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What Your Team Is Thankful For: Carolina Hurricanes

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We’ve now gotten past Thanksgiving and the holiday season is right around the corner. Like the last few years, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for but this year comes with a bit of a change. Normally teams would have an idea of where their season was heading, coming up on the one-quarter mark with mountains of statistics to analyze. Instead, in this unprecedented year, the season hasn’t even begun. We’ll still take a look at what each group is excited about and what they could hope for once the calendar turns to 2021.

What are the Hurricanes most thankful for?

Stable(ish) ownership.

Yes, Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon does have something of an “out-clause” in his ownership agreement, but as Sara Civian explained in a mailbag for The Athletic last month, it’s not really something for fans to worry about. Dundon has been great for Carolina overall, even if his methods have sometimes garnered negative attention from national media. The team is sitting in a strong position on the ice and he has given the front office the ability to spend right to the cap, even in this financial climate. The Hurricanes got everyone signed and will be paying Sebastian Aho more than $10.5MM this season thanks to his huge, signing-bonus laden contract.

The test will really come next year, when the team will enter negotiations with budding superstar Andrei Svechnikov on his next deal. After a brutal 2020, ownership all over the league will be tightening purse strings to try and balance things out. Will the Hurricanes be able to lock him up to an expensive, long-term deal? So far they’ve shown no sign of slashing player payroll, with more than $80MM committed to this season.

Who are the Hurricanes most thankful for?

Jaccob Slavin.

At a time when those finances are so tight, one can only marvel at the contract that Slavin is under. He’ll enter just the third season of a seven-year deal signed in 2017 that carries a $5.3MM cap hit, already an incredible bargain for a top-pairing defender in his prime. But because there was a potential threat of a lockout this year, Slavin’s deal is actually structured to have its lowest salary in 2020-21. He’s owed just $3.9MM for this season, giving the team a little more flexibility in a depressed economic climate.

Of course, it’s easy to point to him and say “good and cheap,” but that may undercut just how valuable Slavin has been on the ice for Carolina. The 26-year-old scored 36 points in 68 games this season, all while continuing to be an incredible defensive player and logging more than 23 minutes a night for the Hurricanes. Those impressive numbers earned him a fifth-place finish in Norris Trophy voting, while the incredibly-low total of ten penalty minutes landed him fourth in the Lady Byng vote. Slavin is just entering the years in which defensemen are usually at their best, meaning he could have even more to give on the ice. Locked up for the next five years, he was recently listed as one of the most valuable assets in the league by Jonas Siegel of The Athletic.

What would the Hurricanes be even more thankful for?

A Dougie Hamilton extension.

Because Slavin is so effective at such a reasonable price and the Hurricanes have some money coming off the books after this season, a Hamilton extension is a realistic possibility. GM Don Waddell explained last month that he hoped to reach a deal before this season got underway, though it is not clear if that will actually happen. Even if it doesn’t happen immediately, a new deal for Hamilton would lock in what is one of the most impressive defensive corps in the league long-term. Slavin, Brady Skjei, Jake Gardiner, and Brett Pesce are already signed for at least three seasons, while Haydn Fleury is on a cheap two-year bridge deal and Jake Bean won’t have arbitration rights. Of that group only Gardiner has reached his 30th birthday.

The question is whether or not Hamilton even wants an extension and whether he’d be looking for a long-term deal. The 27-year-old was on track to challenge for the Norris this season before he was injured (he still finished seventh in voting) with 14 goals and 40 points in his first 47 games. An analytical darling for years, Hamilton looked like he took another step offensively and was ready to show he is one of the most effective defensemen in the entire league. The threat of a shortened or even canceled season will be frustrating for both him and the Hurricanes, who are set to part ways without an extension of some sort. Hamilton carries a $5.75MM cap hit for this year, but that number is sure to increase on his next contract.

What should be on the Hurricanes’ holiday wish list?

A long-term answer in net.

James Reimer and Petr Mrazek are not it, simply. They’re both NHL goaltenders and shown an ability to put up very good numbers at times—they combined for a .931 in eight postseason games—but neither one has been consistent enough to hang a long-term extension on. With the strong roster the Hurricanes have put together, a legitimate top goaltender could potentially put them over the edge. They showed interest in Frederik Andersen earlier this summer and could potentially circle back if he hits the open market in the offseason, but what they really need is a younger option that can grow with the core and really put his stamp on the crease.

