The Hurricanes are signing top free agent Nikolaj Ehlers, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman report. The team has announced the contract, which comes in at six years and $51MM for an $8.5MM cap hit.
Ehlers, No. 2 on our board of top UFAs this summer, had been linked to Carolina since the outset of free agency. Although it became clear he wouldn’t sign on July 1, instead waiting things out after most of the top names decided not to test the market, the Hurricanes were an implied frontrunner while the Capitals and Lightning had also spoken to his camp. Tampa was no longer in the conversation as of Thursday morning, but it appears the Caps, as well as the Mammoth, were in talks with Ehlers’ camp until his decision to choose Carolina in the last hour, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports.
The 29-year-old Dane will capitalize on one of the better seasons of his NHL career in 2024-25 and make the jump to Carolina from Winnipeg. The Jets made him the No. 9 overall pick in the 2014 draft, and for the most part, he’s lived up to that billing. He scored 225 goals and 520 points in 674 games in 10 years in a Jets uniform, leaving the club as its fifth-leading goal-scorer in franchise history.
While Ehlers isn’t the answer to the No. 2 center question that’s plagued Carolina for the past few seasons, he’s that elusive additional top-six winger the club has chased with expensive in-season rentals over the past couple of years, bringing names like Jake Guentzel and Mikko Rantanen in for brief stops in Raleigh. Ehlers scored 24 goals and 63 points in 69 games last season – a 29-goal, 75-point pace had he played in all 82 games. That would have made him one of two 70-point scorers on the Canes last season, along with Sebastian Aho.
It remains to be seen whether Carolina will pair the play-driving winger with Aho on a first line or have Ehlers anchor his own line. He’s hoping it’s the former after years of having his even-strength ice time oddly limited in Winnipeg. Despite averaging north of 60 points per 82 games over his career, Ehlers has only averaged more than 17 minutes per game twice and averaged just 15:48 last year, making him one of the most efficient scorers in the league on a per-minute basis.
The signing caps off what’s been a week of big spending in Raleigh. They rewarded rising sophomore Logan Stankoven with an eight-year, $48MM extension on Tuesday before acquiring defenseman K’Andre Miller from the Rangers in a sign-and-trade, taking him on with an eight-year, $60MM commitment – the largest contract signed since the market opened (Mitch Marner’s eight-year, $96MM contract was registered on June 30).
While not the bona fide No. 1 winger Carolina’s been searching for, he is a legitimate top-line threat that adds another layer of depth to one of the league’s more balanced offensive attacks. He fits the Hurricanes’ model of being one of the league’s strongest possession teams. Not once has Ehlers ever posted a shot share or expected goals share below 50% at even strength in his career, and he had a remarkably strong 4.9% relative Corsi share over his time in Winnipeg.
Even after registering Ehlers’ contract, the Hurricanes have plenty of flexibility to work with if they want to pursue additional signings or trade acquisitions. They’re still left with $10.64MM in cap space, per PuckPedia, and are equipped with four first-round picks in the next three years to leverage in trade talks as they see if they can acquire another top-six piece.
Image courtesy of James Carey Lauder-Imagn Images.
Hard to trust an ESPN employee.
Well Friedman reported it too sooooooo 🙄🤡
Weeks is awesome you should figure out a way to be a better troll
And you should think for yourself, And not just repeat what socalled insiders say.
Weekes is always tuned in to what’s happening here in Raleigh. He still has connections from his playing time here in the city. Canes have confirmed the deal.
There’s nothing special about Friedman.
You always this positive?
Anyways we lost a good one in Bob the other day.
might you all consider discussing the actual signing instead of debating the merits of a source who, ultimately, reported the news accurately?
Oh you look so dumb. Sad
Yes.
Ehlers is a good pickup, He’s a shoe in for 50 points plus this upcoming season.
Sparky must’ve been bullied by reporters in junior high.
