Capitals vs. Hurricanes: 2 new snipers meet powerful champs
Jordan Kyrou and Alex Tuch make their Washington debuts Friday, Oct. 2, when Washington opens its season in the Capitals vs. Hurricanes matchup at 7 p.m. ET at Lenovo Center in Raleigh, N.C. Carolina enters as the reigning Stanley Cup champion after beating Vegas in the Final.
The Hurricanes have already played once. They lost their opener 1-0 in overtime to Florida on Tuesday, as Total Apex Sports noted in its Panthers vs. Sharks preview. Washington is playing its first game.
Capitals vs. Hurricanes: start time, TV and venue
- Date: Friday, Oct. 2
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Venue: Lenovo Center, Raleigh, N.C.
- TV/Streaming: ESPN+, Monumental Sports Network (MNMT), the Hurricanes’ regional broadcast
- Season series: First of the season’s meetings
Carolina’s title defense starts without Jarvis and Nikishin
Carolina went 53-22-7 last season and 24-4-2 against Metropolitan Division opponents, averaging 3.6 goals and allowing 2.9 per game, The Associated Press reported via FOX Sports. ESPN’s preseason picks have the Hurricanes winning the Metro again.
Two regulars will miss Capitals vs. Hurricanes for Carolina. Forward Seth Jarvis is on injured reserve after shoulder surgery, and defenseman Alexander Nikishin is out because of a contract dispute, according to ESPN’s injury report, which lists target dates of Oct. 24 and Oct. 10, respectively. Carolina had not confirmed its starting goaltender as of Thursday night; ESPN’s game page lists Brandon Bussi.
Can Washington’s new-look top six click right away?
The Capitals acquired both newcomers in late June: Kyrou in a trade with St. Louis and Tuch in a sign-and-trade with Buffalo. Kyrou scored 30 or more goals in three straight seasons from 2022-23 through 2024-25, and Tuch has reached at least 33 goals in three of the last four seasons, according to the Capitals.
Yahoo Sports projects a second line of Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson. Strome is looking to rebound after a down year, Yahoo noted, a season after his career-high 29 goals in 2024-25. Yahoo’s preview also credits Logan Thompson, Washington’s No. 1 goalie, with a 31-21-6 record, 2.44 goals-against average and .912 save percentage in 58 games last season.
Washington opens without defenseman Rasmus Sandin, who was placed on injured non-roster status while he recovers from knee surgery, leaving seven defensemen on the opening-night roster. ESPN lists a late-December target for Sandin. Center Patrick Thomas is on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.
Metro rivals with a gap to close
The Capitals went 43-30-9 a year ago, scoring 3.2 goals and allowing 2.9 per game, per the AP. That left them the first team out of the Eastern Conference playoff field, Yahoo noted, and Washington missed the playoffs for the first time since 2023.
The Capitals vs. Hurricanes matchup will show early whether the added scoring closes that gap against a champion that allowed the same number of goals per game but scored far more. Washington ranked 15th in goals last season and Carolina was second, according to ESPN’s standings.
A quick turnaround for both clubs
Whatever happens in Capitals vs. Hurricanes, both teams play again Saturday, Oct. 3: Washington visits Tampa Bay and Carolina plays at Philadelphia. The Capitals’ home opener is Wednesday, Oct. 7, against Pittsburgh, per the team’s schedule on ESPN. For more, see the latest NHL coverage.
Reporting from FOX Sports (AP), ESPN, Yahoo Sports and NHL.com contributed to this Capitals vs. Hurricanes preview. Injury designations and schedule: ESPN.