The Carolina Hurricanes are playing Game 2 of their Stanley Cup Playoffs clash against the New York Islanders. However, they will need to finish this contest without one of their defenders. The team has announced that veteran rearguard Brett Pesce will not return to the game with a lower-body injury.

It is not clear when Pesce sustained the injury. That said, his team is down to five blueliners for the remainder of Game 2 against the Islanders. Ideally, the Hurricanes will provide an update ahead of Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That is purely speculation at this time, though.

The Hurricanes won Game 1 of the series by a score of 3-1. At this time, Carolina is chasing Game 2. They are trailing the Islanders 3-2 thanks to a standout performance from veteran puck-stopper Semon Varlamov. Furthermore, New York received goals from Kyle Palmieri, Bo Horvat, and Anders Lee on Monday night.

Brett Pesce impact

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce (22) looks on against the Detroit Red Wings during the second period at PNC Arena.
James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Brett Pesce entered the 2023-24 season as one of the team's more valuable players. In 2022-23, he led Hurricanes defensemen in offensive goals above replacement with 7.3. His defense was certainly a question mark, as he earned a -1.1 defensive goals above replacement. However, he still provided a ton of value to his team.

Unfortunately, the 29-year-old New York native has seen his production take a nose dive. His defense did improve as evidenced by his 1.6 defensive goals above replacement in 2023-24. However, that mark ranks second last on the team, only besting Tony DeAngelo. Furthermore, his offensive goals above replacement dropped to 1.

Looking at the counting stats, the drop in production is more evident. Pesce scored five goals and 25 points in 82 games during the 2022-23 season. This year, though, Pesce struggled with injuries and missed 12 games. He scored just three goals and 13 points in the 70 games he played. This put him on a 15-point pace over a full 82 games.

Hurricanes moving forward

As of now, the Hurricanes are playing with five defensemen. The loss of Pesce means they now have a hole on the right side of their second pairing. As of now, it is unknown how long Pesce will miss, if he misses time at all. However, they have a few options if they need to replace their veteran rearguard.

First, they could promote Jalen Chatfield to the second pairing. This creates a hole on the bottom pairing, but it allows whoever they bring into the lineup to be eased into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Perhaps DeAngelo is the one they decide to slot on the third line if they go with promoting Chatfield.

However, they could also go with one of their top defensive prospects. Scott Morrow signed his entry-level contract before the end of the regular season. He made his NHL debut around 10 days after putting pen to paper, as well. He played his 2023-24 season in college, so bringing him into the Stanley Cup Playoffs could be quite the jump.

Putting Morrow on the third line could give him time to ease into the NHL. Or, the Hurricanes could show a vote of confidence in their young defenseman and pair him with Brady Skjei on the second pairing. It's a bold move, sure, but an option on the table nonetheless.

Overall, Brett Pesce is a big loss for the Hurricanes. Especially with the Stanley Cup Playoffs kicking into full gear. Hopefully, he isn't out long-term and the injury is not serious.