It’s a crowded stretch for the Carolina Hurricanes, and the calendar is moving fast. The draft just wrapped, and Carolina turned four picks into seven before sending its final selection for the rights to John Carlson. Nothing has happened on that front yet, but the team is already looking at plenty of other possibilities.
The Canes are exploring trade options across the roster, with Dylan Larkin, Zach Werenski, and Connor Hellebuyck among the names being shopped, along with others. And given how these things usually go, it would not be shocking if Carolina landed on a move that comes from nowhere.
With free agency opening at noon on Wednesday, there is more coming soon. Prospect Development Camp is also underway this week, which makes this a busy time on multiple fronts.
On the draft side, Carolina’s first pick was defenseman William Hakansson, a player with size and skating ability. After that came Wiggo Sorensen, who was unable to attend camp this week.
He still has a lot of development ahead of him, but the Canes were impressed. Sorensen is a centerman who has been described as an agitator.
Zachary Lansard was described as tenacious, while “Mikey” Berchild is a smaller forward who fits the heart-and-soul mold. Could he eventually be Martinook’s replacement someday?
Carolina finished the draft by selecting two goalies, Ryder Fetterolf and Zachary Jovanovski. Fetterolf was named goaltender of the year in the OHL and put up a .923 save percentage in 41 games. Jovanovski was a workhorse for Guelph, making 52 starts.
Several players were given qualifying offers today, while others were not, including Skyler Brind’Amour. Even if they were not offered today, they can still be signed.
Carolina also has a detailed offseason player tracker available.
In Other News...
Hurricanes Get Final Word On Frederik Andersen Before Free Agency
Frederik Andersens place in Carolinas postseason run remains one of the bigger subplots of the summer, because his work in goal helped carry the Hurricanes deep into the playoffs and into the Stanley Cup Final. Even with that strong run fresh in everyones mind, the ending was abrupt, as Andersen left during Game 3 and did not return, leaving the team to sort through what comes next in net.
The Hurricanes already have Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov signed for next season, which makes the position look settled from the outside. Andersen is now at the center of a familiar offseason question for Carolina: whether his playoff stretch was enough to create a final push to keep him, or whether the club turns the page and lets another team make the next move. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Just Made Another Pre-Free Agency Move Fans Will Question
The Hurricanes added another layer to their pre-free agency maneuvering by swapping pending unrestricted free agents with Anaheim, acquiring defenseman Kyle Masters while sending forward Noah Philp the other way. It is the kind of transaction that usually signals either a rights play or a last look before the market opens, and in this case Carolina is betting on a player who was not given a qualifying offer by the Ducks.
Philps path makes the move even more unusual. He already has a two-year contract with Swedish SHL club HV71, yet his NHL rights still changed hands, while Masters remains a player the Hurricanes will need to sign before free agency if they want him in the organization at all. It is a small transaction on paper, but for a team that tends to work every angle, it also leaves one more question hanging over how aggressive Carolina wants to be when the real bidding starts. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Face An Uncomfortable Alexander Nikishin Decision
Carolinas blue line is suddenly part of a bigger summer chess match, with Alexander Nikishin drawing real attention from the New York Rangers and the Hurricanes now facing a choice they usually try to avoid: moving a high-upside defenseman before he settles into the roster picture. Nikishin is reportedly open to a move, which only raises the pressure on Carolina to decide whether the return has to be immediate help rather than future assets.
The Rangers have already made multiple pitches, but the Hurricanes have made it clear they want more than draft compensation in any deal. That matters because it turns this from a simple asset flip into a roster-caliber decision, and it leaves Carolina weighing whether to cash in now or hold firm on a player it still values enough to ask for a tangible piece back. [Read more 🡒]