For as long as Rod Brind’Amour has been head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, they have been one of the best defensive teams in the NHL. His man-on-man system is unique among NHL deployments. No one else plays with the intensity up front that the Hurricanes do, and one rule has illustrated this perfectly since Brind’Amour stepped up behind the Hurricanes bench: the “third” rule. Brind’Amour does not number his text, but it is anchored by Jordan Staal and Jordan Martinook. Whether it was Jesper Fast, William Carrier, Nino Niederreiter or a host of other wingers who spent time with that duo, they embodied the Hurricanes’ system perfectly.
However, 2025-2026 was a new season. It brought challenges at every opportunity. That reliable duo has faced more struggles on the ice than in any other season they have been on this roster together. The on-ice results for both players have deteriorated and the effect on the team has become clear. Suddenly, a team that was nearly bulletproof and had multiple goals scored developed a habit of choking on it. A Hurricanes team known for its defensive play has become lackluster on its home turf.
Jordan Steel
Carolina’s captain is the water bearer for the Hurricanes’ iconic shutdown line. They are known around the league for their willingness to play for the team and for being content with taking down the opposition’s best players. For years, Jordan Staal sacrificed his own offensive game to play more in his own zone. According to NHL edgeStaal has spent 34.8-37.7% of his ice time in the defensive zone since 2021-2022. For reference, Sebastian Aho has never started more than 34.6% in the defensive zone in a season. Staal is relied upon as the defensive mainstay.
Looking at the period 2022-23 to 2024-25 as one example, Staal averages 2.01 expected goals per 60 minutes (xGA/60) at even strength according to Natural statistical trick. That’s incredible. Only Jack Drury, Jesper Fast and Stefan Noesen averaged better, and none of them played more than 2,000 minutes in that time. Staal played almost 3,000, in 2,982:16. He’s been so good as the Hurricanes’ shutdown center. What about the 2025-2026 season?
In 2025-26, Staal has an xGA/60 of 2.56. That’s significantly higher, suggesting his defensive capabilities have not been as showcased as they have been in the past. It’s not ridiculously high, but it’s not the number of Selke finalists he has been for Carolina over the years. When Carolina can’t rely on its shutdown line, the entire team must adapt, which puts more pressure on the other players in the lineup.
Jordan Martinook
The other side of the coin is Martinook. He and Staal have been doing this work together since Martinook existed acquired from the Arizona Coyotes during the 2017-18 season after both teams missed the postseason again. Martinook was a key part of this lineup during his time in Raleigh. It has been one of the most challenging times for similar reasons to Staal. He is used as often as Staal to slow down opponents, but he has done a better job than Staal.
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Martinook’s xGA/60 is 2.37, which is middle of the pack for the Hurricanes, 11th on the team out of 22 who have played at least 100 5-on-5 minutes. That’s still not good enough from someone who has been entrusted to deliver the best the NHL can give him. He, like Staal, is expected to embody the Hurricanes’ system by breaking down the offenses thrown in front of him.
That closing line
We’re getting to a point where that line has shifted from eliminating opponents to the need to win his services by outpacing the problem. The problem is that Martinook is on pace for his lowest points total since 2021-22, when he played just 59 games. Staal has just 17 5-on-5 points this season despite seemingly becoming the solution to the Hurricanes’ power play problems, but that’s not at all what he paid for.
Now there are reasons for it. The most obvious is that the Hurricanes traditionally use Jaccob Slavin behind the shutdown line. He hasn’t been there. He is the best defensive defenseman in the NHL, and his absence makes things more difficult for the rest of the team, especially in their own zone. In such an intense man-to-man system, a hint of poor positioning can sink the team, and that has happened many times this season. When that is combined with the seemingly endless rotation of injuries the Hurricanes have endured, it makes sense.
However, the Hurricanes need better from their identity line. It is the first time that this duo has struggled under Brind’Amour. They’ve started to find it recently, but they need to continue to right the ship defensively. If they can continue to bounce back and get back to what they were a few seasons ago, the Hurricanes can get back to the absolute contender they expected them to be this season.
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