Carolina Hurricanes: Time to Holla for an Erik Haula Extension?

The Hurricanes Cap Situation

Assuming none of those guys return, the Canes would have upwards of 13 million in cap space, and that’s without accounting for the NHL cap raising league-wide. Aside from TVR and Edmundson, Haula is the only NHL UFA the Hurricanes need to take care of. Their RFAs next summer are Haydn Fleury, Lucas Wallmark and Warren Foegele, neither of whom should command a hefty payday.

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So with all that in mind, the Hurricanes clearly have the way to sign Haula – but do they have the will? With so many team-friendly contracts via their top stars, it makes the signing of a guy like Haula manageable, even with Dougie Hamilton in line for a huge raise in 2021 if he’s to remain with the team.

So now we get to the jist of it all. What’s a fair contract for Erik Haula? It’s not an exact science to project, but based on the comparables around the league, as well as his obvious fit with the Hurricanes, I think a 5-year contract at a 5.5 million AAV would make a lot of sense for both sides moving forward.

The Hurricanes would have their 2/3C of the future, who’s done a ton of good for the team and fits flawlessly in coach Rod’s system. For Haula, he would get some long-term security even with his injury history, as well as a much deserved raise (double) on his current 2.75 million dollar salary.

But I’ll leave it up to you guys, which leads me to my question for CC readers: Should the Hurricanes re-sign Erik Haula, and what’s a fair extension for him?