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Hurricanes Sign William Carrier To Six-Year Deal

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July 3: Carolina has now confirmed the terms of Carrier’s contract.

July 1: The Hurricanes have pried longtime Golden Knight William Carrier away from Vegas. The checking winger is joining Carolina on a six-year deal worth $2MM per season, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports.

Carrier, 29, provides solid checking depth for a Carolina squad that lost a lot of key pieces today on the open market. Seven of his eight NHL seasons have come in Vegas, where he accumulated 99 points, 183 PIMs and 1,116 hits in 372 games. He won the Cup with them one year ago, providing some crucial depth point production with six points in 18 games.

The deal is indicative of a recent trend for physical, two-way responsible checking wingers – long-term agreements are becoming closer to the norm. Miles Wood is a notable recent example – he received a six-year, $2.5MM AAV deal from the Avalanche last summer.

Carrier will fill a lot of the duties Jordan Martinook has for the Canes in the past few seasons. Martinook is sticking around, inking a three-year deal today, but the loss of forwards Jake Guentzel and Teuvo Teräväinen without any real replacement means he’ll be relied upon for point production higher up in the lineup. Carrier routinely averages around 11 minutes per game and will be best suited to continue in a fourth-line role.

Hurricanes Sign Riley Stillman To Two-Way Deal

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The Hurricanes have signed left-shot defenseman Riley Stillman to a two-way deal, per a team release. The blue liner will earn $775K at the NHL level and $150K at the AHL level next season with a $350K guarantee.

It’s a homecoming of sorts for the 26-year-old, whose father, Cory Stillman, suited up in parts of four seasons for Carolina and was a part of their Stanley Cup-winning squad in 2006. The defender is coming off a highly disappointing 2023-24 season. After participating in his first training camp with the Sabres, who acquired him from the Canucks in February 2023 trade, he didn’t crack the NHL roster and was unclaimed on waivers. He struggled on assignment to AHL Rochester, limited to six points and a -4 rating in 47 games before lower-body surgery ended his season in early April. Stillman is a penalty-kill specialist first and foremost, though, so his lack of offense wasn’t overly shocking.

Prior to 2023-24, Stillman made 158 NHL appearances from 2018-19 to 2022-23, skating for the Blackhawks and Panthers in addition to his time in Buffalo and Vancouver. He’s accumulated four goals, 22 assists and 26 points in his career, laying the body well with 318 hits but failing to control possession at even strength. He’s controlled 46.3% of shot attempts and 46.0% of expected goals.

The Hurricanes have been focused on replenishing their defensive depth since free agency opened Monday, dishing out multi-year deals to Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker. Stillman should provide them with an NHL-experienced call-up option if needed but will likely hit waivers again in the fall and start the season on assignment to AHL Chicago. Carolina lost Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei to the open market this week and also lost some minor league defensive depth when they non-tendered Griffin Mendel.

Metro Notes: Tarasenko, Perreault, Hurricanes

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Josh Yohe of The Athletic is reporting that the Pittsburgh Penguins have made a contract offer to free agent forward Vladimir Tarasenko. Fresh off the second Stanley Cup of his career and his first with the Florida Panthers, Tarasenko passed through the first day of free agency unsigned. It’s familiar territory for the 32-year-old as he didn’t sign a contract last summer until July 27th.

Tarasenko is no longer a perennial 30-goal scorer, but he remains a solid option on the wing, particularly for the Penguins who are looking for short-term options to play alongside Sidney Crosby. Tarasenko had a good year for Ottawa and Florida, tallying 23 goals and 32 assists in 76 regular season games.

The Penguins have just $3.5MM in available cap space (as per CapFriendly) at the moment but could bury salary in the AHL to open up room should they decide to do so. They also have a stockpile of fourth-line options and could presumably trade Lars Eller or Noel Acciari to open up room for Tarasenko.

