Patrick WilliamsTheAHL.com Features Writer
It’s been a fast offseason for the Carolina Hurricanes organization.
Three short months ago, the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup while their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, reached the Calder Cup Final. And some key figures from last year’s Wolves team used training camp to push for NHL work.
Jobs are available with current champions. A star ahead Seth Jarvis still recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. Defender Alexander Nikishin remains unsigned. Those absences leave significant holes to fill before Carolina’s season opener against Florida on Tuesday.
Felix Unger Sorum, Bradley Nadeau and: Justin Robidas All got wide looks in the Hurricanes’ four-game showing, each scoring three points. Captain of the Wolves Josiah Slavin received in three preseason games, and Dominic Badinka, Jusso Välimäki, Joel Nystrom, Gleb Trikozov, Alexi Heimosalmi, Charles Alexis Lego, Skyler Brind’Amour, Ivan Ryabkin, Victor Neuchev, Ronan Seeley, Cayden Prima and: Juha Jääskä – who missed all of last season due to injury – all saw action as well.
It provided a glimpse into the Wolves’ talented head coach Spiros Anastas developed in Chicago. For a team that has been in Stanley Cup contention for a while, the Hurricanes still have a well-established prospect base.
After two seasons with the Wolves, Nadeau may just be ready for a full role at 21 years old. He has 59 goals and 114 points in 116 AHL games and had 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 21 playoff games last spring. A year ago, Unger Sorum tied for fifth in the AHL in points. Robidas has 60 points in 58 games.
A key staple of last year’s Wolves club is still in the organization: forward Ryan Suzuki (Ottawa) and Def Domenic Fensor (Colorado) are the most notable departures, but Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky and his staff continues to add depth. Defenders Pierre-Olivier Joseph and: Mike Reilly both were signed just before camp opened. Charlie SeratoA second-round draft pick in 2025, turned pro after two strong seasons at Penn State. Noel FransenThe 20-year-old comes from Färjestad BK in Sweden.
The Wolves’ 2026 playoff run may fall short of a Calder Cup championship. But work can still pay off.
With more than two decades in the American Hockey League, TheAHL.com feature writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor to SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was awarded the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for outstanding coverage of the league in 2015-16.
