Carolina Hurricanes vs. Columbus Blue Jackets: Lineups and Game Discussion

The Carolina Hurricanes’ schedule looks somewhat normal this week, as the Canes will face the Columbus Blue Jackets in a standalone game Monday night before a single game against Florida on Wednesday.

Monday night’s game against the Blue Jackets will be Carolina’s third against Columbus this season and third in the last eight days, with the teams splitting a two-game series against each other last week in Ohio.

The Canes are coming off back-to-back wins against the Dallas Stars on the road, and they will return to PNC Arena Monday for the first time since Jan. 31 for the first of five straight back in Raleigh.

Monday night’s game will also mark the team debut for Cedric Paquette, who joined the Hurricanes over the weekend in a deal that sent Ryan Dzingel back to the Ottawa Senators. Paquette is getting right into things with the Canes and is expected to center the fourth line between Jordan Martinook and Jesper Fast, and he’s excited to be with the team.

Along with Paquette joining the lineup for the first time, it looks like defenseman Jake Bean will get a game Monday night in place of Haydn Fleury. In net, James Reimer is the expected starter for the Hurricanes.

Here’s how Brind’Amour’s team will likely lineup Monday night in PNC Arena:

Brock McGinn - Sebastian Aho - Teuvo Teravainen
Nino Niederreiter - Vincent Trocheck - Martin Necas
Andrei Svechnikov - Jordan Staal - Warren Foegele
Jordan Martinook - Cedric Paquette - Jesper Fast

Jaccob Slavin - Dougie Hamilton
Jake Gardiner - Brett Pesce
Brady Skjei - Jake Bean

James Reimer
Alex Nedeljkovic

Injuries and Scratches: Haydn Fleury (healthy), Alex Galchenyuk (healthy), Petr Mrazek (right thumb), Max McCormick (upper body, IR)

Taxi Squad: Antoine Bibeau, Morgan Geekie, Steven Lorentz, Joakim Ryan

After splitting a pair of games with the Hurricanes at home early last week, the Blue Jackets went to Chicago and split two games with the Blackhawks.

The Blue Jackets have been fortunate so far from a COVID standpoint, as Columbus has played consistently since the start of the season. With 16 games, the Blue Jackets are tied for the second most in the NHL, though with 18 points they are tied with Florida and Carolina in the Central Division, who have both played just 12 times.

It’ll be Joonas Korpisalo in net for Columbus Monday night, who was in net for both games against the Hurricanes last week. Here’s how John Tortorella’s squad is expected to lineup in PNC Monday:

Patrik Laine - Jack Roslovic - Cam Atkinson
Max Domi - Kevin Stenlund - Oliver Bjorkstrand
Boone Jenner - Alexandre Texier - Nick Foligno
Stefan Matteau - Riley Nash - Eric Robinson

Vladislav Gavrikov - Seth Jones
Dean Kukan - David Savard
Michael Del Zotto - Andrew Peeke

Joonas Korpisalo
Elvis Merzlikins

Injuries and Scratches: Mikhail Grigorenko (healthy), Scott Harrington (healthy), Zach Werenski (lower body), Matiss Kivlenieks (lower body), Gustav Nyquist (shoulder, IR), Brandon Dubinsky (wrist, IR)

Taxi Squad: Liam Foudy, Emil Bemstrom, Adam Clendening, Gabriel Carlsson, Cam Johnson

Monday’s Officials

Referees: Jake Brenk (26), Frederick L’Ecuyer (17)

Linesmen: Travis Toomey (90), Brad Kovachik (71)

Video Judge: Bill Kicinski

Just before the game, the Hurricanes officially put an end to the Alex Galchenyuk saga (such as it was): following his assignment to AHL Chicago earlier in the day, Galchenyuk is now headed to the Toronto Maple Leafs. In exchange, the Hurricanes receive Russian forward Egor Korshkov and defenseman David Warsofsky. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because David is the younger brother of Wolves coach Ryan Warsofsky.