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Carolina Hurricanes: Full 2021 Free Agency Recap

By Harrison Clark

May 12, 2021; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN;Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen (32) stretches prior to the start of the second period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports
May 12, 2021; Ottawa, Ontario, CAN;Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen (32) stretches prior to the start of the second period against the Ottawa Senators at the Canadian Tire Centre. Mandatory Credit: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports /
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Adding Some Depth Up Front

Upfront, the Carolina Hurricanes did not make any major changes. The loss of Brock McGinn will hurt because of the endless amount of energy and heart he brought. However, the only moves they’ve made to the forward group have been depth signings.

Derek Stepan was signed to a one-year deal at $1.35 million. Stepan played 20 games last season with the Ottawa Senators, totaling six points. He is not the same player he was back with the Rangers in the early stages of his career, but could add good leadership and is a decent addition to a hardworking fourth line of Jordan Martinook and Steven Lorentz.

Speaking of Martinook, the Canes smartly brought him back after it was announced McGinn would be joining the Penguins. He re-signed at $5.4 million for three years. An essential part of the leadership core of the team, Martinook was a signing that needed to happen in my eyes. While his point totals went down last season, his work ethic and locker room presence have made him a fan favorite for Caniacs. The “Marty Party” lives on.

The Hurricanes also added depth forward Josh Leivo. He will battle for minutes on the fourth line and is looking to bounce back after a nine-point season with Calgary, hopping in and out of the lineup. The Hurricanes are hoping to unlock some of the potential everyone saw when he was in Toronto.

The Canes then reloaded their system with more depth forwards. They signed Stefan Noesen, C.J. Smith, Sam Miletic, Maxim Letunov, and 2019 Calder Cup MVP with the Charlotte Checkers Andrew Poturalski. All of these guys will play minutes for a loaded Chicago Wolves squad and could get minutes with the varsity team if someone were to go down with an injury.

Overall, I think they did a decent job building back up their bottom-six core. However, the Canes still need to find another goalscorer and someone who could fill in as a top-six winger. Not many options remain on the free agency market, so the trade market might be the way to go. Vladimir Tarasenko anybody? We shall see if anything comes.

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