Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Hurricanes Rumors

Hurricanes Sign Frederik Andersen To Contract Extension

at CDT | by 2 Comments

3:30 PM: The team confirmed that they’ve signed Andersen to a one-year extension.  The deal carries a $2.75MM guaranteed salary plus $250K for 35 games played, $250K for 40 games played, and $250K if Carolina reaches the Eastern Conference Final with him playing in at least half of the playoff games.  That brings the potential value of the deal to $3.5MM.  GM Eric Tulsky released the following statement:

Frederik has played extremely well for us and ranks in the top 10 all-time for winning percentage by an NHL goalie. We’re excited that he will be staying with the team for next season.

2:03 PM: An already-thin UFA market for goaltenders could be getting weakened even further.  ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports (Twitter link) that the Hurricanes are closing in on finalizing a one-year extension with pending free agent Frederik Andersen.

Over four seasons with the Hurricanes, the 35-year-old has largely done well when healthy.  However, the challenge has simply been staying healthy.  Andersen has only played in 38 games over the past two seasons due to various injuries plus a blood-clotting condition.  Last year, he put up a stellar 1.82 GAA with a .932 SV% in 16 games while this season, he posted marks of 2.50 and .899, respectively.

Despite the limited action, Andersen was Carolina’s starting goalie for their first-round series against Carolina.  He played quite well in the first four games before suffering an undisclosed injury that caused him to come out early in that fourth game and miss Game 5.  However, team reporter Walt Ruff relayed today that Andersen was a full participant in practice for the second straight day, suggesting he should be good to go for the start of the second round against Washington.

Andersen’s soon-to-expire contract carries a $3.4MM AAV.  Given how much time he has missed the last couple of years, it would be surprising to see this next deal have that much in guaranteed money.  However, since he’s now 35 and apparently signing only a one-year deal, he is eligible to have performance bonuses in that contract.  Speculatively, that would lower the guaranteed cost while having some games played incentives that could push the potential value around what he has made over the last two seasons.

Andersen will once again form a tandem with Pyotr Kochetkov who still has two years left on his contract at a club-friendly $2MM charge.  That duo has been a cost-effective one (again, when healthy) for the last couple of years and that should continue now for at least one more year.

Carolina is shaping up to have plenty of cap space available this summer.  Following the re-signing of Taylor Hall earlier this week, the Hurricanes have around $32MM in room this summer, per PuckPedia.  Notably, they only have a handful of roster spots to use that money on.  While a new deal for Andersen will cut into that a bit, GM Eric Tulsky will certainly have lots of flexibility to try to add to his roster this summer.

Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.

Hurricanes Sign Taylor Hall To Three-Year Extension

at CDT | by 12 Comments

5:50 p.m.: According to PuckPedia, Hall’s new extension breaks down as follows:

  • Year 1: $3.5MM salary, full no-movement clause
  • Year 2: $3.425MM salary, full no-movement clause
  • Year 3: $2.575MM salary, full no-movement clause*

* If Hall scores less than 35 points in 2026-27, the full no-movement clause in 2027-28 will convert to a 10-team modified no-trade clause. 

9:02 a.m.: Taylor Hall has agreed to a three-year, $9.5MM extension with the Hurricanes, according to a team announcement. The deal carries a cap hit of $3.167MM and will carry the veteran left-winger through the 2027-28 campaign.

“Taylor has proven to be an outstanding fit for our team, and we are thrilled that he is excited to make Raleigh his home for another three seasons,” general manager Eric Tulsky said in a statement. “He’s been a solid veteran presence in the locker room and a difference maker on the ice.”

Hall has fit well in Carolina since the team acquired him from the Blackhawks in January’s blockbuster three-way deal with the Avalanche. While the 2010 first overall pick isn’t the MVP threat he was in his prime, he’s settled in as a capable middle-six scorer in his twilight years. He scored 9-9–18 in 31 regular-season games after arriving in Raleigh-Durham, a 24-goal, 48-point pace over an 82-game schedule.

While a three-year term may carry some risk for a player who’ll be 36 years old upon expiry, it’s a cost-effective commitment that maintains the Hurricanes’ immense salary cap flexibility next season. Hall’s extension still leaves them with $32.06MM in projected cap space for 2025-26 with just five roster spots to fill, per PuckPedia. With no notable restricted free agents to re-sign, this is a highly team-friendly deal to allow Carolina to retain a reliable middle-six scorer and go big-game hunting in earnest over the summer.

