The Carolina Hurricanes came into the offseason with a lot of cap space and were going to make a push to sign big-name free agents. Offensively, they did just that, signing free agent Nikolaj Ehlers to a six-year, $51MM deal. The team also seems eager to continue to bolster their offensive group and is reportedly eyeing Pittsburgh Penguins veterans Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust.
However, the team also revamped their defensive unit, highlighted by a sign-and-trade for K’Andre Miller, which sent right-shot defender Scott Morrow the other way, and the signing of depth defenseman Mike Reilly. The Hurricanes also opted to let veteran Brent Burns walk in free agency, though there was interest in keeping the potential Hall of Famer in a lesser role. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on his 32 Thoughts podcast, Carolina informed Burns that, should he stay with the team, his role would be diminished.
“In Carolina, it’s not that they didn’t want to keep him. It’s that they told him that his role was going to decrease. And I’ve seen this before. Even if players are being told the truth by their team, they have such pride and sometimes they like to go somewhere else and take a lesser role than the place where they already are,” Friedman said.
Friedman noted that the Hurricanes are satisfied with their current group of blueliners, believing they fit seamlessly into Coach Rod Brind’Amour’s system. Miller will undoubtedly be a key part of that system for years to come after signing an eight-year deal worth a total value of $60MM for $7.5MM per season. The Hurricanes will also likely rely on the continued development of Alexander Nikishin, who began his NHL career in the playoffs last season.
Burns eventually landed a one-year deal with the Avalanche. Burns, 40, comes to the Avalanche after registering 29 points in 82 games with the Carolina Hurricanes last season. While his offensive numbers dipped considerably in 2024-25, he still logged a hefty 20:57 of ice time per game on the season. He added five points in 15 playoff contests.