The Carolina Hurricanes will battle the Seattle Kraken one more time at Veikkaus Arena in Helsinki on Saturday afternoon.
Per Tom Gulitti, Carolina’s forwards and defensive pairings contained a notable change. Juuso Valimaki, who drew praise from head coach Rod Brind’Amour, was not among the top three defensive pairings in Friday’s practice.
Valimaki scored in Carolina’s first game against the Kraken, helping them steamroll Seattle in their 4-1 victory. If Valimaki sits out Saturday afternoon, Alexander Nikishin is slated to take his spot.
Nikishin made his 2026-27 debut last Saturday in Carolina’s 9-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. He picked up a goal and an assist.
But Nikishin missed significant time, and Valimaki was playing well. While Nikishin is younger and has more upside, it made sense to roll with Valimaki on Thursday while Nikishin was easing his way in. That said, Nikishin has the potential to be a more pivotal part of the Hurricanes for as long as he is in Raleigh.
Given Nikishin’s potential, it also makes sense to roll with him over Valimaki should Friday’s practice ultimately reflect Saturday’s lineup.
Carolina Hurricanes Projected Lines And Pairings Against Kraken, Nov. 14
Gulitti listed William Carrier, Sebastian Aho, and Andrei Svechnikov on the first line. Aho has a chance to make more history on Saturday if he scores one more time.
Nikolaj Ehlers, Logan Stankoven, and Jackson Blake are the projected second line for Saturday afternoon. Blake continued his point-per-game pace with an assist on Thursday.
Saturday could mark Jordan Staal’s return to the lineup. He centered Seth Jarvis and Jordan Martinook on the third line. Staal could see action for the first time since Oct. 10, and his presence will further deepen this Carolina lineup.
Taylor Hall, Mark Jankowski, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi look like the fourth line. Kotkaniemi will look to score in his home country on Saturday.
Jaccob Slavin and Jalen Chatfield are the projected first pairing. Slavin has been getting in front of pucks left and right, with 44 blocks in 20 games.
K’Andre Miller and Sean Walker are the projected second pairing. Miller continues to pace all Carolina defensemen with 22:10 of average total ice time.
Shayne Gostisbehere lined up with Alexander Nikishin, and they are the slated third pair. Gostisbehere leads all Hurricanes defensemen with 14 points through 20 games.
A Word On The Projected Goaltender…
Daily Faceoff projected Pyotr Kochetkov as the starting goaltender for Carolina, though this is unconfirmed as of 6:45 a.m. EST. Brandon Bussi started the game on Thursday, but he enjoyed a relatively easy outing, facing 13 shots and saving 12 of them.
Still, with Kochetkov sitting on Thursday, there is a good chance he will man the crease on Saturday. On the flip side, Daily Faceoff has Joey Daccord as the unconfirmed starter. That is also notable, as Philipp Grubauer lined up as netminder on Thursday.
There could be more confirmation the closer the two teams get to squaring off in Game 2 of this Finland trip. Coverage for the game begins at 1:00 p.m. EST.
Hurricanes’ Finland Standout Faces Unwelcome Twist in Lineup Projection