It’s no surprise to see Hall prioritize term over money in extension talks. He’s been traded twice in the past three seasons after signing a four-year, $24MM contract with the Bruins in 2021. After potting 61 points in 81 games for Boston in the first year of the deal, his most since his Hart Trophy campaign with the Devils in 2017-18, he managed 36 points in 61 contests in 2022-23 and was traded to Chicago in a cap-clearing move the following summer. Knee surgery then limited Hall to just 10 appearances for the Hawks in 2023-24 before scoring 24 points in 46 games for Chicago this season, before the move to the Hurricanes.

While he takes a 47% pay cut per year, Hall avoids his first trip to unrestricted free agency in five years the morning after Carolina became the first team to advance to the second round with a come-from-behind double overtime win over the Devils in Game 5. The 6’1″, 210-lb forward had a goal and two assists with a minus-one rating in the series while averaging 15:56 per game.

For the organization, retaining their top pending UFA forward well in advance of the market opening is an important development after seeing their scoring depth gutted by free-agent departures last summer. This time around, Tulsky won’t face the same fate while also having nearly unprecedented flexibility among playoff contenders to add to his roster on the open market.

It’s a deal the Canes and Hall have been working on essentially since his acquisition. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet and Andy Strickland of FanDuel Sports Network both said in February that they were discussing an extension.

Image courtesy of David Kirouac-Imagn Images.

Rod Brind'Amour Achieves Coaching History

at CDT | by 14 Comments

  • The Carolina Hurricanes became the first team in the 2024-25 Stanley Cup playoffs to win a series, setting history behind the bench. The NHL’s Coaching Association announced that last night’s victory made Rod Brind’Amour the first coach in NHL history to win at least one postseason series through his first seven years of tenure. Unfortunately, that success hasn’t carried into Round Two too often as Brind’Amour has only seen two Conference Finals as a head coach, this year’s postseason notwithstanding.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Hurricanes’ Frederik Andersen Out For Game 5

at CDT | by 2 Comments

10:33 a.m.: Andersen is confirmed as out tonight but hasn’t been ruled out for the series if New Jersey manages to extend it, head coach Rod Brind’Amour said (via Ruff).

9:49 a.m.: The Hurricanes are unlikely to have starting goaltender Frederik Andersen available for Game 5 of their first-round series against the Devils tonight, per the team’s Walt Ruff. He isn’t practicing today after sustaining an undisclosed injury in Game 4, and Pyotr Kochetkov is in the starter’s crease in his place. The team announced they recalled netminder Spencer Martin from AHL Chicago to serve as Kochetkov’s backup tonight.

Andersen was injured when he collided with Devils forward Timo Meier midway through the second period of Sunday’s Game 4 win to take a 3-1 series lead. Andersen had been spectacular through the first three and a half games of the series, posting a .936 SV% and league-leading 1.59 GAA, including a 34-save performance in Game 3’s double-overtime loss.

Kochetkov, who started the majority of Carolina’s regular-season games with Andersen missing time due to knee surgery, allowed one goal on 15 shots in relief for a .933 SV%. He posted a .897 SV% and 2.60 GAA with a career-high 27 wins in 47 regular-season starts. The 25-year-old has made seven playoff appearances over the last four years, but mostly in relief. Tonight will be his third career playoff start. He’s struggled when called upon in the playoffs thus far in his career, logging a .870 SV% and 3.73 GAA.

Of course, Andersen got them far enough to need just one more win to knock out the Devils and secure a playoff series win for the fifth straight year. Until their current streak, the Hurricanes/Whalers franchise had never recorded a series win in consecutive campaigns.

The team is still waiting to finish Andersen’s evaluation to determine when he’ll be ready to rejoin the lineup. If it’s another long-term injury, he may have played his last game in Carolina. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent after signing a two-year, $6.8MM deal to extend his stay in Raleigh-Durham in 2023.

As for Martin, Carolina’s veteran No. 3 option recorded a 3-4-1 record, .846 SV%, 3.89 GAA, and one shutout in seven starts and two relief appearances earlier this season while Andersen was on the shelf. The brother-in-law of Panthers winger Jonah Gadjovich was quite good in the minors this year, posting a .909 SV% and three shutouts in 31 regular-season contests for the Wolves with a 20-8-2 record.

Hurricanes' Prospect Alexander Perevalov Signs VHL Extension

at CDT | by 1 Comment

  • The Carolina Hurricanes won’t have one of their 2022 draft selections for at least one more year. In a report from Sport42, Hurricanes prospect Alexander Perevalov has agreed to a one-year extension with the VHL’s Metallurg Novokuznetsk. Perevalov got off to a bad start last season, scoring three goals and six points in 21 games for the Omskie Krylia. Still, he rebounded nicely upon joining Metallurg, tallying eight goals and 23 points in 26 contests.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Hurricanes’ Frederik Andersen To Be Evaluated For Injury

at CDT | by 10 Comments

Despite securing a commanding 3-1 lead in their Round One series against the New Jersey Devils, the Carolina Hurricanes could have a different look between the pipes for their remaining games. After colliding with Devils’ forward Timo Meier in front of the net only 24 minutes into the game, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman passed along a note from Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour indicating the team would evaluate netminder Frederik Andersen for an injury when the team returns to Raleigh.

