When the Carolina Hurricanes saw a mass exodus from their roster following the 2023-2024 season, longtime defensive mainstays Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce were among the salary cap casualties.
Many pundits, and even head coach Rod Brind’Amour, wondered if the losses could be withstood to an extent that would allow the Hurricanes to maintain their status as a playoff team.
General manager Eric Tulsky and his team in the front office plugged the holes on defense with veterans Sean Walker and Shayne Gostisbehere, and though neither were the shutdown forces that Skjei and Pesce were, they more than got the job done in their respective roles.