Carolina Hurricanes forward Jack Roslovic finding the net often in hot start to season

It was hours before game time Thursday, after the Carolina Hurricanes had finished up a morning skate, and Andrei Svechnikov was talking about playing on a line with Jack Roslovic.

“He’s such a skilled player who sees things so well on the ice,” Svechnikov said. “We felt good with each other right away. He can score. He has four goals already.

“Hopefully, he’ll keep putting the puck in the net.”

Roslovic was the first to put the puck in the net Thursday night as the Canes blistered the Boston Bruins, 8-2. His first-period goal was a prelude of what was to come after the Hurricanes overcame some penalties and calls that had Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour fuming on the bench and getting a penalty of his own.

Roslovic scored again in the second period after some forechecking hustle from forward Jordan Martinook that created the scoring chance. Just like that, he had his sixth goal in nine games in Carolina’s 7-2-0 start to the season — this from a forward who had nine goals in 59 games last season.

“Obviously when you can score it’s great to add that value to the team,” Roslovic said after the game. “I think the style of play that we play, I’ve said from the beginning, fits me a little bit and I enjoy playing in the system.”

Roslovic, 27, was one of those free-agent signings in July that didn’t draw “breaking news” headlines in NHL circles — one year, for $2.8 million. Forward William Carrier signed a six-year, $12 million deal with Carolina and defenseman Sean Walker a five-year, $18 million contract.

But from the start, there was an underlying feeling that Roslovic might be a sneaky good pickup, given his experience, his speed on the ice and the Canes’ fast-paced, aggressive system.

Brind’Amour talked about Roslovic making an impression with the New York Rangers against the Canes in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs. Canes captain Jordan Staal said the same about the 6-1, 198-pound forward.

“I played against him every shift in that Rangers series and he’s a very tough player to play against,” Staal said during training camp. “Really surprised me with his speed. He can skate quick and he thinks the game quick, too. He can complement a lot of players.”

But who could he best complement on the Canes? How productive would he be on the season began?

“Obviously it’s been a great fit here so far,” Brind’Amour said after Thursday’s game at Lenovo Center. “I don’t know how to explain it but sometimes you just need a change of scenery. A fresh start is what you need.”

Roslovic is a former first-round draft pick of the Winnipeg Jets, taken 25th in 2015. Traded by the Jets with forward Patrik Laine to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Pierre-Luc Dubois in 2020, the Columbus native set career highs with 22 goals and 45 points in the 2021-22 season.

Last season, Columbus sent Roslovic to the Rangers in March for a fourth-round draft pick. His season truncated by a fractured ankle suffered in November, he finished 2023-24 with a combined nine goals and 31 points.

Roslovic got in 16 playoff games with the Rangers, with two goals and six assists. New York ousted Carolina in six games in the second round – a sour ending for Carolina, which dropped the first three games in the series – before losing to Florida in the Eastern Conference final.

For much of the Canes’ preseason training camp, Brind’Amour had Roslovic on Sebastian Aho’s line with Svechnikov. On opening night against Tampa Bay came a switch: Roslovic was on Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s line opposite Martin Necas, and Seth Jarvis on the Aho line.

But after some Brind’Amour line shuffling, Roslovic was back with Aho and Svechnikov and getting it done. Against the Bruins, his first goal came on a delayed penalty against Boston when Svechnikov got the puck to Aho on the left wing and Aho found Roslovic open between the circles.

His second was as much about Martinook, who picked up his 200th career point, as Roslovic. Martinook hounded the Bruins’ Mason Lohrei behind the Boston net, took away the puck and got it in front to Staal, who quickly passed to Roslovic in the slot for the shot and a 6-2 lead,

“He’s fast and he’s got a great release,” Brind’Amour said of Roslovic, who the coach singled out in the locker room as the player of the game.

Svechnikov also scored twice and Necas had a goal and three assists in the game. It made for a big night and homecoming for the Canes, back in Raleigh and the Lenovo Center after a 5-1-0 Western road trip.

The Hurricanes host the Washington Capitals on Sunday in a Metropolitan Division game, then have Metro games at home against Philadelphia and Pittsburgh next week.

“It’s been easy, it’s been fun,” Roslovic said of the transition. “We need to keep on cranking.”