Following the Carolina Hurricanes’ 9 a.m. practice with the NHL squad, head coach Rod Brind’Amour addressed the media on a variety of topics. During the session, The Hockey Writers posed questions regarding goaltender Brandon Bussi and forward Eric Robinson. Here’s what the franchise’s head coach had to say.
Brandon Bussi Heading Into Season 2
Bussi was with the Hurricanes during last season’s training camp after being claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers just days before the 2025-26 campaign began. What followed was a remarkable stretch: Bussi compiled a 31-6-2 record with a 2.47 goals-against average, an .895 save percentage, and two shutouts. He now enters the first year of his three-year, $5.7 million extension signed in February.
When asked about expectations for the goaltender in his second season, Brind’Amour stated, “No different than any player, we just talked about [Jackson] Blake or any younger guy new to the league. You’re constantly looking for them — probably the ones with the most upside — to get better because there’s a lot to learn still. You’re looking for all of the little things for him as a goalie. Whatever he needs to work on, Paulie [Schonfelder] is working with them. Just keep sharpening, and hopefully it shows in the way he plays.”
Schonfelder, the Hurricanes’ goaltending coach, had a busy 2025-26 season managing three goalies — Bussi, Pyotr Kochetkov, and Frederik Andersen — each with distinct personalities and playing styles. Heading into the new season, the workload figures to simplify considerably, as Bussi and Kochetkov appear set to form the team’s goaltending tandem.
Regardless of how starts are distributed, Bussi intends to take things day by day and remain ready whenever called upon. He looks to demonstrate that his standout campaign was no fluke and aims to put himself in contention for major awards this upcoming season.
Eric Robinson on Top Line Early
In late June, the Hurricanes announced that Robinson would miss six to eight weeks due to lower-body surgery, though he was expected to be available by the start of training camp. By Thursday morning (Sept. 17), Robinson was back on the ice. Seth Jarvis also underwent surgery and was given a four-to-six-month recovery timeline.
With Jarvis sidelined, one of the key questions entering camp was who would fill his role in the interim. Through the first two days, Robinson has logged time alongside Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov. While it’s only day two of camp, it’s encouraging to see versatile players who can slot into different positions given the chance to contribute on the top line.
When asked about affording Robinson the opportunity and what his skill set brings to that line, Brind’Amour stated, “I wouldn’t read into the line, and we know Jarvis can’t take the brunt of the practice. We’re just filling spots. But if Robbie happens to be there, we know what he can do; he can move up and down the lineup. He’s got great speed; he scored a lot of big goals. If that’s what ends up happening, maybe. I’m sure we’ll try a lot of different things if that’s how it shakes out. He has earned the right to kind of get that first look.”
“We’re not even at that point to even be considering kind of game one, of what we’re going to look like,” he concluded.
However it shakes out, it’s encouraging to see Robinson fully healthy and ready to go. In terms of replacing Jarvis, there is still plenty of time for that to be determined. For now, as the Hurricanes prepare for the upcoming season and training camp continues, there are plenty of storylines to follow.