The absence of Jaccob Slavin, who hasn’t played in over two months, opened up a spot for 23-year-old defenseman Joel Nyström to earn an NHL opportunity with the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s played well to this point, and the team rewarded him with a four-year contract on Dec. 12. He’ll make $1.225 million annually, so he can be more or less buried safely in the American Hockey League (AHL) without a cap penalty.
SWEDE CAROLINA 🇸🇪
— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) December 12, 2025
The #Canes have signed defenseman Joel Nystrom to a four-year contract extension.
Details » https://t.co/HjMU9f1Nlg pic.twitter.com/5SXYRO55ra
Nyström was a seventh-round pick by the Hurricanes in 2021, but he’s worked his way up to being a regular in the team’s lineup. Slavin is back to practicing, meaning the youngster’s time as an everyday player could be limited, but this season has unquestionably been a positive step in the right direction.
In 23 games, Nyström has four assists, a plus-2 rating, 30 shots on goal, and is averaging 16:02 of ice time a night. There’s a good chance he has, at minimum, a future as a seventh defenseman, slotting in on the bottom pair when injuries pile up. The Hurricanes are making a no-risk bet here to secure some stability on their back end.
