Who will be the key guy for the Carolina Hurricanes tonight in their home opener?

Uh, I’ve been making this point throughout the show. I promise I won’t make it over and over and over again too much. Uh, they play the Devils tonight. They play Philly on Saturday. Then they’re on the road at San Jose Tuesday. On the road at Anaheim Thursday, on the road at LA the following Saturday. There’s a lot of these things to go is the point I’m trying to make. Um, I promise I promise you tomorrow on the show we will overreact because it’s what fans do and it’s what uh, you know, people that cover a team do after game one. But, you know, do your best and we’ll do our best to imagine this as as one game in like early December, right? Because that’s all it slice of a very very big pie. Um, very very big, whatever you want to call it. Uh, but it’s just all we’re going to have to react to tomorrow. Um, so, you know, we we talked about the first line, we talked about the top defensive pair, uh, Slavin and Walker. I’m I’m very excited uh by that pairing, but I also kind of wish we would treat this team as we will Slavven because if Slavven has a minus two today, there’s going to be zero panic about Jacob Slavven. There’s going to be people going like, “Well, that’s weird.” Uh all right. Well, who we playing on Saturday? Like that’s that’s it, right? Uh I kind of wish we can give that same grace to to the team. Although I will acknowledge the team as a whole this iteration hasn’t earned what Slavven has earned by putting, you know, 700 games or whatever it’s been of of really good play out there. Um, but with that being said, it’s just one game. It’s just one game. So, as we continue our kind of trip through the the uh projected lines, um, Miller Chatfield as that second defensive pairing is especially because we did not see Keandre Miller at all during the preseason and we didn’t see Jaylen Chatfield. No. Uh, so there’s a little bit more anticipation built up, but I am really excited to see what those two guys can do together in a defensive pairing, assuming they end up getting to play a ton of minutes together. Again, the the potential again, it’s going to, let’s keep this in mind. It’s game one. It’s game one, but also how long it actually takes for guys to get used to the Kane system on the blue line. It took Brent Burns 15, 20 games to really start feeling comfortable. Same thing with Shawn Walker. Not that they couldn’t play in it, but to really feel confident and actually play to their best. Sean Walker was playing his best hockey the last 2 three months of the season cuz it just takes a little bit of time. So, let’s keep that in mind as well when it comes to Keandre and when he’s paired with Chapfield. And the nice thing about being paired with Chapfield for Keandre is that if he does make a mistake, Chapfield is going to be able to cover for him. But Contre also just has the skating ability to get back as well because I remember I talked to him one-on-one just before training camp started and he even acknowledged he’s like, “Yeah, you know, I couple times I got caught out of position in New York, but I had the speed to recover and get back.” And I think that’s something that’s going to benefit those two as well so much together because they’re both elite end skaters. They’re super fast and they have a level of physicality that they both can provide as well. That that should be a dynamic pair down the line for this hopefully the season for Carolina. How much does that that on-ramp how much of that on-ramp was taken away or maybe added to uh for somebody like Alexander Nikeshan who is is a rookie? Like he’s brand new, but he did get those few games in the postseason last year. I still think the ramp up is still going to be pretty long for him because he’s still getting used to playing in the NHL in North America. Whereas Shawn Walker, Keandre Miller, these guys have been playing in the NHL already for years. So, I think they’re still getting used to NHL style of play. Still has to obviously he’s still learning and bettering his English. So, being able to communicate better, but he still not only has to get used to the system, he has to get used to the system while also playing North American NHL hockey as opposed to what he did so long in the KHL. What I expect from both Miller and and Nika. Nikeshan skating with with Goshaspear down on that that third pair. Gosh spear will be off hand. He’ll be doing a lot in special teams as well. Um, what I expect from Nikeshan and Miller is that on-ramp that we tal about the the we’ve seen so many defenders go through it when they join the Canes, but I maybe more so than even any of those recent guys. I expect flashes where where physically you recognize, oh, these guys got something going. Uh, this is not like a a veteran who’s, you know, probably going to maybe get it a little bit faster, but is holding on as as those skills regress. These are two guys like in the prime of their their physical uh ability and and I do think there will be plays where you just go goodness Keandre look at that skating or look at that uh stick work or whatever it is and Nikian power and physicality and 6’4 220 laser rocket shot all those things. I think Nikeshan is going to bring a little bit of that meanness and nastiness on the back end that the Canes needed but that it’s someone that he Yeah, the guy can skate. He has all the physical stuff. We’ve seen it in the preseason. We saw it even in in flashes and moments last year. But I think there’s a little bit of nasty in his game, which is just, you know what, I’m not afraid to run you over and say bleep you while I’m doing it cuz I’m sure he’s that’s one of the first things you learn in English. Uh when you learn a foreign language is you learn how to swear. But I think he’s going to bring a that nastiness and that edge on the blue line that this that this team really has missed that really it hasn’t had in a while. He’s going to bring that. and he has the size because I I do think there are other players on the team that have a similar mentality, but it’s it’s it’s easier when you’re 6’4 220. It’s easier when you’re 6’4 250. Uh and and you can with withstand more of it. So, he’s he’s a big dude and I’m I’m interested to see where that goes. Uh Pure Cochov not expected or not available today. Uh which means Freddy Anderson will be in net with uh Busy, I believe is how you pronounce it. will be dressed a goal. And we’ll talk about goalie later on in the show because there’s more than a couple minutes to to dive into

The Drive with Tim Donnelly is live from the Lenovo Center for the Carolina Hurricanes home opener against the New Jersey Devils.

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