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Emily Kaplan, ESPN
Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce suffered a ‘significant’ lower body injury that will keep him out some time, sources told ESPN.
The noncontact injury was sustained during the Hurricanes’ Game 2 comeback win over the Islanders on Monday. Carolina leads the first-round series 2-0 as the games shift to New York on Thursday.
A source told ESPN that Pesce could possibly play through the injury in these playoffs, though he will likely miss at least the next few games.
Pesce, 29, is one of the Hurricanes’ top defensemen, playing 19:49 in the Game 1 victory. He left Game 2 after playing just 8:47. It is unclear when the injury occurred. He played in 70 games in 2023-24, missing a month after undergoing surgery for a lower-body injury in late October.
Veteran Tony DeAngelo will likely slide into Pesce’s lineup spot on right defense.
The Canes’ depth defensemen include Dylan Coghlan, who played in just one game for Carolina this season. The Canes also have highly touted prospect Scott Morrow, who signed with the team in April. Morrow, 21, joined Carolina following his junior season at the University of Massachusetts.