After a whirlwind Friday night (Jan. 24) where the Carolina Hurricanes made their blockbuster trade, they set their sights on their next game. They were set to take on the New York Islanders at UBS Arena for a Metropolitan Division tilt in their 50th game of the 2024-25 season.

Welcome back to NHL Predictions here at Last Word on Hockey, where we preview and predict the upcoming slate of NHL games around the league each day. This article will preview and predict the matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Islanders.

The Carolina Hurricanes visit the New York Islanders after Seth Jarvis scored two goals in the Hurricanes' 7-4 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Reaching the postseason is nothing new for the Carolina Hurricanes. But as a blockbuster trade Friday indicated, the Hurricanes are getting tired of coming up short of the ultimate prize -- and they are willing to do just about anything to hoist the Stanley Cup again.

New York Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock left in the first period of action versus the Carolina Hurricanes after falling behind the net. Later in the third period, goaltender Marcus Högberg exited the game and was replaced by Ilya Sorokin.

Tony DeAngelo’s first morning on Long Island consisted of a quick skate, a short introduction to his new teammates and getting ready to play in his first game in the new digs.

The Carolina Hurricanes’ Martin Necas and the New York Islanders’ Anders Lee are two of the most exciting players to keep an eye on when these squads face off on Saturday at 7:30 PM ET, at UBS Arena.

If Pulock is going to be out for a bit, the Islanders are likely to recall right-shot defenseman Grant Hutton from Bridgeport. The 29-year-old has played in 13 games for New York this season with two assists while averaging 13:28 minutes per game.

Pregame analysis and predictions of the Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Islanders NHL game to be played on January 25, 2025 on ESPN.

Maxim Tsyplakov, who completed his three-game suspension on Friday night in their 3-1 win against the Philadelphia Flyers, will serve as a healthy scratch.