The Carolina Hurricanes announced today that they have signed forward Ryan Suzuki and defenseman Ronan Seeley to one-year, two-way contracts. Suzuki will earn $775K at the NHL level and $130K in the AHL, while Seeley will be paid $813,750 in the NHL or $80,000 in the AHL.
Suzuki, 24, made his NHL debut last season, appearing in two games for the Canes and recording a plus-one rating while averaging 6:36 of ice time per night. The team’s first-round pick in the 2019 draft (28th overall), Suzuki had a slow start to his pro career but found his scoring touch last season, recording 59 points in 69 games for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. That marked a 27-point jump from his previous career high. In 230 career AHL games, he has totaled 145 points.
Before turning pro, the 6’2″, 195-pound center appeared in 173 games for the OHL’s Barrie Colts (three seasons) and Saginaw Spirit (one season), where he put up 57 goals and 177 points. While Suzuki is likely to start next season in the AHL, he provides the organization with a quality depth piece if called upon.
Seeley, 22, was drafted by the Canes in the seventh round of the 2020 draft (208th overall). The 6’1″, 192-pound left-handed defender spent four seasons with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips, where he produced 102 points in 190 games. He then got off to a solid start in his pro career, posting four goals and 25 points in 70 games for the Wolves during the 2022–23 season. However, he hasn’t been able to replicate that level of production over the past two seasons, totaling just 24 points in 127 games during that span.
Can someone explain to me how a 7th rounder perhaps pick 2 years younger with virtually no AHL scoring prowess has a higher NHL salary than a former 1st round pick who has played professionally longer and was almost a ppg in the AHL last season?
Suzuki’s contract specifies that he is guaranteed at least $180,000, while Seeley’s has no such clause. Essentially Suzuki is guaranteed to be an NHL call up, while Seeley is not, so in effect Suzuki will make more money, even if in the case both players played a full season in the NHL, Seeley would make more.
Your comment made me curious. Seeley’s ELC just expired and his qualifying offer this year of $813,750, and that’s what he signed for.
Suzuki kept getting hurt and hadn’t produced much, so he had little leverage and had to take a pay cut after his ELC expired at the end of the 2023 season. His 2024 contract was the minimum $775k. He was qualified which means he likely was offered the same contract in 2025 as Seeley. I guess he & Canes agreed to the lesser NHL salary in exchange for the higher guaranteed AHL salary, which probably matters more to him since an NHL job or health is not guaranteed. Suzuki may have been productive last year but it seems that was a career year for him because he finally played a season healthy. Both sides hedged their bets.
Let’s see: these guys were drafted in 2019 and 2020 so their draft spots no longer mean anything re salary. They play different positions – one is expected to be a point producer while the other plays defense, and 59 points in 69 games is not almost a ppg. By the way, since both players will likely draw primarily an AHL paycheck, your guy will be making more money.