Cam Ward was that once, leading the team to a Stanley Cup as a rookie in 2006 and locking down the position for the next decade. But even Ward had his struggles and only played in one other postseason run. In a perfect scenario someone like Alex Nedeljkovic, the 2019 AHL Goaltender of the Year would be able to take a step forward and force himself onto the roster, but the Hurricanes may potentially have to look externally for their next netminder.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Shore Brothers To Play Overseas

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For at least the next several weeks, Drew Shore will get to play with his brother. HK Dukla Trencin in Slovakia has signed both Drew and Nick Shore until the end of the calendar year.

Drew, 29, has been traveling the world the last few years, suiting up in several different countries after his NHL career petered out. He last played for the Vancouver Canucks in 2016-17, scoring just two points in 14 games. Though he was a second-round pick in 2009 by the Carolina Hurricanes, Drew ended up playing just 94 NHL games, a number dwarfed by his younger brother. He has a chance to catch up if he can somehow land himself a job with the Hurricanes, who signed him to a one-year two-way contract last month. He would likely return if training camp starts at some point in December.

Nick, 28, wasn’t drafted quite as high but ended up with a longer and more productive NHL career to this point. He played 63 games last season, split between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Winnipeg Jets, scoring six points. Nick is one regular season game shy of 300 for his career, though there is certainly no guarantee that he cracks that mark.

This offseason has been difficult for fringe NHL players like the Shore brothers, but Drew did land himself an NHL contract in the early part of free agency. Nick may have to settle for something similar, or perhaps take another year off from North America and search for a job overseas. In 2018-19, Nick played for Metallurg Magnitogorsk in the KHL, scoring 21 points in 43 games.

Goalie Notes: Delia, Warm, Smith

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There are still plenty of free agent option available, but to this point the Chicago Blackhawks seem content to enter next season with their current stable of untested goaltenders, truly committing to their rebuild by going with youth over experience in net. Who will emerge from the group of Malcolm Subban, Collin Delia, Kevin Lankinen, and Matt Tomkins? Given his relative experience, draft pedigree, and recent success at winning the backup job for the Blackhawks’ postseason run, most have their money on Subban. However, don’t underestimate Delia. In a profile by the Chicago Sun-Times’ Ben Pope, Delia states that he is confident in his ability to win the job:

I’d be remiss if I said I wasn’t frothing at the mouth. It’s an opportunity not many people get, and I don’t want to let that pass me by… When (Chicago) signed Robin [Lehner], I was kind of cutting my teeth because I thought I earned the position, but then, coming full circle, I was like, ‘You can’t try to earn a position as a backup goalie. You try to earn the starting position’… Without a doubt, I think I can earn that job. There’s no complacency when it comes to training camp. Every single day you step on the ice, you’re proving how much better you are than the other two guys. We all have to have that mindset.

Delia may have the stats on his side, too. While Subban has 48 more NHL appearances than Delia, in his extended experience he has failed to show that he can be a reliable option. Subban has an .899 save percentage and 2.97 GAA and has struggled the most as a starter, with just 23 quality starts out of 60. Granted, Delia has also struggled in the NHL with a 3.65 GAA, but a) in a much smaller sample size and b) with a a superior .906 save percentage and .438 quality start percentage. Delia also has the advantage of being used to a starter’s schedule; Subban has never made more than 36 appearances in a pro season and no more than 22 in each of the past three years, while Delia has made 32 appearances in back-to-back seasons and played in 40 games in 2017-18 as a first-year pro. With Delia, Subban, and Lankinen all having comparable AHL numbers in varying levels of experience, it could come down to NHL success and more natural fit as a No. 1 to determine the winner of the starter’s job and on both counts Delia appears to have the edge.