Should of never made that trade with Colorado..then this signing at this price would of made sense..ps I’m a Nucks Fan
They turned Necas with a couple years of rights retention and a late first (plus Drury) into Stankoven and Ehlers signed long-term. That’s a big, big win.
Coming from a guy that pitched a Crosby trade at the draft. He has no credibility anymore
What percentage of these guys are always right? Do you believe that no trade has ever fallen through?
Of course not, but he loses credibility even bringing up Crosby. It’s insulting to the player at this point. He signed an extension knowing the team sucks.
Let’s not forget that Paul Bissonnette thinks he’s an insider as well, And he can barely speak.
Did he speculating about a potential trade he thought would make sense, or was he “reporting” something as an impending trade? The latter would be relevant here, the former is not.
Doesn’t matter. He made an ass of himself on national TV just to grab attention. It’s cheap.
You make it sound like these guys are up all night working the phones, It’s not true, Other people feed what is mostly silly, And useless information, And these stiffs just repeat it on air, Steven A. Smith proved that fact recently, He was busted for it by the New York Post.
There’s a difference between stating an opinion and reporting a fact. Distinguish between what role a guy is in to judge his credibility.
Okay you made me laugh.
More confirmation here.
link to x.com
Josh called it and there goes the last FA who could make a difference on the Hawks. So now they have to look for trades. They really could use a scorer/difference maker. No more 4 million dollar place holders.
Ehlers wanted to play for a winner, in warm weather. Chicago is neither
What are you talking about. What young player outside of bedard has even earned full time minutes? They are still rebuilding this year and next. Place holders it is, hopefully with a McKenna or dupont attached.
What I’m talking about is this is going to be year 4 of what is usually a 5 year rebuild. Davidson has had 4 drafts and 3 seasons and this will be season 4. It’s time for the guys like Nazar, Arty, Rinzel, Korchinski, Thompson, Slaggert and Moore to step up. And guys like Foligno, Dickinson, Reichel, Murphy and I thought Donato to move on. Year 4 is usually a big improvement in a 5 year rebuild plan. I didn’t really expect Marner or one of the big guys to come here but I thought a young guy like Ehlers might.
Bedard knows how important it is because he went off by himself and hone his skills even more. With as many teams as there are still in Cap purgatory trades should be able to be made. They should be targeting guys in their late 20’s who maybe have potential and don’t fit any more on their teams and will be this side of 30 when they do get better. What’s in the pipeline with guys like Boisvert, Lardis, and Van Acker is still exceptional. Everybody wants to forget Bedard is only 20 and is going to get a lot better. Sooner or later guys like Teuvo, Bertuzzi, Mikhlalev and Burakhosky are going to be moved along.
That’s what I’m talking about. What are you talking about?
Not really surprised as Carolina had the cap space. For teams like Tampa and Washington, they would have had to move out someone which could be challenging at this point in time with teams having already spent a lot on the open market. Anyway, it’s a good signing by Carolina as they get a solid winger in Nikolaj Ehlers in their top-six.
Some teams are up to the ears with cap space right now. It would not have been an issue.
I get that but you have to remember it depends on what those teams with cap space want & are looking for as they may not necessarily have been interested in what Washington or Tampa wanted to trade or in what they wanted in return.
I’m surprised that Carolina isn’t focused on there biggest weakness. The center position. It’s pretty soft these days. Perhaps Ehlers will get some time there.
Taking Ehlers hardly means the Canes are not looking to improve.
$10 million in cap space and moveable assets are huge strengths.
Trade phone lines are open!
It’s a shame they moved out Scott Morrow, They really need a true number 2 center, And there goaltending is sometimes unpredictable.
Beniers for Stankoven
As a Jets fan, wish him well. Rumor has it Canes have tried to trade for Ehkers in the past. Can anyone share the package that was rumored going back to EMWPG once upon a time?
Necas and a rack of bbq ribs
That’s probably worth it. Carolina BBQ is mmmm
Still not getting past the Panthers
Its time to give socalled insiders a more specific job title, They are all just Click Bait Entertainers.