It’s difficult to speculate on the specificity of the injury. Still, video footage appeared to show Meier making contact with Andersen’s head, and Andersen’s right leg becoming contorted once he falls backwards into the net. There was no penalty called on the play, and Brind’Amour expressed his frustration clearly, telling Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal, “If it goes in, it’s 100% goalie interference, right?”

In the postgame press scramble, Meier claims there was no ill intent on the play, telling team reporter Amanda Stein, “I’m trying to get behind Svechnikov and get open for the passing lane. And Svechnikov pushed me in, obviously no intent there, and hope he’s not injured too bad. But nothing on my side that I could have done differently.”

Despite any possible disciplinary actions against Meier, the Hurricanes face familiar challenges with their goaltending. Andersen failed to appear in more than 40 games for the fourth time in five years during the 2024-25 campaign, largely due to a knee injury that kept him on the injured reserve for three months.

Still, he provided quality goaltending when healthy, managing a 13-8-1 record in 22 games with a .899 SV% and 2.50 GAA. It’s not quite the efficiency Carolina has been used to from Andersen over the last several years, but it’s more than enough considering the team playing in front of him.

Due to Andersen’s various injuries over the last several years, the Hurricanes have allowed netminder Pyotr Kochetkov to receive many of the starts. Kochetkov had an up-and-down year during the regular season, finishing with a 27-16-3 record in 47 games, a .897 SV%, and 2.60 GAA. He filled in nicely for Andersen today, posting a .933 SV% in approximately 36 minutes of gameplay.

It’ll be interesting to see how the Hurricanes manage if Andersen should miss any time. They’ve averaged 3.5 GF/G through four games against the Devils, indicating they may not be able to win on their offense alone. Kochetkov hasn’t proven a valuable goaltender in the past come postseason play, but that will have to change this spring if Carolina has any hopes of continuing without Andersen.

Hurricanes Officially Register Alexander Nikishin’s Contract

at CDT | by 6 Comments

On Friday, a representative for Hurricanes prospect Alexander Nikishin expressed some frustration that his contract had yet to be registered with the NHL despite being agreed to in principle before the playoffs.  While it took longer than expected, it is now done as team reporter Walt Ruff relays (Twitter link) that the contract has been made official.  As expected, the deal begins this season, making him eligible to play in the playoffs.

GM Eric Tulsky also released the following statement:

“We had agreed with his agents to keep the options open for Alex to potentially play a game in Chicago at some point. But with their season now over, it makes sense to officially register an NHL contract for him, and we are excited for his future with the team.”

It was initially believed that Nikishin, one of the top blueliners outside the NHL in recent seasons, would make an immediate impact in Carolina’s lineup.  But when the coaching staff determined he wouldn’t be in their top six to start the postseason, the Hurricanes kept their options open in case they wanted Nikishin to get a game or two in with AHL Chicago on a tryout deal before registering the deal.  Chicago fell 5-0 to Rockford on Friday, ending their best-of-three series in a sweep so that option is no longer on the table, meaning there was no reason to delay things further.

The 23-year-old had 17 goals and 29 assists in 61 games with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL this season, a point total that was actually a bit lower than the last couple of years when he had 55 in 2022-23 and 56 in 2023-24.  He also logged more than 24 minutes a night while playing in all situations.  Head coach Rod Brind’Amour may not want to mess with a group that has gotten out to a two-to-one series lead on New Jersey just yet but now with Nikishin’s deal officially on the books, he has a very intriguing option to turn to at some point this postseason.

Alexander Nikishin’s Camp Unhappy With Delay In Registering Contract

at CDT | by 26 Comments

5:00 PM: Nikishin’s North American-based agent, Ryan Barnes, downplayed Demidov’s comments per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Per Friedman, Barnes shared that Nikishin’s camp continues to work on a deal with the Hurricanes – and chalked Demidov’s comments up to Nikishin’s Russian representation being eager to see him at the top flight. The additional comments may not totally alleviate the tension between Nikishin and a lineup role, but they will ease fans’ worries of a star prospect being traded.

11:30 AM: The relationship between the Hurricanes and star defense prospect Alexander Nikishin is off to a rocky start. While they announced they agreed to terms on an entry-level contract two weeks ago and Nikishin said he was “thrilled” to have the opportunity to join Carolina in the playoffs, general manager Eric Tulsky said Wednesday they’ve yet to register Nikishin’s contract with the league.

