Jackson Blake enters the 2026-27 season with a new contract, bigger expectations and a track record that says he can handle both.
The Carolina Hurricanes locked him up with an eight-year extension last summer after just one rookie season, a move that said plenty about how quickly he had earned the team’s trust. Blake was the lone rookie on the Opening Night roster, but his first year gave Carolina enough to commit long term with one season still left on his entry-level deal.
What followed in his second season was even more impressive. Any talk of a sophomore slump never got much traction. Blake instead delivered one of the strongest second-year performances in franchise history, staying in the mix on the scoresheet from the start and finding another gear once the calendar turned.
He opened fast, collecting points in eight of the team’s first 10 games. Like most players over the course of a season, there were stretches where the points dried up, but Blake kept building. By the Olympic break, he was sitting at 16 goals and 33 points, nearly matching his rookie totals.
After the pause, the production climbed again. Blake hit 20 goals in a mid-March win over Pittsburgh and finished with 22 goals and 53 points in 81 games, good for fifth on the team in scoring. He closed the regular season strong, piling up 20 points over his final 24 games.
The playoffs brought his biggest moments. Blake was especially dangerous in the second round against the Flyers, where he led Carolina with seven points. Game 4 was his signature night in that series: he was involved in all three Hurricanes goals and then scored the overtime winner to send Carolina to the Eastern Conference Finals.
He didn’t slow down after that. Blake finished the postseason with a team-high 20 points, which placed him third in the league in scoring.
In Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, he assisted on the opening goal and added the insurance goal in the second period. Along the way, he set a franchise playoff record with seven multi-point games, matching the number of times he was held without a point.
Now the contract that begins this season brings a new layer of expectation. Blake’s eight-year extension pays a little over $5.1 million, and if last season is any indication, that number could look like a bargain before long.
He should also have chances to keep growing. Seth Jarvis will be out to start the season, which opens up the Hurricanes’ wing spots and could lead to some early lineup shuffling next to Sebastian Aho. Blake spent some time with Aho during his rookie year and had positive results, so that combination could be revisited.
There’s also a strong case for keeping Blake right where he finished last season. His chemistry with Taylor Hall and Logan Stankoven took off in the second half and carried into the playoffs. The fit worked at even strength and on the power play, and Carolina should start the year with that trio together.
If that line stays intact and Blake keeps building on what he just did, 30 goals doesn’t feel far-fetched at all.
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