The Carolina Hurricanes have nine players who have been in the lineup every game this season. Only one is a defenseman: Sean Walker.
Any wonder why Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour has referred to Walker as the team’s MVP?
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Jaccob Slavin now has been out for 24 games with an unspecified lower-body injury, his return uncertain, although the star defenseman has been on the ice with the team in practice. Shayne Gostisbehere has missed nine games with injuries, Jalen Chatfield seven and K’Andre Miller now seven games after sitting out Thursday against the Toronto Maple Leafs with an illness.
Walker, who turned 31 last month, simply soldiers on, playing a team-high 23:21 per game before the 5-1 loss to the Leafs at Lenovo Center.
Walker had a mediocre game. But so did many of his teammates as the Leafs (13-11-3) scored on their first shot 53 seconds into the game — Bobby McMann with the first of his two goals — and led 4-1 after two periods.
“It was an uphill battle right from the start,” Brind’Amour said.
Goalie Frederik Andersen of the Carolina Hurricanes blocks a shot from Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period at Lenovo Center on Dec. 4, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Dakota Joshua (81) of the Toronto Maple Leafs pushes Mike Reilly (6) of the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at Lenovo Center on Dec. 4, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
William Carrier (28) of the Carolina Hurricanes skates with the puck guarded by Oliver Ekman-Larsson of the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period game at Lenovo Center on Dec. 4, 2025 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Seth Jarvis had the Carolina goal, his 16th of the season, in the first period after the Leafs had taken a 2-0 lead. The Canes (16-8-2) had 32 shots, but Leafs goalies Joseph Woll, who played the first two periods before leaving with an injury, and Dennis Hildeby got the job done.
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“There was no spark tonight,” Canes captain Jordan Staal said.
Walker went into Thursday’s game leading the team in blocks (34) and second in hits (42). He averaged 16:50 in ice time with the Canes last year, his first with the team, but has no complaints about the added workload.
“I don’t think anyone would tell you they don’t like the minutes,” Walker said in a recent N&O interview. “Everyone wants to contribute more and be a part of winning games, so I’ve seen it as a great opportunity for me.”
Still, he has to shake his head over the Canes’ bevy of injuries. It has been like a football team that has a run of injuries but all at one position.
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Hockey defensemen always take a beating, but …
“It’s got to be the worst I’ve ever seen,” Walker said. “It just seems like one after the other. We get one back and then someone else goes down. Or an even worse injury comes up.”
Something like the injury to defenseman Charles Alexis Legault. Called up from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL, the 22-year-old D-man was playing his eighth game and drawing praise for his solid and physical play — Legault is 6-4 and 220 pounds — when he was shelved after a freak injury.
In the Nov. 9 game at Toronto, Legault was involved in some pushing and shoving at the end of a period when he fell. His right hand caught a skate blade, requiring surgery to repair multiple torn extensor tendons. The recovery time: three to four months.
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“It’s unthinkable, really,” Walker said. “You go into a game, and you think nothing else can go wrong and then something new, something you’ve never seen before, happens.
“It’s unfortunate, but we’ve had guys doing a great job of stepping up and the team has been battling.”
Walker, listed at 5-11 and 191 pounds, said he has looked to be a bit more productive on offense this season. He has four goals, including a couple of outside shots that were anything but howitzers but found their way through traffic and past the goalie.
“Well-placed shots,” he said, smiling.
“I didn’t change anything from last year, but the puck is finding its way in the net a little more,” added Walker, who had a career-high six goals with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2023-24. “It’s not always about how hard you shoot it, but where you put it.”
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As for being called the MVP by his coach, Walker takes it as a compliment. It has been difficult seeing teammates go in and out of the lineup — Slavin, a potential U.S. Olympian, has not played since the second game — but he has tried to provide a steadiness that the team and Brind’Amour can count on with a defensive corps that has been depleted at times.
“I think I’ve been playing pretty good, but I really think we’ve done it by committee,” Walker said. “I’ve gotten some good bounces.”
And staying healthy. This season, on this team, that has been a challenge.
“He’s kind of the jack of all trades,” Brind’Amour said of No. 26. “Whatever you need ‘Walks’ to do, he can do it. Unfortunately, we need him to do a little bit of everything.”