The Carolina Hurricanes will have a busy off-season because several important players require contract extensions. One UFA in particular may be the focus of several teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Before the March trade deadline, the Carolina Hurricanes made two of the biggest acquisitions: they acquired Evgeny Kuznetsov from the Washington Capitals and Jake Guentzel from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Before their matchup with the Penguins on March 26, they had won eight of their previous ten games since that time.
Don Waddell, general manager of the Hurricanes, is now concentrating on his team’s Stanley Cup run. But this summer, he has to make some significant choices about his roster.
Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, Teuvo Teravainen, Guentzel, and the other nine players are expected to be unrestricted free agents. In the interim, Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis
Brady Skjei, Brett Pesce, Teuvo Teravainen, Guentzel, and the other nine players are expected to be unrestricted free agents. Seth Jarvis, Jack Drury, and Martin Necas will all become RFAs in the interim.
With 13 players on the active roster under contract, the Hurricanes are expected to have $30.8 million in salary-cap space for 2024–25, according to PuckPedia. Even so, Waddell can’t afford to have everyone resign.
Waddell said at his press conference following the trade deadline that there had been no contract negotiations with the Guentzel team. He would rather wait until the off-season to do that.
Guentzel’s re-signing will come with a price. If the two-time 40-goal scorer tests the open market on July 1, Luke Fox of Sportsnet predicts a strong demand. He said the $8.7 million average yearly value of Columbus Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine would be a good comparison. His subsequent yearly cap hit, though, might reach $10 million.
With regard to Teravainen, Skjei, and Pesce, Fox also expressed a “wait and see vibe.” Pesce could pique curiosity the most out of the three. Since last summer, there have been a lot of trade rumors involving the 29-year-old right-shot defenseman. Fox thinks the Toronto Maple Leafs will be among the teams bidding to sign him if he prices himself out of Carolina.
Jarvis’s and Necas’ RFA
The 22-year-old Jarvis is nearing the end of his entry-level deal, which allows Waddell the option to sign him to a reasonably priced, brief “bridge contract.” But after finishing a two-year contract worth $3 million a year, the 25-year-old Necas has the leverage to pursue a lucrative long-term deal this summer. He also has arbitration rights.
Necas have periodically surfaced in the previous season’s rumors. If Waddell finds it difficult to negotiate his contract, he could be traded.
