Storm Advisory for September 18: Carolina Hurricanes at Buffalo Sabres Game Preview, NHL News and Daily Roundup

Carolina Hurricanes (0-0-0) vs. Buffalo Sabres (0-0-0)
Monday, September 17, 2017 - 7:00 PM
KeyBank Center – Buffalo, NY
SB Nation Rivals – Die By The Blade

The Hurricanes will kick off the 2017 preseason tonight as they take on the Buffalo Sabres in New York. After returning five youngsters to junior teams yesterday afternoon, the Hurricanes training camp roster has been cut to 54 players. Expect for Bill Peters to rotate a lineup of prospects and franchise centerpieces tomorrow as the organization works the lineup down to 23 men.

Tonight is the first time we will get to see newcomers such as Trevor van Riemsdyk, Justin Williams (sort of), and Scott Darling in a Hurricanes sweater.

Game Notes

• The Hurricanes will jump right into this preseason with a back-to-back-to-back right off the jump. After tonight’s game in Buffalo, they will travel to Tampa Bay to take on the Lightning tomorrow night, then back to PNC against the Lightning Wednesday night. Here’s the full schedule:

• Tonight’s lineup in Buffalo isn’t clear at this time, but we’ll keep you updated as the game approaches.
• Get excited, Hurricanes hockey is finally back for the season!

Reading Assignments

• Jamie has begun posting photos from yesterday’s Caniac Carnival at her Smugmug site, take a gander at it, won’t you?
• Check out what Noah Hanifin had to say after the conclusion of day 3 of Canes Camp:

• Sunday afternoon the Canes announced that they have returned five prospects to their respective junior teams yesterday. [Press Release]

RALEIGH, NC - Ron Francis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the National Hockey League's Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has returned five players from its training camp to their respective junior clubs.

Forwards Stelio Mattheos (Brandon - WHL), Morgan Geekie (Tri-City - WHL) and Hudson Elynuik(Spokane - WHL), and defensemen Noah Carroll (Sault Ste. Marie - OHL) and Brendan De Jong (Portland - WHL) will join their respective junior clubs, whose seasons begin later this week.

The Hurricanes training camp roster is now at 54 players. Carolina will begin its 2017 exhibition schedule tomorrow against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center.

SEE UPDATED TRAINING CAMP ROSTER

• Erik Cole was on hand at the Carnival yesterday, and he said that the hype surrounding the 2017-18 season reminds him of another year in which he played a big part:

• Buffalo Sabres stars Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart showed up to training camp together on a tandem bike. The Hurricanes defense, clearly, needs to pay special attention to these two tonight.

• How can the Canes, and the seven other Eastern Conference teams that missed out on last year’s playoffs, punch their ticket to the postseason this year? [NHL.com]