William Carrier earns top-line role as Hurricanes adjust without Jarvis

The Carolina Hurricanes will open their season without one of their most dangerous forwards, turning to William Carrier to help fill the void. With Seth Jarvis unavailable after three straight 30-goal seasons, Carrier is slated for a second consecutive game on the top line alongside Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov when Carolina faces the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday.

Jarvis’s absence forces head coach Rod Brind’Amour to reshuffle his forward groups. While Montreal responds to Ivan Demidov’s injury by sliding Kirby Dach into a more offensive role, the Hurricanes are taking a different route by promoting a power forward best known for his physical play rather than his scoring record.

From hit leader to top-line winger

Offensively, Carrier has modest career numbers, having surpassed 10 goals and 20 points only once over 10 NHL seasons. His impact has been felt far more in the physical department. Since becoming a full-time NHLer in 2019-20, he ranks 22nd in the league with 1,064 hits, a reflection of the punishing style that has defined his role to this point.

Early returns with Aho and Svechnikov suggest the experiment has potential. In their first outing together on Saturday at five-on-five, the trio controlled play decisively, finishing with a 16-4 edge in shot attempts, a 3-1 advantage in scoring chances and roughly a 1.0-to-0.3 margin in expected goals, according to Natural Stat Trick. Despite the underlying numbers, the teams traded one goal apiece at even strength.

Svechnikov has openly welcomed Carrier on his flank, calling him “a beast” and pointing to how often he wins 50-50 battles. Carrier’s usage reflected that trust in the last game, as he logged close to 13 minutes of ice time, roughly two minutes more than his average from last season.

Brind’Amour preserves key playoff combinations

Slotting Carrier on the top line also allows Brind’Amour to keep two forward units intact that were instrumental in last spring’s run to the Stanley Cup. Taylor Hall remains on a line with Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake, while Nikolaj Ehlers continues to skate with Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook.

As a group, the Hurricanes have started the season 1-1-1. It is a mixed record but not an unexpected one for a team that played into mid-June and then had to navigate a shorter training camp. Carrier noted that many players had only a single pre-season appearance, suggesting it will take a few regular-season games before systems and timing fully settle in.

Defensive structure ready as Canadiens seek answers

Even with Jarvis out and the top six in flux, Carolina’s defensive structure appears to be in regular-season form. The Hurricanes have allowed just 20, 27 and 18 shots against in their first three games, staying true to the tight-checking style that powered their deep playoff run. For the Canadiens, who already struggled to break through this defensive wall in the spring, the challenge will be to create offence against a team that gives up little and now adds Carrier’s physical presence to its top scoring line.