patrick Kane has missed the last six games with an upper-body injury... Dylan Larkin has 20 goals and 36 points in 39 games.

EDMONTON

Games this week

@ Winnipeg, vs. Boston, vs. Philadelphia

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

Connor McDavid had 31 points in his last 11 games heading into the Christmas break, vaulting him into the NHL scoring lead. He picked up a goal Saturday, giving him 68 points and a 12-game scoring streak... With Tristan Jarry out of action with a lower-body injury, the Oilers turned to Connor Ingram. He has been stellar in winning his first two starts, allowing four goals on 50 shots... Evan Bouchard has four goals and 16 assists in 16 games since Nov. 22.  

FLORIDA

Games this week

vs. Washington, vs. Montreal, vs. New York Rangers, vs. Colorado

Tired: vs. Montreal (Tuesday)

Rested: vs. Colorado (Sunday)

Notes

The Panthers play all four games at home this week. They host the Rangers in the Winter Classic on Friday... Sergei Bobrovsky should get three starts, with Daniil Tarasov playing once... Eetu Luostarinen has a goal and two assists in his last two games, as he has moved up to the top line alongside Anton Lundell and Sam Reinhart... Reinhart has a four-game point streak with two goals and five assists.

LOS ANGELES

Games this week

@ Colorado, vs. Tampa Bay, vs Minnesota

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Tampa Bay (Tuesday), vs. Minnesota (Saturday)

Notes

The Kings snapped a two-game losing streak Saturday with a 6-1 shellacking over their cross-town rivals, the Ducks... Anze Kopitar had only one assist in his previous six games, but had three assists in the win... Alex Laferriere had his first career hat trick (playing alongside Kopitar) Saturday and now has 10 goals and eight assists this season.

MINNESOTA

Games this week

@ Vegas, @ San Jose, @ Anaheim, @ Los Angeles

Tired: @ Los Angeles (Saturday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Wild play four games on the road this week, including three games in four nights... Filip Gustavsson and Jesper Wallstedt are expected to share the net... Quinn Hughes finally had his first big offensive outburst for the Wild on Saturday. He had three assists, giving him a goal and seven points in seven games with Minnesota... Matt Boldy had a pair of goals Saturday. He has 24 goals and 45 points in 39 games.

MONTREAL

Games this week

@ Florida, @ Carolina, @ St. Louis, @ Dallas

Tired: @ Dallas (Sunday)

Rested: @ Florida (Tuesday), @ St. Louis (Saturday)

Notes

The Canadiens play all four games on the road as they complete a seven-game road trip in Dallas... Montreal plays three games in four nights, so look for Jacob Fowler to play at least twice and possibly three times, with Jakub Dobes playing the remainder the action... Lane Hutson has 13 assists in his last eight games, while Noah Dobson has three goals and four assists in his last 10 games. The Canadiens are getting plenty of firepower from their blue line.

NASHVILLE

Games this week

@ Utah, @ Vegas, @ Seattle, @ Calgary

Tired: @ Seattle (Thursday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Predators play all four games on the road as they are nearing the end of a seven-game road trip... Look for Juuse Saros to play three times with Justus Annunen playing once... Ryan O'Reilly has been on a hot streak with five goals and 14 assists in his last 15 games... Roman Josi has three goals and 13 assists in 25 games this season.

NEW JERSEY

Games this week

@ Toronto, @ Columbus, vs. Utah, vs. Carolina

Tired: @ Columbus (Wednesday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Devils play a pair of back-to-back games this week, so Jacob Markstrom and Jake Allen will split the starts... Jesper Bratt snapped a four-game point drought with a pair of goals Saturday in a 4-3 loss to Washington. Bratt has eight goals and 23 assists in 38 games... Nico Hischier has four assists in his last four games, giving the Swiss star 10 goals and 20 assists in 38 appearances.

NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Games this week

@ Chicago, vs. Utah, vs. Toronto

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Islanders got Bo Horvat (lower body) back Saturday after he missed five games... Ilya Sorokin (lower body) was placed on injured reserve Saturday, retroactive to Dec. 20, making him eligible to return this week... David Rittich has been sensational as the Isles' backup. He is 9-3-2 with a 2.25 GAA and a .919 save percentage after a 27-save shutout over the Rangers on Saturday... Anders Lee had the game-winner Saturday and is on a five-game point streak.

NEW YORK RANGERS

Games this week

@ Carolina, @ Washington, @ Florida

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

Adam Fox (upper body) skated once again at practice Saturday, but he is still in a non-contact jersey. Fox has missed the last 13 games with the injury... The Rangers were shut out for the seventh time this season Saturday in a 2-0 loss to the Islanders... Igor Shesterkin is 16-12-3 with a 2.51 GAA and a .910 save percentage this season... Scott Morrow has three assists in 15 games and is quarterbacking the Rangers' first power-play unit in Fox's absence.

OTTAWA 

Games this week

vs. Columbus, vs. Washington, vs. Winnipeg

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Columbus (Monday), vs. Washington (Thursday)

Notes

The Senators play all three games at home this week, including two contests where they are the rested team... Claude Giroux had a pair of assists Saturday in what was his 1,300th NHL game... Stephen Halliday had a pair of helpers in a 7-5 loss to Toronto on Saturday, giving him five helpers in his rookie season... Linus Ullmark gave up four goals on 10 shots before he was pulled Saturday.

PHILADELPHIA

Games this week

@ Vancouver, @ Calgary, @ Edmonton

Tired: @ Calgary (Wednesday)

Rested: @ Vancouver (Tuesday)

Notes

The Flyers are in Western Canada this week... Dan Vladar is 3-0-2 with a 1.76 GAA and a .924 save percentage in his last five starts... Sean Couturier has four assists in his last nine appearances, with two coming in Montreal on Dec. 16 and the other two in Chicago on Tuesday... Travis Konecny has been on fire since Nov. 20, tallying six goals and 10 assists in 13 games.

PITTSBURGH

Games this week

vs. Carolina, vs. Detroit, @ Detroit, @ Columbus

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Carolina (Tuesday), vs. Detroit (Thursday)

Notes

The Penguins play four games this week, including three games in four nights... Stuart Skinner and Arturs Silovs should share the crease... The Penguins play a home-and-home series with Detroit but have had only three fighting majors all season, including Anthony Mantha with one... Sidney Crosby had a goal and an assist Dec. 21 to become the all-time franchise leader in points with 1,724, topping the great Mario Lemieux.

SAN JOSE

Games this week

@ Anaheim, vs. Minnesota, vs. Tampa Bay

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Sharks have been getting amazing offensive production from John Klingberg. The defenseman has six goals and nine points in his last nine games, giving him nine goals and 16 points in 29 outings. Included in the total is four goals and three assists with the man advantage... Macklin Celebrini notched his 20th goal of the season Saturday, and his assist gave him 57 points in 38 games, good for third place in the NHL scoring race.

SEATTLE

Games this week

vs. Vancouver, vs. Nashville, @ Vancouver

Tired: vs. Vancouver (Monday), @ Vancouver (Friday)

Rested: vs. Nashville (Thursday)

Notes

The Kraken play two games against the Canucks this week and they will be the tired team in both contests... Look for Ryan Lindgren to be involved of there is any rough stuff... Jordan Eberle leads the Kraken with 13 goals and 23 points... Brandon Montour underwent hand surgery Monday and will be out of action at least four weeks... The Kraken also lost Vince Dunn with an upper-body injury and he is currently considered day-to-day... The two injuries moved Ryker Evans up the depth chart, and he is currently quarterbacking the top power-play unit.

ST. LOUIS

Games this week

vs. Buffalo, @ Colorado, vs. Vegas, vs. Montreal

Tired: vs. Montreal (Saturday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Blues play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week... Jordan Binnington and Joel Hofer are expected to share the net. Hofer has been seeing most of the action of late, starting five of the Blues' last seven contests... Robert Thomas has two goals and three assists in his last three games... Jordan Kyrou returned to action Saturday after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.  

