The Carolina Hurricanes made a clear statement late last night, locking up captain Jordan Staal on a one-year, $10MM extension that could end up being the final contract of his NHL career.
The money sounds enormous at first glance, but the deal is structured well below that headline number. Staal will collect a $900K base salary, a $4MM signing bonus, and $5.1MM in performance bonuses. The performance bonus conditions have not been revealed.
For Carolina, keeping Staal was an easy call. He’ll be 39 when the extension expires, and the season ahead will be his 22nd in the NHL. Sixteen of those years have come in Carolina, where he has long been a steady presence and, now, the club’s captain.
Staal’s latest chapter with the Hurricanes came with championship hardware. Last spring, he led Carolina to the Stanley Cup, picking up the second title of his career, and he was also named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner after taking over in the Stanley Cup Final.
His first three playoff rounds were quiet by his standards - through the Eastern Conference Final, he had two goals and five points, along with a +4 rating, 64 hits, and a 52.1% mark on faceoffs. Then the Final arrived, and Staal flipped the script.
Against the Vegas Golden Knights, he scored six goals and seven points in six games, finished with a +2 rating, delivered 22 hits, and won 68.0% of his draws. That run made him the oldest player ever to win the Conn Smythe, topping Tim Thomas by 216 days.
Even before that postseason surge, Staal had been delivering the kind of reliable production Carolina has leaned on for years. Since the 2021-22 season, he has averaged 15 goals and 34 points in 78 games, while posting a +5 rating.
He has also averaged 163 hits per season, won 56.2% of his faceoffs, and logged nearly 16 minutes of ice time per night. In a physical role, he’s still been remarkably durable, missing only 21 regular-season games over the last five years.
The underlying numbers match the eye test. Rod Brind’Amour’s system helps plenty of Hurricanes, but Staal has remained a strong possession player for most of his career. He routinely posts on-ice SV% numbers in the high 80s to low 90s at even strength, even though most of his shifts start in the defensive zone.
Carolina still has roster business to handle on the blue line through the 2026-27 season, but up front the picture is cleaner now that Staal is signed. Jordan Martinook is the lone pending free agent among the forwards. If the Hurricanes stay healthy, they should be in the mix to chase another Stanley Cup next spring.
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Jordan Staal's Next Hurricanes Deal Says A Lot About Carolina's Timing
Jordan Staal isnt going anywhere soon, and the Hurricanes made sure of it before the calendar turned to the next phase of contract rules. The veteran center has signed a one-year extension for the 2026-27 season, giving Carolina continued stability in the middle of its lineup and another season of a player whose role has long gone beyond points and power-play minutes.
The timing matters as much as the term. Carolina got the deal done before the new collective bargaining agreement deadline altered how signing bonuses can be structured, and the extension reflects the clubs knack for staying ahead of the curve on roster planning. For a team that leans on continuity and experience, keeping Staal in place says plenty about where the Hurricanes see themselves headed. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Staal Just Gave Hurricanes Fans Another Reason To Believe
Jordan Staal is sticking around for another season beyond the one already on the books, giving Carolina another dose of continuity from the player who has long been the face of the room. The captain remains one of the organizations most important voices, and the new deal keeps a veteran center tied to a team that has leaned on his steadiness through a championship era.
The move also says plenty about how the Hurricanes value what Staal brings beyond the box score. He was a major part of their 2026 Stanley Cup run, and this extension ensures the club can keep building around that kind of experience while the rest of the roster continues to evolve. For a team with big ambitions, retaining a captain like this is the sort of business that tends to matter well beyond one season. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Suddenly Face A Blue-Line Problem At The Worst Time
The Hurricanes arrived at camp with one of their most intriguing blue-line questions still hanging in the air, as restricted free agent Alexander Nikishin will not take part while his contract situation remains unsettled. Carolina has spent the offseason trying to navigate what comes next for a defenseman who was supposed to be part of its future, and the uncertainty has only added another layer of pressure to a roster built to contend now.
Nikishins absence leaves the Hurricanes in an awkward spot because the situation has been building for a while, with the team exploring trade options even as it prepared for the possibility of losing him. Carolina has already moved to shore up its depth on defense with Mike Reilly and Pierre-Olivier Joseph, which tells you how seriously the club is treating the possibility that this might not get resolved in time for a clean opening to camp. [Read more 🡒]