Hurricanes will have Nikolaj Ehlers, Alexander Nikishin for Game 1 vs. Flyers

The Carolina Hurricanes have had a full six days off since sweeping the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs — and because of that, they’ll be fully healthy for Game 1 of Round 2 against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night.

Both forward Nikolaj Ehlers and defenseman Alexander Nikishin are expected to play at Lenovo Center for the first game of the second-round, facing a Flyers team that knocked out the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday.

“We hope that everyone will be ready to go,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour said ahead of the contest, per team reporter Walt Ruff. “Certainly looks like that, and that’s kind of what we thought was going to happen.”

Ehlers rejoined the group at practice on Friday, his first time back on the ice after missing Game 4 against the Senators due to a lower-body injury. Nikishin practiced for the second time after getting concussed on a huge hit thrown by Ottawa’s Tyler Kleven.

Both players were at their usual respective spots; Ehlers on the third line with Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook, and Nikishin on the third defensive pairing alongside Shayne Gostisbehere.

Ehlers has chipped in an assist over three games this postseason, while Nikishin has gone pointless but averaged over 16 minutes of ice time per game. The former amassed 71 points in 82 regular season games; the latter managed 33 points in 81 contests.

“Everybody who has had to step in has really contributed,” Brind’Amour said. “There certainly hasn’t been a dip in our play with really key guys out.”

It doesn’t look like any key players will be out on Saturday night, as, by the look of things, the Hurricanes will have a fully healthy roster as they try to retain home-ice advantage in North Carolina.

After winning the Eastern Conference in the regular season for the first time in franchise history, Carolina will look to get back to the conference final for a second straight year.

That quest continues when puck drops just past 8:00 p.m. ET from Raleigh on Saturday night.

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