"It's a business": Sebastian Aho, Rod Brind'Amour, and others Hurricanes address inevitable roster changes coming next season

The Carolina Hurricanes' season ended Thursday night after a 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers in Game 6. In the aftermath of the loss, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour, along with players Jordan Staal, Sebastian Aho and Frederik Andersen, spoke with the media about the game and the inevitable roster changes facing the team in the offseason.

Rod Brind'Amour reflected on the game, acknowledging that the Hurricanes started strong but lost control after a critical goal allowed the Rangers to gain momentum.

"We started out really good and then obviously [the second] goal was a tough one. Just can't happen," he said.

Brind'Amour emphasized the difficulty of the loss, especially given the team's performance this season. He wishes to keep the team together, recognizing the group's strong bond while also acknowledging the business aspect of the sport.

"It's a business," he added. "I'd love to roll us back with these guys, but who knows how that's all going to shake out."

Sebastian Aho spoke about the game and the team's missed opportunities to extend their lead. He recognized the Rangers' ability to capitalize on their chances while the Hurricanes could not.

"We had chances to build the lead, but we couldn't do it," Aho said.

He also acknowledged the difficulty of the season ending and the uncertainty of maintaining the current roster.

"It sucks ... hopefully we'll stay as same as possible, but that's the shitty part of it," Aho said.

He rated his performance as not good enough, emphasizing the team's ultimate goal of winning the championship.

Jordan Staal and Frederik Andersen also reflect on the Hurricanes' playoff loss and roster changes

Jordan Staal echoed Brind'Amour's sentiments about the challenging third period and the impact of his penalty.

"The third wasn't great obviously. We didn't really have control in the third at all," Staal said.

He expressed frustration with the penalty call, feeling it was inconsistent with how the game had been officiated. Staal also lamented the missed opportunity to kill the penalty, which could have shifted the game's momentum.

"We've had such a great group here for so long ... Coming up short right now hurts a lot knowing there's going to be a few changes," Staal said about the potential roster changes.

Frederik Andersen shared his perspective on the game, particularly the turning point after the first goal in the third period.

"I thought I had it covered and I wasn't able to get my glove down on it," Andersen spoke about his mistake.

Andersen also reflected on the potential roster changes and the disappointment of not capitalizing on the team's opportunity this season.