Hurricanes Terminate Jakub Nakladal’s Contract

The Carolina Hurricanes announced that they have terminated the contract of defenseman Jakub Nakladal.  Nakladal cleared demotion waivers on Saturday and was assigned to Carolina’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte.  Cap Friendly notes via Twitter that Nakladal was quietly placed on unconditional waivers on Sunday and cleared earlier today.

The 28 year old signed a one year, $600K deal with the Hurricanes back on October 9th after suiting up for the Czech Republic at the World Cup of Hockey.  He logged an average of 21:03 in ice time in those matchups while being held off the scoresheet.  However, he didn’t see much action with the Hurricanes as he got into just three games, collecting zero points and a -4 rating while averaging just 14:30 per game.

Nakladal’s only other NHL experience came last season with Calgary, where he played in 27 games. He picked up two goals and three assists in those contests, averaging 14:11 in ice time. He also spent time with Calgary’s AHL affiliate in Stockton, suiting up in 35 games while collecting 14 points (2-12-14).

While several teams had shown an interest in signing Nakladal to a two-way deal over the offseason, he held out for a one-way pact and stated that he would sign overseas unless he got one.  Although he got one from the Hurricanes, it would seem likely that he will cross the pond and sign elsewhere.  He has experience overseas in several different leagues, including the SM-liiga in Finland, the Czech Extraliga, and the KHL.

[Related: Hurricanes Depth Chart]

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.