TAMPA BAY

Games this week

@ Anaheim, @ Los Angeles, @ San Jose

Tired: @ Los Angeles (Thursday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Lightning are in California all week and play three times in four nights... Andrei Vasilevskiy should get a pair of starts, with Jonas Johansson playing once... Brandon Hagel has missed four straight games with an upper-body injury and should return to the lineup this week... Ryan McDonagh missed Saturday's game with the same undisclosed injury that shelved him for 18 games.

TORONTO

Games this week

vs. New Jersey, vs. Winnipeg, @ New York Islanders  

Tired: None

Rested: vs. Winnipeg (Thursday)

Notes

Brandon Carlo began skating Saturday after undergoing foot surgery Dec. 3... The Maple Leafs had the worst power play in the NHL, scoring at a 13.0 percent clip going into action Saturday, but a pair of goals in that contest moved them up to 30th spot at 14.7 percent... They welcomed back their best defenseman Chris Tanev before the break and while he has little offensive value, he is a stud defensively... Morgan Rielly has two assists in his last seven games and has five goals and 20 assists in 36 appearances this season... William Nylander suffered a lower-body injury Saturday and did not return.

UTAH

Games this week

vs. Nashville, @ New York Islanders, @ New Jersey

Tired: None

Rested: None

Notes

The Mammoth are led in scoring by Nick Schmaltz and Clayton Keller with 32 points, two better than Dylan Guenther... JJ Peterka has been everything the Mammoth could have hoped for after acquiring him from Buffalo in the offseason. Peterka has 14 goals and 27 points in 39 games, including five goals and six assists in 13 December contests... Logan Cooley (lower body) is still out another five weeks after missing 10 games thus far.

VANCOUVER

Games this week

@ Seattle, vs. Philadelphia, vs. Seattle, vs. Boston

Tired:  vs. Philadelphia (Tuesday)

Rested: @ Seattle (Monday), vs. Seattle (Friday)

Notes

The Canucks play a pair of back-to-back games this week, and it's expected that Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen will split the goaltending duties... Vancouver and Seattle play a pair of games this week with Vancouver being the rested team both times... If tempers flare, look for Evander Kane to be in the midst of things... Elias Pettersson had missed the last nine games with an upper-body injury, but he returned to action Saturday.

VEGAS

Games this week

vs. Minnesota, vs. Nashville, @ St. Louis, @ Chicago

Tired: None

Rested: @ Chicago (Sunday)

The Golden Knights hope to get Jack Eichel (lower body) back this week... Mitch Marner has taken over his spot on the top line, centering Mark Stone and Ivan Barbashev... Shea Theodore (upper body) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, and the hope is that he can return before the end of January... Noah Hanifin has taken over quarterbacking the top power play with Theodore out of action.

WASHINGTON  

Games this week

@ Florida, vs. New York Rangers, @ Ottawa, vs. Chicago

Tired: @ Ottawa (Thursday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Capitals play four games this week, including three games in four nights... Logan Thompson will get at least two starts and possibly three, while Charlie Lindgren will start the remainder of the contests... Alex Ovechkin had not found the back of the net in his last nine games heading into action Saturday before finally picking up his 15th goal in 38 games... Jakob Chychrun has 15 goals and 29 points in 38 games, tied with teammate John Carlson and tied for eighth spot in the NHL among blueliners.

WINNIPEG

Games this week

vs. Edmonton, @ Detroit, @ Toronto, @ Ottawa

Tired: @ Toronto (Thursday)

Rested: None

Notes

The Jets play three games in four nights as part of their four-game week... Connor Hellebuyck should get the starting nod three times, with Eric Comrie starting once... The Jets are in tough to make the playoffs, as they sit tied for 13th in the Western Conference standings, five points out of the second wild card... Mark Scheifele has nine goals and 15 assists in his last 20 games.