Hurricanes' Noah Hanifin: Dealing with concussion, out indefinitely
Hanifan was ruled Monday to be out indefinitely with a concussion.
With Carolina only having 10 games left remaining in the regular season, it's unclear if Hanifan will be able to return before playoffs roll around. Further, with Carolina also sitting nine points below the second wild card slot in the Eastern Conference, there's little reason to rush the youngster back unless a hot streak emerges, and his 2017-18 campaign could very well be finished. The 21-year-old was also able to reel off 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 71 games, matching his total from 2016-17 but doing so in 10 less contests, and although he's highly talented, Carolina still isn't giving him big minutes -- Hanifan averaged 18:45 of ice time, fourth most among defensemen on the team. While he remains out, Klas Dahlbeck figures to take over his pairing on the second unit.