Carolina Hurricanes: Full 2021 Free Agency Recap

The Carolina Hurricanes have made 17 signings since the 2021 NHL Free Agency period opened on July 28th. The team will look very different on Opening Night.

There were plenty of losses to names Caniacs have come to love over the years. Star defenseman Dougie Hamilton is headed to New Jersey, energy bunny Brock McGinn signed with Pittsburgh, and all three goalies exited – Alex Nedeljkovic was traded to Detroit, Petr Mrazek signed with Toronto, and James Reimer is making his second stint with the San Jose Sharks.

They have reloaded their goaltending and made heavy changes to their defense. Don Waddell and Co. have a plan in place. It will be a matter of time before we see if the moves pay off.

Let’s take a look at who is coming in and where they’ll fit in.

Still a Solid Defense

The Carolina Hurricanes got a lot of stick and “cheap” remarks about not re-signing Dougie Hamilton. Honestly, I think it was the right move considering the New Jersey Devils will now be paying him $9 million per year for the next seven seasons. They traded youngster Jake Bean to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a second-round pick in this past draft, which turned into Finnish defenseman Aleksi Heimosalmi. They also lost Jani Hakanpaa to free agency. How did they refill those holes in their defense?

The first move they made was trading for Edmonton defenseman Ethan Bear in exchange for Warren Foegele right before the free agency window opened. Bear, 24, has a ton of potential and has already made his mark in the NHL. A steady D-man, Bear has not flourished offensively, but that is an area he is looking to improve on, similar to Jaccob Slavin. And getting him for a player in Foegele who was already heading out the door makes the deal even sweeter. Getting Bear is a fantastic add to this D-core.

They then added proven defenseman Ian Cole on a friendly two-year deal with an AAV of $2.9 million. The two-time Stanley Cup champion is as reliable as they come and his physicality and toughness will be welcomed with open arms, particularly with the loss of Hakanpaa. He will be an instant plug-in to the top six and provides long-time postseason experience, as recently as last year with the Colorado Avalanche.

The Hurricanes also decided to bring in Tony DeAngelo on a one-year deal, much to the disgust of many Canes fans. It is evident that DeAngelo has talent. With the Rangers in 2019-20, DeAngelo put up 53 points from the back-end and has been an excellent quarterback for the powerplay, something this team needs with Hamilton leaving. However, his actions of the past make people shake their heads at the signing.

He was suspended in the OHL due to a racial slur towards a teammate. He had an altercation with Rangers goaltender Alexander Georgiev in practice that eventually led to New York terminating his contract. His actions on social media have made more people turn away. This is the most controversial signing of the summer. Let’s hope for DeAngelo’s and all of our sakes that the Hurricanes can get him in the right state and avoid more controversy.

Lastly, the Hurricanes made more depth signings, bringing in Brendan Smith, Jalen Chatfield, and Josh Jacobs. Of the three, Brendan Smith will likely have the biggest impact. Previously being able to play as both a winger and a defenseman, Smith will likely slot in as the “7th defenseman” and get a decent amount of games. The other two will be options for the Wolves.

Looking back at these acquisitions, there are some great ones in Cole and Bear, but the interesting signing of DeAngelo is a cause for concern. It would be awesome if he could perform on the ice and allow his play to do the talking. However, his past makes the signing call the culture they are trying to build into question. We will see how it all plays out.

Fresh Look In Net

The Carolina Hurricanes decided to clear out their goaltenders of this past season and go with a completely new look. Alex Nedeljkovic had an excellent end to the season, but he was shockingly shipped out. Petr Mrazek decided to sign in Toronto and steady veteran James Reimer is headed to the Sharks. Who do they lean on now?

Well, it starts with former Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen. The former Hurricanes seventh-round draft pick in 2010 is back in the organization, signing a two-year deal for $9 million after spending the five seasons in Toronto. Andersen posted a 2.96 GAA and a .895 save percentage last season. You have to wonder if the Toronto media played a part in his poor play last season, as he dealt with both injuries and criticism. Having a solid defense in front of him in Carolina will help him and I think he will have a bounce-back year.

The Hurricanes then dipped their toes back in the free agency market to snag former Arizona Coyotes goalie Antti Raanta on a two-year deal for $2 million per year. The 32-year old Finnish netminder has only played 57 games combined over the last three seasons due to a multitude of injuries. However, if he can stay healthy, he can be excellent. Over the same three years, his save percentage has stayed over .900. Even though Andersen is expected to be the No. 1 goaltender, Raanta will still get a large number of games and have a huge role.

Lastly, they acquired their third goaltender Alex Lyon on a two-year, two-way deal. Lyon has spent the last five seasons in the Philadelphia Flyers organization and has played 22 NHL games. He will likely be the #1 goalie with the Chicago Wolves and similarly to Nedeljkovic in the past, will join the Hurricanes if one of Andersen or Raanta gets injured.

It’s too early to tell if this will be an upgrade over the goaltending regimes of the past. Nedeljkovic captured the hearts of the Caniacs and Mrazek had his moments in the spotlight. The X-factor is the health of Antti Raanta. If he stays healthy, I think he and Andersen can form an excellent tandem.

Did They Get Better?

Overall, it is hard to rate how this offseason has gone for the Carolina Hurricanes. I believe they improved in net and added some good pieces on defense. However, they lost some star power in Hamilton and lost some heart in McGinn. They added a polarizing figure in DeAngelo that puts their culture into question. The additions of Bear and Cole make the defensive makeup stronger. They still need another goalscorer. Do they fill it by trade with a game-breaking player like Jack Eichel or Vladimir Tarasenko? Are they ready for Seth Jarvis or Ryan Suzuki to make the jump? It’s been an interesting couple of weeks leading up to another big season for the Hurricanes in their quest to raise their second Stanley Cup.

More from Cardiac Cane

• 2023 Southeast Rookie Showcase: Takeaways from the Canes’ Strong Showing in Florida
• Week Two Coverage Of College Hockey In NC
• Derek Stepan Ends His On Ice Career As A Hurricane
• The Southeast Rookie Showcase Will Be a Good Look at Carolina’s Future
• Noesen Ready To Provide Depth For Canes

Question for CC Readers: Do you think the Carolina Hurricanes have done a good job this offseason?