In other Metropolitan Division notes:

  • Vince Z. Mercogliano of USA Today tweeted that New York Rangers forward prospect Gabe Perreault will be going back to Boston College for his sophomore season in the NCAA. The Rangers’ 2023 first-round pick (23rd overall) isn’t sure what direction he will go after the season but given his numbers last year in the NCAA (19 goals and 41 assists in 36 games) it’s fair to wonder if he’ll turn pro. Perreault is the son of former NHLer Yanic Perreault and shares many of the same on-ice traits as his father, right down to their height at 5’11”. He has yet to sign his entry-level contract but at this point, it doesn’t appear to be an issue that is bothering Rangers management.
  • David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period tweeted that the Carolina Hurricanes will be hiring a new president for the organization with an announcement coming in the coming weeks. Former president and general manager Don Waddell resigned back in May and his GM duties were eventually handed off to Eric Tulsky. Waddell oversaw the Hurricanes’ business operations for nearly ten years after he was hired back on July 1st, 2014. There are no indications as to who the Hurricanes new president could be, and it will add another layer of change to an organization that has seen quite a bit of it over the past six weeks. Carolina was busy in the first two days of free agency as they looked to replace the losses of Brett Pesce and Jake Guentzel who both signed elsewhere.

Hurricanes Agree To Three-Year Deal With Shayne Gostisbehere

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The Hurricanes are close to a three-year deal worth around $10MM for UFA defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports. It would be his second stint with the club. The deal isn’t finalized, Pierre LeBrun of TSN says, but they’ve agreed to terms on a three-year deal worth $3.2MM per season. Carolina later officially announced the terms of the deal, confirming the $3.2MM AAV and $9.6MM total value.

Gostisbehere alone may singlehandedly replace the offense Carolina lost when Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei both found new homes on the open market today. The 31-year-old flourished in Detroit last season in sheltered even-strength minutes while seeing top power-play time, recording 10 goals and 56 points in 81 games – his most since his career-high 65 points set in 2017-18.

He last suited up in Carolina in 2022-23 after a deadline deal sent him from Phoenix to Raleigh. He fit right in to end the season, posting 10 points in 23 games in bottom-pairing minutes, but ended up finding a bigger role with the Wings.

With the increased stability that comes with a three-year deal, Gostisbehere is well-positioned to take on the third-pairing, first-unit power-play role that suited him so well in Detroit. While he can play both sides, he’s a natural lefty and will likely sit behind Jaccob Slavin and Dmitry Orlov on the depth chart.

Carolina’s defense is likely completely filled out for next season, with Gostisbehere and Sean Walker serving as much cheaper replacements for Pesce and Skjei. They still have upward of $10MM in projected cap space for next season to make adds on offense as the week goes on, although the market is quickly dwindling as most of the top-flight UFAs have already signed.

Hurricanes Sign Sean Walker To Five-Year Contract

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Earlier today, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated that the Carolina Hurricanes were closing in on a contract with free-agent defenseman Sean Walker. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun confirms the news by reporting Walker has signed a five-year, $18MM contract with the Hurricanes.

A lot has changed for Walker over the past 12 months.  After being part of a salary dump to the Flyers, the 29-year-old turned things around with his new team.  He picked up 22 points in 63 games with Philadelphia while logging nearly 20 minutes a night.  As a result, he was one of the best rental defensemen available, resulting in the Flyers picking up a first-round pick from Colorado (along with Ryan Johansen) in exchange for Walker’s services at the trade deadline.

With the Avs, Walker wasn’t counted on to play as high up the lineup although he still averaged nearly 18 minutes a game while picking up four goals and three assists in 18 games down the stretch.  However, he was held off the scoresheet in 11 playoff appearances, ending his campaign on somewhat of a lower note.

Even so, Walker was one of the better right-shot defenders on the open market this summer, helping secure him a raise of nearly $1MM per season along with the longest contract of his career.  That’s a pretty good outcome for someone who was effectively moved for salary purposes just a year ago.

With Brett Pesce moving on to New Jersey in free agency earlier today, Walker will have a chance to step in and play a big role next season, perhaps a bigger one than he had last season even.  And with Brent Burns only having one year left on his contract, Walker could be their top right-shot option this time next summer.  If he can play at a similar level with the extra responsibilities, this could wind up being one of the better-value contracts handed out today.

Hurricanes Sign Tyson Jost

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The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Tyson Jost to a one-way, league-minimum contract worth $775K, per TSN’s Darren Dreger (Twitter link).

It was a rough year for the 26-year-old, to put it lightly.  After agreeing to a one-year, $2MM contract to remain with Buffalo despite being non-tendered, Jost wound up having a very limited role and even struggled with it.  He played in 43 games, scoring three goals and three assists in a little over 10 minutes per game before eventually clearing waivers in late December.  Jost was more productive during his time in the minors, notching four goals and 10 assists in 25 games with AHL Rochester but it was clear the two sides would be parting ways this summer.