There was a fairly simple explanation for that – there’s no rush to insert Nikishin into a lineup that’s dominated through two games against the Devils, and leaving the contract unsigned makes Nikishin eligible to get some AHL postseason action in with their affiliate in Chicago. Nonetheless, the delay in signing has been frustrating to Nikishin and his representation.

“Carolina is behaving incomprehensibly, and not only for us, but for scouts and representatives of other NHL clubs,” agent Alexander Chernykh told Olesya Usova of RB Sport (translated from Russian). “Everyone is shocked and outraged. But, as I was told, this never surprises, because Carolina always behaves like this and with everyone. At the moment, we cannot comment on the situation, because the club’s actions defy common sense. If this continues, Alexander will either go back, or we will ask for a trade.”

That’s certainly a troubling statement regarding the 23-year-old Nikishin, who’s expected to be a key part of Carolina’s defense core next season with Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov slated to become unrestricted free agents. The 6’4″, 216-lb lefty was a third-round pick in 2020 and has been widely regarded as the top defenseman outside of the NHL over the past couple of years. He dominated his native Russia since his breakout 2022-23 campaign, recording 157 points in 193 games with a +70 rating over the last three years for SKA St. Petersburg.

Tulsky said that there wouldn’t be an issue in registering the contract if Nikishin’s services were needed in short order, but waiting to register the deal delays the payout of his $92.5K signing bonus and, obviously, impedes his ability to earn the $1.038MM performance bonus in his deal for winning playoff MVP honors, however unlikely that would have been.

Jonas Siegenthaler Likely Returning For Devils In Game 3

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler is expected to make an ahead-of-schedule return for the team in tonight’s Game 3 against the Hurricanes (via Peter Baugh of The Athletic).

Siegenthaler was a full participant in this morning’s skate in third-pairing duties alongside Simon Nemec, per the team’s Amanda Stein, but head coach Sheldon Keefe said he’ll have reduced minutes with his conditioning understandably not in playoff form. We noted just yesterday that Siegenthaler practiced for the first time since undergoing lower-body surgery in February.

“He’s feeling good and we’re optimistic that he’ll play,” Keefe said of Siegenthaler (from Mike Morreale of NHL.com). “We’ll give him the day and every opportunity to just feel as comfortable as possible but he’s had the appropriate appointments and his leg, the bone, is healed and that’s [not] a concern at all. The only thing he needed more time with was the conditioning side of it but we’re not able to provide him with that time given our circumstances here so we intend to play him today but it’ll be in a reduced role with reduced minutes and those sorts of things.”

In 55 games this season, the stay-at-home defenseman posted a 2-7–9 scoring line with a plus-nine rating, 92 blocks, and 75 hits while averaging 19:36 per game. Siegenthaler hasn’t played since Feb. 4 against the Penguins but didn’t miss a game all year before going under the knife.

Down 0-2 to the Hurricanes and without fellow rearguards Brenden Dillon and Luke Hughes for a second straight game, Keefe confirmed, the Devils are banking on a boost from the reliable defensive blue-liner, even if his even-strength deployment is limited and he’s mostly dropped in a penalty-killing role. He’ll also look to improve on his only previous playoff showing for New Jersey, when he posted three points and a minus-three rating in 11 games in the 2023 playoffs.

The Devils have been outscored 7-2 in their two playoff games thus far despite receiving expert goaltending from Jacob Markström, who has a .930 SV% and has saved 3.9 goals above expected, per MoneyPuck. New Jersey has been the league’s worst defensive team at 5-on-5 so far these playoffs, allowing 3.78 expected goals against per 60 minutes and 36.5 shots against per game in all situations.

They’re also avoiding a further injury scare with defenseman Brett Pesce. He was absent from this morning’s skate but will be in the lineup tonight, per Stein.

Photo courtesy of Luther Schlaifer-Imagn Images.

Alexander Nikishin Hasn't Signed Entry-Level Contract Yet

at CDT | by 17 Comments

  • Despite having his entry-level contract reported two weeks ago, Alexander Nikishin has yet to play a game in the Carolina Hurricanes organization. Much of that can be explained away due to his visa issues, however, Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal passed along a note from Carolina General Manager Eric Tulsky indicating Nikishin hasn’t signed his entry-level contract yet. Fortunately, Tulsky pointed out they’re merely working out the deal’s finer points, and the organization doesn’t feel rushed to add Nikishin to a lineup that has won the first two games of their Round One series against the New Jersey Devils.

    [SOURCE LINK]

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top