RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said it’s unclear whether defenseman Jalen Chatfield will play in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
Chatfield — who typically works with Dmitry Orlov in Carolina’s second pairing — missed last week’s clinching game of the second-round series against the Washington Capitals with a lower-body injury. He had missed multiple practices before skating Tuesday morning, roughly 10 hours before the puck drop for the series opener against the Panthers.
Brind’Amour said the team was “still debating” whether Chatfield would play. He had said Monday that Chatfield would likely need to practice to return.
“Good sign at least that he’s out there with us,” Brind’Amour said, noting: “He definitely wants to play so we’ll see where it goes.”
Top defenseman prospect Alexander Nikishin played in Chatfield’s absence in the closeout game against the Capitals, though the Hurricanes could go with another rising prospect in Scott Morrow if Chatfield is out.
The 22-year-old Morrow was a second-round pick for Carolina in 2021 and played in 14 regular-season games this year. He played in two playoff games in the American Hockey League playoffs for Carolina affiliate Chicago in April.
“I’ve played enough games now where I think I’m ready for this moment if it comes,” Morrow said of possibly making his NHL postseason debut.
The series is a rematch of the Eastern final from two years ago, with the Panthers sweeping with four one-game wins — one coming in four overtimes.
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AP NHL playoffs: https://apnews.com/hub/stanley-cup and https://apnews.com/hub/nhl
Aaron Beard, The Associated Press
