The Carolina Hurricanes signed Givani Smith, originally on a professional tryout (PTO), to a one-year, two-way contract. After a surprisingly productive training camp, where he stood out from the first preseason game, why did it make sense for the Hurricanes to keep Smith around for the season?
From a Professional Tryout to a Signed Man
The deal that the Hurricanes signed Smith to on Friday, Oct. 3, is a two-way contract, which will pay him $775,000 in the NHL or $140,000 in the American Hockey League (AHL). Smith’s contract also comes with a guarantee of at least $250,000 for the 2025-26 season. When asked about the signing of Smith, Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky stated, “Givani came to camp as a PTO and proved that he deserved a role in the organization. His size and physicality make him a good fit to add depth to our forward group.”
One of the things the Hurricanes have a shortage of is the snarl and the “don’t mess with my guys” approach to the game. That is something Smith has, and it was evident right from the start of the preseason games that he had that mentality. While he did have two goals and three points in four games, he leads the Hurricanes in penalty minutes (28). He had two fights in the first two games during the preseason and received a 10-minute misconduct in another.
Related: Givani Smith’s Promising Camp Bodes Well for Hurricanes’ Depth
Smith was a 46th overall pick by the Detroit Red Wings in the 2016 NHL Draft, who has spent time with the Florida Panthers, San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche, and the Red Wings. He spent the 2024-25 season split between the Sharks (six games) and the Avalanche (seven). However, most of his playing came in the AHL with the Colorado Eagles and Lehigh Valley Phantoms (16 games). Over his 168-game NHL career, Smith has totaled nine goals and 22 points, while racking up 268 penalty minutes.
While Smith won’t be getting much time with the Hurricanes, he will be a solid addition for head coach Cam Abbott and the Chicago Wolves. In the 16 AHL games last season, Smith had one goal and two points split between the Phantoms and Eagles (goal coming with the Phantoms). His game is more of a “hit anything that moves” approach, focusing on winning board battles and being solid defensively. While his scoring touch isn’t off the charts, he will get one from time to time. Also, Smith is a solid passer of the puck and will often find teammates to get an assist. Having him with the Wolves will give more flexibility for Abbott, and if the Hurricanes ever need him, he could be a solid option for a call-up at some point during the season.
Related: Carolina Hurricanes Assign 13 More Players to the Chicago Wolves
Only time will tell if, and when, the Hurricanes need Smith on the main roster, but he has clearly deserved that chance to sign a contract for the upcoming season and be a force within the organization. It’s not often a PTO player signs a deal with the team that gave him the opportunity, but Smith took advantage of that and worked his way into a contract. He managed to accomplish the task in four preseason games, while also working hard in practices to convince head coach Rod Brind’Amour, the staff, and the front office to keep him around longer.
The Hurricanes will play their final preseason game on Saturday, Oct. 4, against the Nashville Predators on the road at 4 p.m. Eastern. The team will look to close out the preseason slate of games on a high note as they get ready for their home and season opener on Thursday, Oct. 9, against the New Jersey Devils. After a slow and arduous journey through the offseason, training camp, and preseason games, we’re almost at the start of another season of NHL games that will matter. Just five more days for Hurricanes fans to wait for the 2025-26 season to finally and officially begin.
