With the NHL salary cap rising from $88 million to $95.5 million on July 1, many teams will be looking to bolster their roster with high-end unrestricted free agent (UFA) talent this summer. The Carolina Hurricanes will have $28.415 million in cap space with some high-priced contracts coming off the books. They are expected to go after high-end talent when free agency opens, including one of the biggest names on the market, who could be the superstar they have been missing, Toronto Maple Leaf Mitch Marner.
Bringing Mitch Marner to Tobacco Road
James Mirtle of The Athletic thinks the Hurricanes would be a great fit for Marner (from “Mitch Marner NHL free agency sweepstakes: Ranking all 32 potential landing spots,” The Athletic, June 2, 2025). He mentioned that “no contending team will have a bigger need for a star offensive player and as much cap space as the Hurricanes…”
Even though Marner refused to waive his no-trade at the trade deadline (because he was about to become a father), that “hasn’t dampened the Hurricanes’ interest” in pursuing the Markham, ON native. Despite the criticism that he disappears in the playoffs, he does have 13 goals and 63 points in 70 games. While that might not live up to expectations for a player making over $10 million per season, Marner can elevate any team, given the right environment.
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The Hurricanes would be happy to sign Marner, who is very close to a point-per-game player in the playoffs for his career. He finished with 13 points in 13 games for the Maple Leafs in the 2025 NHL Playoffs. But while he had moments that brought fans out of their seats, he also made some head-scratching decisions – but every player makes mistakes in the postseason. The Hurricanes have been looking for that game-breaking superstar, and Marner could be that for them, especially with the cap space to sign him.
AFP Analytics has projected Marner to earn a seven-year, $90.667 million deal this offseason, with an average value (AAV) of $12.952 million per season or 13.56% of a team’s cap space. The Hurricanes haven’t given any player a deal over $10+ million in AAV, but Marner could be worth it. There are obvious concerns about his playoff history and whether he only thrives in the regular season. However, it’s rare for a player of his caliber to hit the market, so the Hurricanes have to at least find out his asking price. Marner had the first 100-plus point season of his career in 2024-25 (102 – fifth in the NHL), and the Hurricanes haven’t had a scorer like that since Eric Staal (100) in 2005-06.
Marner has scored 85 or more points in a season since 2021-22. His lowest was 85 during the 2023-24 season when he only played 69 games. Otherwise, he’s scored over 90 points, including 102 this season. Since 2018-19, Marner has been well over a point-per-game player. Plus, his 63 points in 70 playoff games aren’t bad, either.
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Marner could easily slot in beside Sebastian Aho for a lethal first line with either Andrei Svechnikov or Seth Jarvis. Moving either Svechnikov or Jarvis to the second line would make the Hurricanes’ top six one of the best in the NHL, depending on who else might be of interest to them this offseason.
Busy Offseason Ahead for Hurricanes
The Hurricanes have a ton of options this summer. With tons of draft capital and $28.4 million in cap space to play with, they are expected to make some aggressive moves this summer to improve the roster. With the right additions, they could take a major step toward becoming Stanley Cup favorites. But the player who can lead the charge is Mitch Marner. This could be the most interesting summer to date for the team from Raleigh, North Carolina.