Despite his struggles, Jost comes to Carolina with a fairly extensive NHL track record, spanning 456 games where he has 57 goals and 83 assists.  With that in mind, this is a reasonable low-cost flyer for the Hurricanes to take.  If he’s able to lock down a full-time spot on the roster at the minimum salary, that will help free up some money to spend on their restricted free agents, headlined by Seth Jarvis and Martin Necas.  If he doesn’t make the team, he can be stashed in the minors (pending waiver clearance) where he’d likely be one of the first recall options in the event of an injury.

Hurricanes Re-Sign Jordan Martinook

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The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed forward Jordan Martinook to a three-year, $9.15MM contract, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link). The deal carries an annual cap hit of $3.05MM.

The contract represents a staunch commitment from the Hurricanes organization to a player that the team placed on waivers to open the 2023-24 NHL season. Martinook has spent the last six years of his career in Carolina and has put up back-to-back 30-point campaigns. Spending much of his first few years in a bottom-six role, Martinook has been elevated up the lineup to more of a middle-six option in Carolina. Over the past two years, Martinook has appeared in all 164 games while scoring 27 goals and 66 points in total.

Martinook’s true value comes from his play on the defensive side of the puck, as he’s secured Selke Trophy votes in the last two seasons. The veteran forward consistently has a dramatic gap between takeaways and giveaways leading to a career-best 58.6% CorsiFor% this past season.

He is also a clutch playoff performer in contrast to his role on the team as Martinook has scored five goals and 16 points over 26 postseason games in the organization’s last two runs in the Stanley Cup playoffs. Even though Martinook brings all that to the table for Carolina, this contract still appears a tad bloated at face value.

Free Agent Rumors: Stamkos, Bennett, Verhaeghe, Stolarz, Ekman-Larsson, Grzelcyk, Martinez

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The Devils are in the market for a top-six forward today, and they may end up as one of the finalists for Lightning captain Steven Stamkos, per ESPN’s Kevin Weekes.

They’ll be one of many teams making Stamkos’ agent’s phone ring off the hook today. TSN’s Bob McKenzie also expects the Ducks, Hurricanes, Predators and Red Wings to make aggressive pushes for the future Hall-of-Fame forward.

A return to Tampa Bay is extremely unlikely for Stamkos, whose 555 career goals and 1,082 games played have all come in a Lightning uniform. They weren’t close to an extension as of last weekend, and their signing of top UFA left winger Jake Guentzel to a seven-year, $63MM deal this morning has all but completely boxed him out.

More from around the Eastern Conference amid an already busy morning:

  • The Panthers are working hard on extensions for forwards Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe as they become eligible to sign at 11 a.m. CT today, sources tell David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. They’ve already gotten one big piece of business done today by keeping Sam Reinhart away from the open market on an eight-year, $69MM deal, but Bennett and Verhaeghe are two crucial pieces of their top-six forward group that remain unsigned past next season. It’s unclear what these deals may look like, but Reinhart taking a considerable discount on market value to remain in South Florida is surely a good indicator that Panthers GM Bill Zito can get them locked into deals that won’t break the bank.
  • TSN’s Darren Dreger adds the Panthers are also trying to re-sign UFA netminder Anthony Stolarz, but they have some competition. The Blackhawks and Maple Leafs are also in the mix for the veteran’s services. While a career backup, he’s one of the best options on the market in a UFA class devoid of starters. He was electric when used in Florida last year, posting a .925 SV% and 2.03 GAA in 27 appearances.
  • After making Chris Tanev’s six-year deal official, expect the Leafs to add another veteran blue liner in Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Dreger says. OEL is coming off a Stanley Cup win in Florida after putting up 32 points in 80 regular-season games, averaging 18:24 per night. He’d likely anchor a third pairing in Toronto on the left side behind Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe.
  • The Penguins are among the teams linked to defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, The Athletic’s Josh Yohe reports. Grzelcyk is likely on his way out of Boston after spending the entirety of his eight-year, 445-game career there. He had 11 points and a +13 rating in 63 games last season while logging 17:36 per night.
  • Alec Martinez could continue his NHL career with the Blackhawks on a one-year deal, per TSN’s Bob McKenzie. The three-time Cup winner fell down the Golden Knights’ depth chart last year, limited to 55 games due to injuries and healthy scratches. He still managed 17 points, though, his most offense in three years, but had a -2 rating while averaging 19:03 per game.

