Chatfield’s injury is just the latest for a recovering Canes blue line that has seen just two members – Alexander Nikishin and Sean Walker – skate in all 19 games thus far. But despite the absences, a rotating cast of rookies and veterans has continued to hold down the fort.
From 23-year-old Joel Nystrom, Carolina’s 2021 seventh-round pick whose impact is growing on a nightly basis, to 32-year-old Mike Reilly, it’s been a group effort to steady the ship while awaiting mainstays like Chatfield, Shayne Gostisbehere and K’Andre Miller to rejoin the lineup.
Of course, Jaccob Slavin’s presence remains sorely missed on the blue line. The star rearguard has not played since Oct. 11 as he works through a lower-body injury that plagued him during training camp.
On Nov. 14, Canes GM Eric Tulsky provided an update on Slavin’s status while speaking to Scott Laughlin and Gord Stellick on Sirius XM’s NHL Morning Skate.
“He’s working through his rehab. It’s sort of week-by-week; he’s making progress. We are trying to play it conservatively and make sure we don’t have another setback,” said Tulsky.
“It just takes some time, and you want to make sure you’re doing it the right way and positioning yourself to have a good stretch run into the playoffs. So we’re going through that time right now where he’s building things up and making sure he’s ready to play, making sure that when he gets back, he’s good to go.”