Hurricanes’ Patient Approach to Free Agency Is Smart

While the rest of the NHL has seen a plethora of moves over the last couple of weeks, the defending Stanley Cup champions are staying patient. The Carolina Hurricanes seem not to be in a hurry to make moves, and that is the smart play as they look to defend their crown. In seasons past, they would be aggressive players regarding trades and free agency, however, this is the first time in the Rod Brind’Amour era that they can let things play out and go from there.

Playing the Long Game

Heading into the start of free agency on Wednesday, July 1, the Hurricanes have 14 forwards signed, along with five defensemen and two goalies. The only players who aren’t signed are unrestricted free agent (UFA) Mike Reilly and restricted free agent (RFA) Alexander Nikishin.

The Hurricanes did see netminder Frederik Andersen move on in the offseason to the Edmonton Oilers for a one-year, $2.8 million deal. He was one of the main reasons the Hurricanes made the Stanley Cup Final, going 13-2 before Brandon Bussi came in to close the door. As of now, it’ll be the tandem of Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov to lead the way in 2026-27.

Regarding the forwards, even with Seth Jarvis out between October and December, the Hurricanes have 13 active forwards. The only thing the Hurricanes have to figure out is their defenseman situation. Currently, they are still figuring out what to do with Nikishin after it was reported that his camp is seeking a deal around $8 million per season.

The Hurricanes, back on Saturday, June 27, did acquire John Carlson from the Anaheim Ducks for RFA defenseman Kyle Maters and the 192nd pick of the 2026 NHL Draft. Eventually, the Hurricanes got Masters back in exchange for Noak Phelp.

There seemed to be a hope that the Hurricanes would have extra time to work out a deal for the 36-year-old defenseman, who the team knew well after his time with the Washington Capitals. In the end, however, Carlson signed a two-year, $8.5 million annual average value (AAV) deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. As of now, the Hurricanes are back to square one when it comes to defense.

When it comes to the sixth and seventh defenseman, the Hurricanes did re-sign Juuso Välimäki to a one-year, $900,000 deal on June 24. General manager Eric Tulsky said that Välimäki could be an option for the seventh defenseman spot on the roster after playing 271 NHL games. Another option could be Reilly, who played 42 games for the Hurricanes in 2025-26, tallying nine points. He also had two points in the playoffs. Tulsky stated when asked about Reilly, “was very, very good for us, and we’d be happy to have him back if we can get that done.”

It’ll be interesting to see how the blue line plays out, especially with the seventh defenseman, whether it be Välimäki, Reilly, someone else through free agency, or a trade. The focus is on trying to sign Nikishin to an extension after one full season in the NHL.

Regarding the forwards, there has been a swell of support for Bradly Nadeau getting a chance to show what he can do with a longer runway in the NHL. Jarvis will be out for 4 to 6 months following shoulder surgery, and it seems everyone is pointing to Nadeau to be the replacement for the time being. If he does show up in the preseason and training camp, it won’t be a surprise if he gets a longer look with the Hurricanes in 2026-27.

All in all, the Hurricanes are in a good spot still, even with teams making moves around. As of now, they have 98% of their Stanley Cup roster returning, minus Andersen. If they bring back Reilly and Nikishin, pretty much everyone will be back with the Hurricanes, possibly running it back. They are the defending Stanley Cup champions, they have reasons to stay patient. In all honesty, it’s the best thing to do right now, even with $11.105 million left in cap space and almost everyone coming back. However, don’t be surprised if they do make some moves, this is an organization that does not rest on its laurels.