The Carolina Hurricanes are expected to be without leading goal scorer Seth Jarvis for the start of their Stanley Cup defense next season due to shoulder surgery.
General manager Eric Tulsky announced Friday that Jarvis, 24, had a procedure on a shoulder he had previously injured and will be out "probably 4-6 months."
Jarvis typically plays on the wing of No. 1 center Sebastian Aho. He led the Hurricanes with 32 goals in 71 games last season and was second on the team in points per game average (0.93).
But Jarvis was less effective during Carolina's Stanley Cup run, with four goals and seven assists in 19 games. He had a goal and two assists in the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights, and coach Rod Brind'Amour eventually moved him down to the Hurricanes' third line. Several days after their Cup celebrations ended, Jarvis went under the knife.
Tulsky also said that forward Eric Robinson will miss up to eight weeks with a procedure on his knee.
With those absences, Tulsky said the opportunity will be there for a young player to step into the Carolina lineup. Specifically, he said top forward prospect Bradly Nadeau could "get some runway" to help the roster until Jarvis returns. Nadeau had three goals in 12 games with the Hurricanes last season.
