-Gabriel Dorris-

Rating Meanings:

A: A smart signing with very low risk, an AAV below market value, no real flaws, and a significant benefit to the team

B: A solid signing where the potential reward outweighs the potential risk and the AAV and term are anywhere from fair to good.

C: An ok signing that either comes with an even amount of risk and reward at a value roughly equivalent to what the player would find in the open market

D: A poor signing that is either incredibly risky compared to its potential benefit, or that lacks much benefit at all. This signing pays a player more than they’re worth.

F: A terrible signing that comes with large consequences to the team and it’s future that the slightly positive to highly negative value in the present doesn’t even come close to making up for. A contract that pays a player an absurd amount compared to what they would get on the open market.

Ungradable: An often-two-way signing to a player with no or limited NHL experience and unknown potential.

Jordan Staal Extended for 4 years at a 2.9m AAV:

The Hurricanes signed their captain of 4 years to an extension that will give him the choice of playing another 4 in Raleigh. Compared to his previous contract, which was paying him $6m a year, this one is a lot cheaper. Jordan Staal is one of the best defensive forwards on the team, if not the best, and has also still been good for about 15 goals and 35 points over the last few years. While I wouldn’t call 3 million for Staal a steal, I still think it is a fair contract for a player of his caliber, and this isn’t even accounting for his skills as a captain. Also, since Staal is still 34, this contract isn’t affected by the NHL’s rules regarding players 35 and older, and Staal can retire at any point during this contract, instantly negating his cap hit for the team.

Grade: B

Jesper Fast Extended for 2 years at a 2.4m AAV:

Jesper Fast isn’t the flashiest player, or the most skilled player. Last season, he put up 29 points in 80 regular season games. He isn’t an elite shooter. He doesn’t make passes that force you to wind back and make sure what just happened actually did happen. However, what Jesper Fast does have is clutch and heart. He’s a solid defensive player, and an excellent penalty killer. He can throw heavy hits, and grind his way into tip-in goals and excellent net-front chances. He also plays best when it matters most. After putting up just 10 goals over 80 regular season games last year, he ended up tied for the team lead in playoff goals with 6 in 15 games; and if you look at his playoff performances as a Cane, then it becomes evident that 2.4 million is easily worth it, even if most of that value comes in the 4-28 games at the end of the year.

Grade: B+

Antti Raanta Extended for One Year at a $1.5m AAV:

If I had to use one word to describe Raanta, it would be reliable. He isn’t a superstar by any means, and his peak isn’t as high as that of his partners, Pyotr Kochetkov and Freddie Andersen. However, outside of his rookie season, Raanta has never had a save percentage below .905 over a season, and his consistency is what makes him the perfect backup. Raanta does have injury problems, like Andersen, which is part of why both goalies were brought back alongside the young Kochetkov. But even if Raanta is injured, or has his first ever real down year (he is 34 now!), a 1.5m cap hit isn’t a big deal, and the contract is only for one year. This is a smart, safe signing.

Grade: A-

Dmitry Orlov Signed to a 2 Year, $7.75m AAV Contract:

After setting a career high in points in a season that he started on the Capitals and ended on the Boston Bruins, and then putting up 8 points in Boston’s surprising first round exit, Orlov was seen by most as the top defenseman on the free agent market. Several teams were rumored to be in on the player, such as the Flames, Capitals, and Sabres, but the Canes were not listed as one of those teams. So it came as a surprise when he ended up signing with them anyways. Orlov, a two way defenseman and one of the best puck-movers in the league, is a good player, one who would likely be on many team’s top pairings, but I do not see him as an 8 million dollar guy. His career high in points is still only 36, and while he is solid defensively, he is not a rock. Still, this signing is only for 2 years, and it is perfectly lined up for the expiration of Carolina’s top prospect defenseman Alexander Nikishin’s KHL contract. It is an expensive signing, but one that makes sense.

Grade: C+

Frederik Andersen Extended for 2 Years at a $3.5m AAV.

After an off regular season last year, where Freddie put up just a .903 save percentage and was injured on multiple occasions, the goalie more than made up for it in the playoffs, where he put up a .927 and was a huge reason the Canes got past the Islanders and Devils. When Andersen is on, he is ON. In the 2021-22 season, his first with the Canes, he put up a .922 over 52 games and finished 4th in Vezina voting. This playoffs, he had the 5th best save percentage and the 2nd best among those who played 500 minutes or more, only behind cup winner Adin Hill. When he’s not injured, Freddie can be a top 5 goalie in the NHL. However, that’s a big if, and it seems safe to say that whether the Canes win or lose the cup next year, Freddie will be a big part of why.