  • Another goalie headed to Chicago, but not to the Blackhawks but rather the AHL Wolves, is former WHL standout Beck Warm. The Wolves have announced a one-year deal with the first-year pro and there’s reason to believe that the Carolina Hurricanes’ new affiliate could have a diamond in the rough on their hands in Warm. The 21-year-old had an impressive 2018-19 season with the Tri-City Americans, making 61 appearances to the tune of a .916 save percentage and 2.94 GAA. When those numbers slipped to begin the 2019-20 campaign, a trade to the Edmonton Oil Kings resulted in Warm winning 11 of 15 games with a .915 save percentage and 2.30 GAA. If he can replicate his best numbers from junior to the pro level, Warm could find great success. With Carolina employing five goalies for the coming season, Warm could spend much of the year in the ECHL. However, the Hurricanes have zero goalies under contract beyond 2020-21 and could look at Warm as an entry-level contract candidate as they reboot their goalie group next year.
  • One veteran goalie not returning to North America is Jeremy Smith. The journeyman netminder, who made stops with the Predators, Blue Jackets, Bruins, Avalanche, Hurricanes, and Islanders, never had any problem finding a two-way contract. However, he finally moved on from the minors last year to take over the starting job for the Kunlun Red Star of the KHL. Although Smith ended up splitting time with Simon Hrubec, the tandem were among the most consistent in the league. The Red Star began their new season without Smith and the results have been disastrous; the team allowed well over three goals per game through their first 24 contests and the struggling Hrubec has been traded away. As a result, Kunlun has signed Smith to a one-year extension and they hope he can stabilize the net in his return.

Carolina Hurricanes Hope To Extend Dougie Hamilton

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This fall, the Carolina Hurricanes traded away Joel Edmundson before watching Trevor van Riemsdyk and Sami Vatanen head to unrestricted free agency. For most teams, losing three NHL defensemen over a few weeks would leave them scrambling for answers, but the Hurricanes still have one of the deepest groups in the league. Jaccob Slavin, Brady Skjei, Jake Gardiner, Brett Pesce, and Haydn Fleury are all under control for at least three more seasons, while names like Jake Bean continue to push for playing time in the minors.

Even that would be an impressive depth chart, but it doesn’t include perhaps the best defenseman in Carolina. Dougie Hamilton, who was a frontrunner for the Norris Trophy before he suffered an injury last season, is heading into the final year of his contract with the Hurricanes and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in the 2021 offseason.

That’s something the team hopes to remedy in the coming weeks, as Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell told Gulitti that the team hopes to sign Hamilton to an extension before the upcoming season begins, explaining that though they haven’t started talks yet, they plan to soon after Hamilton arrives back in Carolina later this week.

A contract extension for Hamilton would certainly be an expensive one, even if he does have a somewhat checkered NHL past. Originally selected ninth overall in 2011, Hamilton has already been traded twice in his career, first from the Boston Bruins to the Calgary Flames and then to Carolina in 2018. That movement has come despite him being one of the best offensive defensemen in the entire league, almost since day one.

Over the last six seasons, which includes his final year in Boston, Hamilton sits 16th among all NHL defensemen in scoring with 258 points in 446 games. That rank increases to fifth if you sort by goals, as the right-handed defenseman trails only Brent Burns, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Shea Weber and Roman Josi in that category. The fact that offensive production comes paired with elite possession numbers and an ability to play in all situations make Hamilton one of the most valuable defensemen in the league.

The question is, whether the Hurricanes can afford a substantial raise on his $5.75MM cap hit. That depth mentioned earlier could potentially make that difficult, given the team already has four defensemen making at least $4.025MM per season for the next three years. The team also needs to consider that Andrei Svechnikov will be demanding a huge raise when he becomes a restricted free agent after this season, plus neither of their goaltenders are signed through 2021-22.

On that defensive note, Waddell also confirmed that they haven’t actually closed the door on bringing back Vatanen, who still hasn’t actually signed anywhere this offseason. The veteran defenseman was traded to the Hurricanes at the deadline, didn’t get into a single regular season game before the season was shut down, but then played big minutes for the club in the postseason. Vatanen is one of a handful of capable defenders still gauging the market, but Carolina has told him they still think there is a “good fit” for him with the Hurricanes.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minor Transactions: 11/07/20

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There have only been four unrestricted free agent signings so far in the month of November, as the NHL market has been stagnant in light of the flat salary cap despite considerable talent still available. However, the impact of delayed season starts continues to result in a number of loans, both at the pro level in Europe and the junior levels in North America. Loans have also begun to displace other players, as a number of notable names are on the move. With some minor moves carrying over from Friday and more expected today, keep track of all of these transactions here:

