Roster shakeups look to be in the works for the Carolina Hurricanes. A night after the Canes fell to the Anaheim Ducks, their third straight loss and fifth in the last six games, the Canes have placed Justin Faulk on injured reserve retroactive to November 7 and have assigned Phil Di Giuseppe to the AHL Charlotte Checkers. Additionally, Jakub Nakladal has been placed on waivers, as first reported by TVA’s Renaud P. Lavoie.
The moves free up two spots on the Canes’ 23-man roster, and with the Checkers playing tonight but the Hurricanes taking an off day, a callup from Charlotte is likely to wait until tomorrow.
Faulk skated on his own before the morning skate yesterday but did not take part in the skate itself. He suffered an upper-body injury in last Sunday's game against the Devils and is eligible to return to the roster in time for Tuesday's matchup with the Sharks.
Di Giuseppe has struggled to find a foothold in his second NHL season and some time in the AHL will likely aid his cause for later in the year.
Nakladal was signed to a one-year contract on October 9 and has appeared in three games, with no points and a -4 rating.
The release from the team is below.
‘CANES PLACE JUSTIN FAULK ON INJURED RESERVE
Team also assigns Phil Di Giuseppe to AHL’s Charlotte CheckersRon Francis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has placed defenseman Justin Faulk on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 7. Francis also announced that forward Phil Di Giuseppe has been assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL).
Faulk, 24, suffered an upper body injury in Carolina’s game against New Jersey on Nov. 6. The South St. Paul, MN, native is in his sixth NHL season, and has scored three goals and earned three assists (6 points) in 11 games played this season. Faulk (6’0”, 215 lbs.) serves as one of Carolina’s alternate captains and has represented the Hurricanes in each of the last two NHL All-Star Games.
Di Giuseppe, 23, is in his second NHL season and has played in 11 of the team’s 13 games this season. The Maple, Ont., native notched seven goals and earned 10 assists (17 points) in 41 games with Carolina in 2015-16, after making his NHL debut on Dec. 15, 2015. Di Giuseppe (6’0”, 200 lbs.) spent all of 2014-15, and part of 2015-16, with the Checkers, and has scored 19 goals and earned 30 assists (49 points) in 104 career AHL regular-season games with Charlotte.