Grade: B+

Michael Bunting Signed to a 3 Year, $4.5m AAV Contract:

Michael Bunting, aged 27, will be entering only his third full season of NHL action next year. This means that the player may not have reached his full potential. But even if he has, it’s difficult to say what that is. Bunting put up 63 points in the 2021-22 season, finishing third in Calder voting. Last season, he had a bit of a backslide, putting up only 49 points and struggling to keep his penalties under control. If the Canes get 2021-22 Bunting, this is a good signing. If we get last year’s Bunting or something worse, it will be a bit of a bother for the next 3 years but not a huge issue. If Bunting manages to improve, and becomes a 70-80 point guy, then it will be a great contract for a few years. Like any signing, this one is a risk, but I think it will end up being decently fair for both sides.

Grade: B-

Griffin Mendel Signed to a 1 Year, $775k AAV Entry Level Contract:

Griffin Mendel’s first year in the AHL was last season, and he was solid, playing decent defense and scoring 9 goals and 19 points over 72 games. The Canes front office clearly saw something in him good enough to make him worth signing, even without an AHL affiliate. With the Canes already having a logjam at defense, it’s unlikely Mendel gets any NHL playing time this year, and he will probably end up getting loaned to a different team’s AHL affiliate, where the Canes will evaluate if he’s worthy of a try on the third pairing in the 2024-25 season. This is a no risk signing.

Grade: Ungradable

Dylan Coghlan Extended for 1 year at a $850k AAV:

Dylan Coghlan had a disappointing season last year, where he only played in 17 games for Carolina after losing the battle for a third pairing spot to Jalen Chatfield and Calvin De Haan. This extension came as a surprise to many, and although it was originally seen as a move to keep him as a 7th defensemen, this narrative was thrown out the window with the signings of Tony DeAngelo and Caleb Jones pushing Coghlan to 9th on the depth chart. Because of this, the signing seems almost pointless to me? If the front office trades one of Brett Pesce or Brady Skjei, then this signing has a little more sense to it, but right now it just seems like a waste of cap for a player who barring incredibly terrible injury luck won’t even get close to the ice this year.

Grade: C-/D+

Brendan Lemieux Signed to a One Year, $800k AAV Contract:

Brendan Lemieux is a sandpaper forward who has never in his career reached 20 points or 10 goals. He takes penalties and he fights. This is fine for his price, especially considering that Lemieux will more likely than not find himself as the team’s thirteenth forward. Overall a low risk signing that could add a bit more punch to a team that needs it.

Grade: B-

Tony DeAngelo Signed to a One Year, $1.7m AAV Contract:

After departing for the Flyers in a trade last offseason, making his return to Carolina is Tony DeAngelo. Originally, it was rumored that DeAngelo was going to be traded back to the Hurricanes at 50% retained for prospect Massimo Rizzo and a 5th rounder, but the NHL stepped into this deal, citing a rule that a player cannot be traded back to their old team with salary retained within a year of their departure. This ended up helping the Canes, as after this period expired, the Flyers agreed to buy out DeAngelo, and he signed a contract that saved the Canes some cap compared to the original plan of 50% retention in a trade. The Canes still ended up gifting the Flyers with Rizzo and the 5th for this move. DeAngelo will likely find himself as the Cane’s 7th defenseman if neither Pesce or Skjei are traded, but if one of them is, then he will be solid playing offense next to a more defensive player like Chatfield and quarterbacking the second powerplay unit. Overall, this is a strong signing as long as Rod Brind’ amour can keep DeAngelo’s behavior in check once again.

Grade: B+

Sebastian Aho Extended for 8 Years at a $9.8m AAV:

Sebastian Aho is the face of the Carolina Hurricanes, and getting him locked in for his entire prime at an AAV that is more than reasonable is huge. Aho can play in both zones. Aho can score 35 goals and 80 points. Aho can carry a power play unit. Aho can kill penalties like a beast. Aho can play against fast, skilled competition and grindy, defensive competition. Aho can win faceoffs and dish passes and create breakaways and draw penalties and forecheck. Sebastian Aho can do everything. He is the type of 1C that wins a team a cup, and he is locked in to help the Canes win a cup or multiple cups for his entire prime. This contract will look good when it kicks in, it will look great when the Caps gone up and Aho is still right in his prime at 29 or 30, and it will still look good when it expires. This is a great signing for a present star and dare I say future captain.

Grade: A

Caleb Jones Signed to a One Year, $775k AAV Contract:

Caleb Jones is a solid, two way defenseman. He had his problems staying consistent in Chicago, but was still an overall very decent player on the team’s second pairing. The question with this signing is why? Caleb Jones is stuck with DeAngelo and Coghlan in the battle to be 7th D, and unless Skjei and/or Pesce get traded, he doesn’t seem to serve much of a purpose being here. If one of those players is traded, then this will be a solid, cheap 7th D signing. If not, it likely isn’t going to end up being a very useful contract, but it’s not like it will really hurt the team at all either.

Grade: B

Overall Average Grade: B