  • 2020 Tampa Bay Lightning second-rounder Jack Finley will get his season started outside of the WHL, but close to home. The Kelowna, BC native has been loaned by his club, the Spokane Chiefs, to the BCHL’s West Kelowna Warriors, the league announced. Finley is one of a large number of western junior players who will get some time in down a level before the WHL opens up next month. A hulking, 6’5″ center, Finley will be a lot to handle for BCHL competition over the next few weeks.
  • Goalie Jan Bednar, a recent fourth-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings, was expected to open up this season with his North American debut with the QMJHL’s Acadie-Bathurst Titan. Instead, he has been loaned back to his pro club in the Czech Republic, HC Energie Karlovy Vary, for the time being, the team announced. While the Titan have not been one of the Quebec clubs who have lost games due to COVID-19, Bednar still has not joined the team yet this season. After spending the No. 2 overall pick in the 2020 CHL Import Draft on the netminder, Acadie-Bathurst hopes to have Bednar soon and Vary’s announcement implies that he will only play for the team until that point that he decides to finally head overseas.
  • Seeking more ice time in the SHL, Carolina Hurricanes’ 2020 second-round selection Noel Gunler has been loaned out for the remainder of the season. Lulea HF announced that Gunler has been loaned to Brynas IF after requesting a move. The team hoped to keep Gunler on the roster, but understood his desire for a greater opportunity. Considered by many to have fallen in the draft, making him a potential steal for the Hurricanes, Gunler is an exciting player to watch who may finally produce at a high level in Sweden now that he has a greater role.
  • Also on the move in Europe, although unknown where they will end up at this point, are former NHL defensemen Julian Melchiori and Raman Hrabarenka. The KHL’s Neftekhimik Nizhnekamsk has terminated the contracts of both players, the league announced. Hrabarenka had two points in nine games to open up the season, whereas Melchiori had not yet played. With rumors surrounding Neftekhimik and former non-qualified Washington Capitals free agent defenseman Colby Williams, it could be that these departures were made in anticipation of another addition by the team.

Hurricanes Sign Brandon Hickey To An AHL Deal

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  • The Hurricanes have added some AHL depth as their AHL affiliate in Chicago announced the signing of defenseman Brandon Hickey to a minor league deal. The 24-year-old spent the past two years in Buffalo’s system following his acquisition from Arizona but was non-tendered by the Sabres last month after playing in just 23 games last season.

Hurricanes Re-Sign Warren Foegele

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The Hurricanes have taken care of their last arbitration-bound restricted free agent, announcing the re-signing of winger Warren Foegele to a one-year contract, avoiding a hearing that was scheduled for Wednesday.  The deal is worth $2.15MM which will also represent his qualifying offer next offseason where he’ll once again be an RFA with arbitration rights.

The 24-year-old had career highs across the board last season, notching 13 goals and 17 assists in 68 regular season games while logging 13:43 per contest.  While he wasn’t the most productive in the playoffs, his lone point (a goal) was the series-clincher in the Qualifying Round against the Rangers.

This contract represents quite the raise from his entry-level deal which carried an AAV of just $800K but it also highlights how he went from a little-known energy player to someone that is a key part of their bottom six up front.  He’s likely to remain in that role for next season as Carolina has had very limited turnover among their forwards; Justin Williams retired earlier this offseason with Jesper Fast inking a three-year deal to take his place on the roster.

With the signing, the Hurricanes now have a little under $1MM in cap space, per CapFriendly so their spending for next season is likely done.  However, GM Don Waddell has a pair of key players in defenseman Dougie Hamilton and winger Andrei Svechnikov entering the final year of their respective deals so now with all of their NHL restricted free agents taken care of (Roland McKeown and Oliwer Kaski are also RFAs with Kaski already playing in the KHL), expect Carolina to shift their focus towards trying to get those two players locked up.

Minor Transactions: 10/28/20

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The AHL may have delayed the start of their season for several months, but that won’t stop teams from continuing to fill out their rosters, especially with the ECHL still hoping to begin in December. Meanwhile, hockey is in full swing in Europe and clubs continue to make moves, whether that be loan agreements with NHL teams, free agent signings, or trades. Keep up with all of these minor transactions from today:

