Jarvis Skates in Noncontact Jersey, Says He Is Ahead of Schedule

Seth Jarvis was on the ice for the Carolina Hurricanes' first training camp practice Thursday in Morrisville, wearing a noncontact jersey and saying his recovery from right shoulder surgery is running ahead of the original timeline.

Jarvis had a torn labrum and rotator cuff repaired in late June and was given a four to six month recovery window, which pointed to a return somewhere between late October and December.

"Last I checked I was a little ahead of schedule, so (I will) just keep rehabbing as hard as I can," Jarvis said. "It's been a long grind, but I can start to kind of see the light at the end of the tunnel."

He first hurt the shoulder during the 2023-24 season and played through it for two years, including 71 regular-season games and 19 playoff games on the way to the Stanley Cup last season, plus five games for Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics. He had 32 goals in the regular season and 11 points in the playoffs.

"I've been skating for a few weeks now," Jarvis said. "Cardio feels pretty good. It's more just getting used to being around other people. Obviously I've got to be careful bumping into people, but for the most part it felt pretty good."

Coach Rod Brind'Amour was not interested in a fast track. "He looks good, he's skating well," Brind'Amour said. "But I can promise you, they're not going to rush him back. He's got to keep progressing along and getting stronger. When he's ready, he will let us know and we'll get him in as soon as we can."

Also missing from the ice: restricted free agent defenseman Alexander Nikishin, who remains unsigned. The 24-year-old had 33 points in 81 regular-season games and averaged 18:11 of ice time last season, then added an assist in 17 playoff games. General manager Eric Tulsky said in a statement Wednesday that Nikishin would not be at camp and that the club would not comment further.

Carolina opens the season against the Florida Panthers at Lenovo Center on Sept. 29.