The Carolina Hurricanes’ latest round of cuts should give the Checkers just enough players to begin their preseason schedule on Friday.
The morning after their exhibition loss in Columbus on Wednesday, the Hurricanes assigned six players - forwards Phil Di Giuseppe, Brock McGinn, Carter Sandlak, Brody Sutter and Brendan Woods and defenseman Danny Biega - directly to Charlotte. Additionally, the team placed defensemen Michal Jordan and Rasmus Rissanen and goaltender Drew MacIntyre on waivers with the intention of formally sending them to the Checkers should they clear at noon on Friday.
With the Checkers’ preseason game at Extreme Ice Center set for 11:30 a.m., Jordan, Rissanen and MacIntyre would not be eligible to play even if they clear. Until the result of their waiver placement is known, Charlotte’s roster will stand at 21 players: 13 forwards, six defensemen and two goaltenders. An updated roster, including those on waivers, can be found here.
Notable names not slated to make the trip to Charlotte at this time include Victor Rask, who continued his impressive preseason with three points (2g, 1a) on Wednesday, leading General Manager Ron Francis to say that he expects the 21-year-old center to make the team in the aftermath of Jordan Staal’s injury.
Of a group that also includes Zach Boychuk, Chris Terry, Brett Bellemore and Ryan Murphy, perhaps most intriguing is the fact that Patrick Brown, who the Hurricanes signed as an undrafted free agent following the completion of his collegiate career at Boston College this past spring, remains in Raleigh, as does Checkers signee Chad LaRose.
