Taylor Hall out week-to-week for the Hurricanes

The first sign came at Friday morning's skate at Lane Arena, held before the team's afternoon flight. Hall wasn't on the ice, and 2 freshly recalled kids were.

Look at the second line. Bradly Nadeau slid into Hall's spot next to Logan Stankoven and Jackson Blake. Felix Unger Sorum went with Eric Robinson and Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and he also rotated with Seth Jarvis on the fourth line. Both were called up from AHL Chicago this week. Hall got hurt Tuesday and left in the 2nd period of a 4-2 win over Washington. Before that he had 5 points (3 goals, 2 assists) in 8 games, which is solid production from a 34-year-old who was giving Carolina real secondary scoring.

Then Brind'Amour confirmed it after practice. His exact words to reporters were 'We've got kind of a week-to-week situation happening. So ask me again in a week.' That isn't a day-to-day shrug. It also isn't a long-term IR stint, at least not yet.

Losing Hall hurts more because of who's already missing. Captain Jordan Staal is out 1-2 months with a calf tear, so Carolina has now lost 2 veteran forwards within a couple of weeks. The kids are covering on special teams too. The second power-play unit had Nadeau and Unger Sorum alongside Stankoven, Jankowski and Brady Skjei's replacement on the point, Miller. The top unit stayed Aho, Blake, Ehlers and Svechnikov, with Shayne Gostisbehere quarterbacking.

The good news is that help might be getting on the plane. Jarvis had June surgery to repair a torn labrum and rotator cuff in his right shoulder, and he's travelling with the team even though he hasn't been medically cleared.

Jarvis led the Canes with 32 goals last season, so getting him back sometime in this trip would more than make up for Hall's minutes. Brind'Amour 'would hope' is not a promise, though. Until a doctor signs off, Nadeau and Unger Sorum are playing real top-9 minutes on a team that's off to a 6-1-1 start.

The trip opens Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET against the Jets. Watch the morning skate for 2 things: whether Jarvis is in the lineup, and whether Nadeau stays next to Stankoven. Carolina has a week to find out what its prospects can do before Brind'Amour gives the next update on Hall.