The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that goaltenders James Reimer and Petr Mrazek along with defenseman Brett Pesce will all be out long-term.
#Canes head coach Rod Brind’Amour on the three injuries: “Nobody is short term.”
Shoulder injury for Brett Pesce, concussion for Petr Mrazek.
— Michael Smith (@MSmithCanes) February 24, 2020
Petr Mrazek and James Reimer Out Long Term
The Hurricanes had a feel-good moment of the weekend when emergency third-string goaltender David Ayers backstopped the ‘Canes to a 6-3 win over Toronto Saturday night. Unfortunately for Carolina, the game was a costly one as Carolina lost three key players in the game.
James Reimer
Riemer started the game but was forced to leave when Jaccob Slavin was pushed into him by Zach Hyman. Riemer’s injury has not been disclosed at this time.
This season, Riemer has played in 25 games with 24 of those coming as starts. He has a record of 14-6-2 with a 2.66 goals-against average and .914 save percentage and three shutouts.
Petr Mrazek
Mrazek came into the game for the injured Riemer but he suffered a concussion after being run into by Toronto Maple Leafs forward Kyle Clifford during the second period of Saturday night’s game.
This season, Mrazek has played in 39 games with 37 starts. He has a 20-16-2 record with a 2.71 goals-against average and .904 save percentage and three shutouts.
Brett Pesce
Pesce suffered a shoulder injury against the Leafs as well. The injury to Reimer also occurred against the Leafs, but the injury has not been disclosed at this time.
Pesce has played in 61 games, scoring four goals and 18 points. He averages 21:53 minutes a game this season. The Tarrytown, NY native has 20 goals and 82 assists for 102 career points in 350 games with the Canes after being drafted in the third round 66th overall in the 2013 NHL
Carolina Triage
Pesce is going to be a huge loss for the ‘Canes blue-line. He’s been seeing top-line minutes for the team so far. Pesce has put four goals and 14 assists this season for 18 points. The injury puts more stress on Carolina’s defense which is already without Dougie Hamilton for the rest of the season with a broken leg.
What This Means for the Future
The injuries forced Carolina to be very active at the trade deadline. The ‘Canes acquired Brady Skjei and Sami Vatanen to help bolster their blueline. They also acquired Vincent Trocheck at the deadline. Carolina has called up goaltenders Alex Nedeljkovic and Anton Forsberg from the AHL. Both goaltenders have yet to see time with the Hurricanes this season. Forsberg has more experience than Nedeljkovic as he has appeared in 45 career games putting up a 11-24-4 record with a 3.21 goals-against average and .901 save percentage.
