It's been a jam-packed offseason already for the Carolina Hurricanes
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Jaccob Slavin, No. 74, and Seth Jarvis, No. 24, get set for a face-off against the New York Rangers during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Photo: Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images
It's a season of change for the Carolina Hurricanes, who are reshuffling their leadership and roster after six consecutive seasons reaching the NHL playoffs without a title.
Why it matters: It might not be quite a rebuilding year for the Canes, but the moves made this summer could determine whether the team continues its dominant run in the Eastern Conference.
The big picture: Due to financial constraints — and the lure of new opportunities — the Hurricanes' roster was destined to see significant change this offseason, with the team forced to prioritize some players over others.
Catch up quick: The first major dominoes to fall for the Canes weren't players at all.
- First, Rod Brind'Amour, credited with building a lot of the team's culture, signed a multi-year deal to remain the team's coach.
- But just days later, longtime General Manager Don Waddell surprised many by taking an offer to run hockey operations for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Waddell had two roles with the Canes, head of the hockey operations as well as business operations, and the team decided it would replace him with two hires.
- In his place, the Canes elevated Assistant General Manager Eric Tulsky, — who holds a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley and is considered a data wizard — as GM.
- On Monday, the team said it hired Doug Warf, of Raleigh-based MDO Holdings, as head of business operations and to oversee its redevelopment of PNC Arena.
Who they signed: On the player side, the Canes have made several signings. Here are several notable ones:
- Defenseman Jaccob Slavin, who was entering the last year of his deal, re-upped with an 8-year, $52 million contract.
- Defenseman Jalen Chatfield was re-signed to a three-year, $9 million deal.
- Forward Jordan Martinook signed a three-year, $9.2 million deal to return.
- Defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere was re-signed to a 3-year, $9.6 million contract.
- Colorado Avalanches defenseman Sean Walker signed a 5-year, $18 million contract with the Canes.
- Las Vegas Golden Knights forward William Carrier agreed to a 6-year, $12 million contract.
Who is leaving: Several well-known names, however, will be leaving Raleigh, including:
- Forward Jake Guentzel, who was traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning.
- Defenseman Brett Pesce, who signed a 6-year, $33 million deal with the New Jersey Devils.
- Defenseman Brady Skjei, who inked a 7-year, $49 million contract with the Nashville Predators.
- Forward Teuvo Teravainen, who will get a 3-year, $5.4 million deal from the Chicago Blackhawks.
- Forward Stefan Noesen, who signed a 3-year, $8.2 million deal with New Jersey.
What's next: Several key players are still in limbo.
- The Canes have submitted qualifying offers for Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas and Jack Drury. Necas and Drury will enter salary arbitration talks with the Canes — though Necas has been the subject of trade rumors.
- Defenseman Tony DeAngelo remains a free agent has not yet signed a deal anywhere.