The Carolina Hurricanes announced Friday morning that they have reassigned defenseman Joel Nystrom to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, meaning Jaccob Slavin should return to the lineup very, very soon.
The 31-year-old defenseman is recovering from an upper-body injury he suffered after being tackled from behind by Florida Panthers forward AJ Greer on Dec. 19.
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It was a blow for Slavin, who was just three games into returning from a lower-body injury that had sidelined him for 28 games previously, but perhaps the new injury gave him even more time for that injury to heal since it had nagged at him since the preseason and the team had been very cautious.
Slavin, who has been training with the team for a little over a week now and recently also lost the contactless jerseywas an element that was greatly missed on the Hurricanes blue line.
The team has done an admirable job of stepping up in his absence and the plethora of other absences they’ve had to deal with this year, but there’s simply no replacement for the best defensive defender in the game.
With the reassignment, Slavin will be able to be activated off IR as the Canes needed to clear a roster spot, and barring an immediate setback, he is expected to play Saturday night against the Seattle Kraken as Carolina seeks a fourth straight victory.
Nystrom, 23, has been a true gem for Carolina this season.
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The high number of injuries the Canes suffered early in the year allowed him to step out and show what an impression he made.
The Swedish defenseman has made the most of his opportunity in a long stretch of games – he now has 33 under his belt, with eight points in that span – and he has proven he can be an everyday defenseman in the NHL.
That’s why the team signed the 2021 seventh-round pick to a four-year extension earlier in the year and if it weren’t for the fact that he could be reassigned to the AHL without needing a waiver, he’d likely still be with the team as their seventh defenseman.
But it would also be better for him, in the long run, to get regular playing time with the Chicago Wolves rather than sitting in the press box with Carolina.
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He will be a good player for years to come and his development also gives the Canes a little more flexibility when it comes to potential trade deals.
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