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| CAROLINA HURRICANES |
| 0–0–0 (0 points) |
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7:00 P.M. – WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12 PNC ARENA RALEIGH, NC |
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Bally Sports Ohio ESPN+ (Out of Network) |
The first result of a wild offseason will come Wednesday night when the Columbus Blue Jackets open the 2022-23 campaign with a road battle against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Hours after signing defenseman Erik Gudbranson to a four-year deal, the Blue Jackets added the marquee name of free agency when Johnny Gaudreau signed on for seven seasons in Columbus. It was a signing that soon led to the trade of Oliver Bjorkstrand to the Seattle Kraken.
The Blue Jackets were also busy locking up their future, signing forwards Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic to extensions, as well as defensemen Andrew Peeke and Adam Boqvist. Speaking of the future, Columbus also brought over top prospect Kirill Marchenko from the KHL and kept a roster spot open for 2021's 5th overall selection, forward Kent Johnson.
Now, after a competitive training camp and exhibition season, the games begin to count. Let's go.
| CBJ | SEASON STATS | CAR |
|---|---|---|
| — | GOALS FOR | — |
| — | GOALS AGAINST | — |
| — | POWER PLAY | — |
| — | PENALTY KILL | — |
| — | SHOTS FOR | — |
| — | SHOTS AGAINST | — |
| — | CF% (EVEN) | — |
| — | FACEOFF WINS | — |
| PROJECTIONS | ||
| 27.3% | MONEYPUCK'S ODDS TO WIN | 72.7% |
| 32.0% | THE 538'S ODDS TO WIN | 68.0% |
| +215 | FANDUEL BETTING ODDS | -263 |
RE: CANES
As they were last season, the Carolina Hurricanes enter the season as a strong contender to win the Stanley Cup. The 2021-22 champions of the Metropolitan division added veterans Brent Burns and Max Pacioretty over the summer, but Pacioretty will miss at least the first half of the season after tearing his Achilles.
Still, the Hurricanes are a force to be reckoned with. No team in the division scored more goals than Carolina did last season, and no team gave up fewer. With the roster still generally intact, there's no reason to believe we won't see similar results in 2022-23. Carolina is particularly tough up the middle, with Sebastian Aho, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Jordan Staal one of the best 1-2-3 center combinations in the league.
STORYLINES
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GAUDREAU—JENNER—LAINE
The 5th Line only got to see this top line trio together twice in the preseason, but the limited results were promising. The Hurricanes have a stingy group of defenders, so Gaudreau's debut with the Blue Jackets will be anything but easy. But whether or not they light up the scoreboard, this is going to be a line that is fun to watch night-in, night-out. Wednesday's opener is just a taste.
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SWEET CHINAKHOV MUSIC
Yegor Chinakhov led the NHL with six preseason goals. Whether or not the games count, a hot streak is a hot streak. The 21-year-old is expected to play alongside Jack Roslovic and Jakub Voracek. That's a dramatic improvement from the rotating cast of Cleveland-Columbus forwards that he played with for large stretches of last season during his rookie year and should help elevate his game. Chinakhov was one of several players fighting for a spot in the opening night lineup and he didn't just win one, he earned one.
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ELVIS LIVES?
The 2021-22 season was rough for goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. The 5th Line knows it, the organization knows it, and Elvis knows it. As he begins year one of a five-year contract that puts him over $5 million per year, the expectations for the Blue Jackets top goalie have never been higher. The team around him is improving, he's the unquestioned #1 between the pipes for the first time to start a season, and he's had an entire offseason to shake off a tough season both on and off the ice.
PROJECTED LINES*
Updated: 10:30am
| LW | C | RW | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13 | Johnny Gaudreau | 38 | Boone Jenner | 29 | Patrik Laine |
| 59 | Yegor Chinakhov | 96 | Jack Roslovic | 93 | Jakub Voracek |
| 14 | Gustav Nyquist | 34 | Cole Sillinger | 17 | Justin Danforth |
| 50 | Eric Robinson | 7 | Sean Kuraly | 24 | Mathieu Olivier |
| LD | RD | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 | Zach Werenski | 27 | Adam Boqvist |
| 4 | Vladislav Gavrikov | 2 | Andrew Peeke |
| 22 | Jake Bean | 44 | Erik Gudbranson |
| Starting Goalie | Backup | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | Daniil Tarasov | 73 | Jet Greaves |
*SUBJECT TO CHANGE
