The Carolina Hurricanes are heading into free agency with plenty already in place and a little room to get creative. They have $11.105 million in cap space, their entire forward group is signed through next season, and they also have five defensemen and two goalies under contract. That leaves limited openings for a team that could run it back in 2026-27, but there are still a few names worth watching if the Hurricanes want to tweak the roster.
The most natural fit is Alexander Nikishin, the Hurricanes’ own Stanley Cup champion and pending restricted free agent. The 24-year-old defenseman put up 33 points in the 2025-26 regular season, won a title in his rookie year and landed on the NHL All-Rookie team. John Buccigross said on Frankly Hockey on June 26 that Nikishin and his camp could be looking for a big number: “sounds like $8-ish (million).”
That kind of price tag feels steep for a player with just one NHL season behind him. It would also put him ahead of K’Andre Miller ($7.5 million annual average value - AAV) and Jaccob Slavin ($6.396 million AAV), which is hard to justify at this stage. Teams can still hand out eight-year deals until Sept. 15 before the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) starts, but Nikishin doesn’t quite fit that lane yet.
A shorter bridge deal makes more sense, something in the two- to three-year range at $5 million to $6 million. AFP Analytics projects Nikishin at a $3.715 million AAV on a two-year deal and a $6.44 million AAV on a six-year contract. That would account for 3.57% of the cap in the shorter case or 6.19% in the longer one.
General manager Eric Tulsky made it clear Nikishin remains part of the conversation. When asked about the defenseman’s future, Tulsky said, “he was a big piece of our team this past year, and may be a big piece going forward.
Naturally, the one (player) who is not under contract is the one who stirs up a bunch of speculation. But, our goal is to keep taking steps anyway we can.”
Even after acquiring John Carlson’s rights from the Anaheim Ducks, the Hurricanes still see Nikishin as a major piece of the puzzle in 2026-27. The real question is how they structure the deal, and whether the AAV lands in a range that makes sense for a player with one NHL season to his name.
Mason Marchment is another name that fits the profile of a useful addition. The left-winger/center split the 2025-26 season between the Seattle Kraken and the Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Hurricanes were interested in him before the 2022-23 season, when he signed a four-year deal with the Dallas Stars carrying a $4.5 million AAV.
Marchment produced four goals and 13 points in 29 games with Seattle, then added 15 goals and 32 points in 39 games for Columbus. That gave him 45 points in 68 games overall, and he finished with a .82 point-per-game pace with the Blue Jackets. AFP Analytics projects him for a three-year deal with a $5.67 million AAV, which would use 5.45% of the cap.
He could give Carolina more scoring depth in the top nine and another option on a power play that finished fourth in 2025-26. He also brings some size and edge, which only adds to the appeal for a team that scored the second most goals in the NHL this season and the most in franchise history.
The most aggressive swing would be Jason Robertson. The pending restricted free agent has already drawn plenty of attention, and he declined a sign-and-trade to the Kraken for an eight-year, $15 million AAV contract, along with a couple of other trades. Dallas still wants to keep him, but other teams have checked in.
If Carolina wanted to get involved, an offer sheet would be one route. Under the compensation rules, the two highest offers sit between $9,551,332 and $11,939,166 and would cost two first-round picks, one second and one third. Anything at $11,939,166 or more would require four first-rounders.
The Hurricanes have enough cap space to fit the lower of those ranges, but not the higher one. They also have three first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, plus two seconds and three third-round picks over the next two years.
If they wanted to get bold, they could try to pry Robertson away and see whether the Stars would match. If they didn’t want to go the offer-sheet route, a sign-and-trade could still be in play.
AFP Analytics projects Robertson at an eight-year, $11.941 million deal, which would equal 11.48% of the cap.
That path would take more maneuvering, but it would also change the conversation fast. Robertson’s 45 goals and 96 points, a 1.17 points-per-game pace, would bring exactly the kind of star power that would quiet the talk about Carolina lacking superstars.
However it plays out, the Hurricanes enter free agency in strong shape. They have 95% of their Stanley Cup roster signed through 2026-27, plus $11.105 million in cap space. They already have plenty of talent, and now the focus shifts to protecting the crown they just won.
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