Hamilton (undisclosed) took part in Thursday's practice session, Michael Smith of the Hurricanes' official site reports.

EDGE Analysis

Hamilton missed the three-game sweep of the Rangers and hasn't played in a game since Jan. 16 versus the Blue Jackets. With the defender on the shelf, Carolina utilized Sami Vatanen on the top pairing and Jake Gardiner on the top power-play unit. There are still plenty of games to be played, but as it currently stands, the Hurricanes would face off with Washington in the next round. Based on his return to practice, it would appear Hamilton could be ready for that matchup