  • The AHL’s Chicago Wolves, now an affiliate of the Hurricanes, have added a pair of veteran minor leaguers to their roster, both of whom played for Carolina’s previous affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers last season. The team has announced that defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald and forward Colin Markison have each signed a one-year contract. Fitzgerald, 24, was a member of the San Jose Sharks prior to joining Charlotte last season, but played exclusively in the AHL on his entry-level contract. A productive two-way defenseman, Fitzgerald is a quality addition to the Chicago blue line. Markison, 28, has four NCAA seasons with the University of Vermont and five AHL seasons with Bridgeport, Texas, and Charlotte on his resume. An undersized scorer, Markinson’s production has fluctuated over the years and may depend on his role and the system in Chicago.
  • The Boston Bruins had already loaned Joona Koppanen overseas to KOOVEE of the Finnish minor league Metsis, but he is now on the move to the top level. Liiga club Ilves has announced that Koppanen has now joined them on loan, a reunion with a player who grew up in the system and played for the main club in 2017-18. Koppanen, 22, is a big power forward who recorded 18 points in 43 games with the AHL’s Providence Bruins last season and already had a whopping 17 points in ten games with KOOVEE this year. Koppanen appears to be a prospect on the rise, but is buried behind a team NHL and AHL roster for the Bruins. Ilves’ stated that Koppanen’s loan is until “further notice”, which could mean the 6’5″ center might stay in Finland beyond NHL training camp.
  • While the deal has yet to be finalized, former NHLer Viktor Tikhonov is on the move in the KHL. The two sides are still working out the details, but Tikhonov has been traded from Ak Bars Kazan to Spartak Moscow, according to Sport.ru. Spartak had previously pursued Tikhonov as a free agent this summer, but he opted to re-sign with Ak Bars. Tikhonov was traded to Kazan last season from SKA St. Petersburgh, where he had played for seven of the past eight seasons. The one break was in 2015-16, which he split between the Arizona Coyotes and Chicago Blackhawks. Tikhonov is no longer an elite scorer in the KHL, but his experience and two-way acumen still make him a valuable asset.

Carolina Hurricanes Re-Sign Max McCormick

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The Carolina Hurricanes are welcoming back a valued depth forward. The team has announced a new one-year, two-way contract with veteran Max McCormick. The extension carries a $700K NHL salary and $125K AHL salary. McCormick will be an unrestricted free agent once again at the conclusion of the 2020-21 season.

McCormick, 28, initially arrived in Carolina as a free agent last summer. He did not see any NHL action this season for the first time since 2014-15, but still managed to prove his worth to the club. McCormick recorded 35 points in 56 points, placing him among the top five scoring forwards for the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. With fellow top scorers Janne Kuokkanen and Julien Gauthier now gone and the Hurricanes’ affiliate relocating to Chicago, McCormick’s return provides some consistency and leadership to a team undergoing major changes.

McCormick has the ability to contribute at the NHL level as well. As a member of the Ottawa Senators, he played in 71 games over four years and chipped in ten points and 136 hits as an impact fourth liner. McCormick plays a heavier game than his stature may indicate and can hold his own on a checking line. The Hurricanes have not used a typical checking line in recent years, but should they opt to insert some grit and energy into the bottom-six, McCormick is a great option.

Hurricanes Re-Sign Haydn Fleury

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Scratch another player off the arbitration list.  The Hurricanes announced that they have re-signed defenseman Haydn Fleury to a two-year deal with a $1.3MM AAV.  The two sides were scheduled for a hearing on November 8th.  GM Don Waddell released the following statement:

Haydn made a huge leap in his development last season and established himself as an everyday NHL defenseman. He was very dependable late in the regular season and in the playoffs, and we look forward to him continuing his development into an elite NHL defenseman.

The 24-year-old was up with Carolina all season, the first full NHL campaign of his career.  However, given the depth that the Hurricanes have, Fleury was limited to 45 regular season games in almost exclusively a number six role.  He had four goals and ten assists, numbers that were decent considering he averaged less than 14 minutes per game.  However, Fleury was tasked with a bit more ice time in the playoffs, logging over 16 minutes a night while chipping in with a pair of goals in eight games.

That was enough to earn Fleury a small raise in his second trip through restricted free agency after he made $850K this season.  Notably, this contract will give him a third and final RFA stint in 2022 as he’ll still be a year shy of being able to hit the open market and he will be arbitration-eligible once again.

Even though Carolina has lost Joel Edmundson (trade with Montreal), Trevor van Riemsdyk (free agency, Washington), and Sami Vatanen (unrestricted free agent), Fleury will still have some work cut out for him to earn a regular spot in the lineup.  As things stand, he’s likely to battle with offseason acquisition Joakim Ryan and prospect Jake Bean for the sixth spot on their depth chart.  Even with the raise, it’s a reasonable price tag for a player that still has some upside but may still have to spend some time in the press box.

Waddell still has some work to do in the short term though as Warren Foegele is still in need of a contract with an arbitration hearing scheduled for November 4th.  Following this signing, Carolina has about $3MM in cap space to work with and a good chunk of that will be going to the winger.

Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic was the first to report the deal.

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