The turnover from last year’s roster is pretty significant for the Carolina Hurricanes. Some players have left to find new teams, and many new faces have arrived, including Joakim Nordstrom.
The Hurricanes acquired the defensive minded forward from the Chicago Blackhawks in early September, and though he has been the lesser known player in that trade with Kris Versteeg taking most of the spotlight, he holds value, and he proved it throughout the preseason and will now look to continue that into the regular season.
A season ago, Brad Malone served as that 12th forward and a defensive/physical presence for the Hurricanes throughout the season, and he played reasonably well and put up more points than most people expected on a fourth line centered by Jay McClement.