The Hurricanes announced Thursday night that they’ve signed winger Jackson Blake to an eight-year, $45MM extension that will kick in for the 2026-27. While that would normally mean an average annual value and cap hit of $5.625MM, the actual cap hit of the contract will fall in the $5.1MM range due to deferred compensation, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports. The contract buys out the extent of Blake’s RFA eligibility and will make him a UFA following the 2033-34 season.
Blake’s stock has been on the rise since immediately after Carolina selected him in the fourth round in 2021. He was a USHL All-Star in his post-draft season with the Chicago Steel before making the jump to NCAA hockey with North Dakota, where he totaled 102 points in 79 games in two seasons – earning a Hobey Baker finalist nod in his sophomore year. He signed his entry-level contract with the Hurricanes in April 2024 and joined them for the brief remainder of the regular season.
In his first full pro season, Blake hit the ground running. He made the Canes out of camp and had five points through his first nine games despite seeing less than 12 minutes of ice time per night. That offense didn’t quite hold up the rest of the way, though.
While he ended up seeing significant deployment alongside Sebastian Aho at even strength, he ended up finishing the year with a 17-17–34 scoring line in 80 games, finishing ninth on the team in scoring and ninth in Calder Trophy voting as the league’s Rookie of the Year. That’s fine production, especially considering he averaged under 14 minutes per game on the year. He’ll need to build on it to justify that cap hit, though, especially with so much risk attached to a max-term deal.
The good news is that Blake has another year left on his entry-level contract to continue his development before he’ll need to start justifying that cap hit. The son of former NHLer Jason Blake turns 22 next month, yet with this deal, he’s guaranteed to surpass his dad’s career earnings.
Carolina has historically opted to sign their young players for as long and as early as possible, a trend that continues here. Sometimes, it’s paid off – their eight-year, $59.4MM commitment to Seth Jarvis last offseason looks like a steal after he put up a repeat 67-point performance in 2024-25. There’s also the glaring example of where that strategy has failed regarding center Jesperi Kotkaniemi, whose $4.82MM cap hit looks more stomachable now with a rising ceiling but is still well above his market value four years into the deal. The jury is still out on newly-acquired Logan Stankoven, who they inked to an eight-year, $48MM extension at the beginning of the month.
Blake’s deal will be one of the last of its kind. It contains two elements – deferred compensation and an eight-year term – that will be outlawed when the new CBA Memorandum of Understanding takes effect on Sep. 15, 2026. If he waited until reaching RFA status next summer to sign, a lengthy negotiation could have lost him that eighth year if the two sides didn’t come to terms until the beginning of training camp.
With the salary cap’s Upper Limit projected to reach $104MM in 2026-27, the Hurricanes have around $16MM in projected space with Blake’s and Stankoven’s deals taken care of. While they’re projected to be Carolina’s 11th and 12th highest-paid forwards on their opening night roster this season, they’ll be their fifth and sixth-highest paid forwards in 2026-27.
Image courtesy of Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images.
Wow, definately betting on his upside here.
Carolina GM Eric Tulsky really screwed up the Rantanen trade last season, And this may be another big swing, And a miss, Time will tell.
How can you say he screwed up the rantanen trade? He took a swing trading a player that weren’t going to keep long term. Rantanen didn’t want to stay and they turned him into stankoven. That’s really not bad considering they basically couldn’t give away Necas the year before.
Wow what an odd signing. I get Blake wanting that 8th year but with his potential ceiling he shoulda bet on himself and signed a bridge deal. And for Carolina if he doesn’t pan out this is gonna look ugly. If he doesn’t hit his ceiling they will look like geniuses.
If he does hit his ceiling*
Blake is gonna get scam if he end up being really good player
Always figure out what a young players’ absolute peak future ceiling might be and then pay them as if they have already reached it even when they have 34 career points.
Savvy GM’ing by the Moneypucker right there.
Buyout before 24 candidate
Will still need to see the structure, but it’s hard to believe someone isn’t going to end up regretting this contract… anybodys guess who though.
Great contract for Carolina.
In the later years of the deal his AAV will be under the league average.
Bananas. Makes zero sense.
Do the Canes go and get Carter Hart now?
Carter Hart was a very good goalie when he was playing, but hasn’t played in years. Is he the same goalie now? Low dollars/years with performance bonuses would be the only way.
Please no
I won’t lie and say I have a take on the overall tag but I just really didn’t think he was a max extension type of guy regardless of the price. Could be great or terrible but the 8 years just doesn’t make sense to me.
Great move by the Canes and a fair contract for both parties.
I personally think Blake left a pile of cash on the table as I do believe in 3-4 years he’ll be a consistent 70 point guy.
You are more likely right than any of the naysayers calling it a bad deal for the Canes.