Hurricanes, Jaccob Slavin In Agreement On Eight-Year Extension

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July 1: Slavin’s extension today will be an eight-year deal with a cap hit of $6.43MM, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports.

June 14: A large slate of pending free agents still plagues Hurricanes interim general manager Eric Tulsky’s to-do list over the next few weeks, but as previously reported, it’s not the organization’s only top priority. The team has all but agreed to terms on an extension for defenseman Jaccob Slavin, which should be announced promptly when he becomes eligible to sign on July 1, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet said on Friday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast.

Slavin, 30, is entering the final season of a bargain-bin seven-year, $5.3MM AAV extension inked back in 2017.

It’s no surprise to see Carolina aggressively try to retain arguably their most consistent blue liner of the past decade amid an offseason of change that could see them lose both members of their second pairing, Brett Pesce and Brady Skjei, to unrestricted free agency. They’ve been discussing the framework of a deal for at least the past few weeks, per The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta. The 6’3″ Colorado native would have been one of the top targets available on the UFA market in 2025 if he remained unsigned.

Slavin, who has finished top 20 in Norris Trophy voting for seven years in a row, has spent his entire career in Raleigh since being drafted by the Canes in the fourth round in 2012. Not only does getting an extension out of the way early quell any rumors of the franchise cornerstone leaving next summer, but it also provides them with an increased deal of cost certainty as the salary cap increases in 2025 and beyond.

It’s a stark contrast to their situation this summer, where nine everyday players are still pending free agents. They still have nearly $24MM in cap space to burn after inking defenseman Jalen Chatfield to an extension, which will likely all be used up as they navigate losing and replacing some top-of-the-lineup skaters.

The extension comes after a bit of an odd platform year for Slavin. After years of being the club’s de facto top-pairing anchor by ice time, head coach Rod Brind’Amour rolled three pairings almost equally at even strength after offseason signing Dmitry Orlov gave them five arguably top-pairing talents on the roster. With Orlov also taking away some special teams usage from Slavin, his ice time dipped to 20:56 per game, the lowest of his career.

That didn’t stop his offensive production from rebounding from last season’s disappointing figures, though. Slavin recorded 31 assists and 37 points, the second-most in a single season in his career. The Canes also controlled more than 60% of shot attempts with Slavin on the ice at even strength for the second year in a row.

Slavin served as part of Carolina’s leadership group last season along with Jordan Martinook and captain Jordan Staal. He and Chatfield will be the only defenders under contract for the 2025-26 season as the Canes look to build out their defense of the future.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Hurricanes Sign Eric Robinson

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The Carolina Hurricanes are expected to sign forward Eric Robinson to a one-year deal with a cap hit of $950K, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period (Twitter link). Robinson spent last season with the Buffalo Sabres, where he recorded nine points across 40 games.

Buffalo acquired Robinson in December, dealing a conditional 2025 seventh-round pick back to the Columbus Blue Jackets – though Columbus would only receive the pick if Robinson played in 45 games. He fell just shy of that mark and is now moving on from Buffalo, effectively giving the Sabres a trial run of his services.

Columbus originally signed Robinson as an undrafted free agent in 2018, following the end of his tenure at Princeton University. He spent the 2018-19 season with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, where he scored an evenly split 24 points in 45 games. The strong AHL year was enough to earn Robinson 13 appearances in the NHL that year, though he’d go without a point. Still, he caught the ice of someone in Columbus, and would earn a consistent role as the team’s extra forward in 2019-20. Robinson served that role proudly, and even managed a career-high of 10 goals and 27 points in the 2021-22 campaign.

Robinson couldn’t hang onto his modest scoring in Buffalo, as he faced hefty pressure for his role on the team’s fourth line. He should receive some relief with the Hurricanes, who sit three forward spots shy of a full roster with $23.874MM in cap space. Carolina still needs to re-sign or replace restricted free agents Martin Necas, Seth Jarvis, and Jack Drury – with the latter offering the most competition for Robinson’s spot on the bottom line.

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