The Carolina Hurricanes took a 4-1 loss against the Washington Capitals in their most recent game, but they didn't leave without a fight – literally. With five minutes to go in the first period, Capitals center Nic Dowd ran over Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen behind the net. Andersen hit the ground, and a flurry of Hurricanes players came to their teammates' defense.

Multiple altercations happened on the floor after that, and one of them ended up causing blood. 18 minutes of penalties were given out after the game got under control.

Andersen had to leave the game in the third period because of an undisclosed injury. After the game, head coach Rod Brind'Amour said that Andersen was pulled by the concussion spotter. Prior to the injury, Andersen had allowed three goals on 27 shots.

Article Continues Below

Unfortunately, Andersen has a history of injuries, and it would make sense for them to be cautious about bringing him back slowly.

On the other hand, the Hurricanes could be looking to upgrade their roster, and Nazem Kadri is one player they've been looking at, according to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos

“Kadri has been linked to multiple teams, but we have to specifically mention the Carolina Hurricanes, who have been in a relentless pursuit for a top player since falling short on Mikko Rantanen and Mitch Marner last season,” Kypreos wrote. “For now, the Hurricanes seem an unlikely destination for Kadri, as they are on his 13-team no-trade list.”

It would take a lot for Kadri to make his way to the Hurricanes, but the fact that they're in the market for a high-level forward shows that they're serious about improving the team. The Hurricanes are currently 11-5 and have started the season strong. If they can continue to build on this, it will be interesting to see where they stand later in the year