Stick or Twist: Carolina Hurricanes RFA edition
In the upcoming off-season, Carolina has a lot of their younger players coming up for contract renewal as restricted free agents or RFA’s. For those that do not know, a restricted free agent is someone under the age of 27 that has also not played 8 seasons in the National Hockey League. If they are unsigned past the opening of free agency, Carolina will still hold their rights but they are eligible to be offer-sheeted.
It is very rare that we see a player offer-sheeted. In fact, the last two players to receive one are now both on the Hurricanes roster, so it’s an uncommon occurrence to happen in this day and age. Mainly due to an unwritten rule of moral decency between the general managers, offer sheets are used sparingly. No one wants to be forced into a position where they lose a good player for less than they are worth.
With that said, Carolina has four of their roster from this season coming up this summer as restricted free agents. Each one has a different skill set and plays a different role. Some had fantastic years, others struggled during the 2021-22 campaign, and while some might already be looking out the door, Carolina still controls what happens with their futures moving forward.
I’m only going to be talking about the RFA’s on the Hurricanes roster for now. This is because if I was going to dive into the Chicago Wolves roster at this point, we could be there a while with a lot of the good prospects that the Hurricanes have in the Windy City are still coming along and are going to be extended on two-way deals in all likelihood.
Anyway, that is enough talking about nothing for now. Let us start with the first of these restricted free agents.
Martin Necas
It was a rather down year for the Czech centerman turned winger and Martin Necas has said that himself. We know that he’s going to have to improve majorly on the ice if the Hurricanes can justify keeping the 2017 12th overall pick around. It’s an open secret that everyone wants him to do well. No one wants to see him succeed more than the Caniacs and his teammates, but the 2021-22 season was a major step back for Necas.
In 78 games, Necas collected 14 goals and 26 assists for 40 points. That’s not the kind of production you expect from Martin Necas, but we know that the organization and the player both know how good he can be. When Necas is playing well, there are very few players in the league that can keep up with the elite skating level of the Czechia forward. But that is just about the only positive in his game this year.
Defensively, Necas had been getting better until he suffered major regressions this year. Everyone is hoping it is just a blip for the 23-year-old, but with how suddenly it came on, you have to wonder if this is something he can be brought out of. In his exit interview, Necas mentioned his want to move back to his natural position of Center and that might help him a lot. However, is there room for him to play center right now?
A lot of fans are calling for the Nove Mesto na Morave native to move on and find a new home in the NHL. While I can understand why this is, I do think it is worth giving Necas a shot down the middle to see if he can restore some of the faith that was placed in him when he was drafted. I’d personally like to see Necas back, but I’d imagine it is a bridge deal. 3 years at around $3.5 million annually would be my projection.
Steven Lorentz
While everyone loves talking about the high-impact players, there are still players that the Canes would like to keep to fill this roster out. Steven Lorentz is someone I’m sure everyone wants to keep. One of the most infectious smiles in the sport is coming off his entry-level deal this year. While Lorentz won’t make or break this summer. Despite his big size, Lorentz hasn’t had the scoring touch we all wish he had.
This doesn’t mean Lorentz hasn’t been a very handy player to have on the roster. In 67 games, Lorentz had five goals and thirteen points. Not exactly someone that set the league on fire in his first two years in the big leagues, but that’s not what he’s on the team for. Lorentz is 6’4, 210 lbs and he knows how to use his body. You can teach offensive positioning, you can’t teach a guy to be the size of a fridge.
Knowing how to use his size for the good of the team, Lorentz is always willing to do whatever the team needs him to do. We’ve started to see him jump into fights when his teammates are down and he shows a lot of guts. He’s the kind of player that’s needed to go deep into the playoffs, but he’s not the kind of player that can win a series for you yet. If he develops that scoring touch, bonus, but right now, he’s a grinder.
He shouldn’t be someone who breaks the bank, but he’s going to be an important part of the lineup moving forward. Cheap depth is something you can never have enough of and it’s why Lorentz has been so nice to have in the lineup. We’ve seen multiple times that the Kitchener, Ontario native is a team-first guy. He seems to light up the locker room, and if he signs in Carolina again, he’s going to be a well-liked member of the team next year too.
Ethan Bear
Underwhelming players have been few and far between this season, but one of the players that would certainly be put in that conversation is Ethan Bear. Despite a strong start to the season, Bear never seemed to recover from his time on the COVID-19 roster and that seemed to come to light in his exit interview. While that is not his fault, it certainly brings a lot into question.
Bear has been given permission by the Hurricanes to discuss his future with other teams. Now, Carolina has always tried to allow its players what is best for them. We know this so it isn’t a shock. However, the Canes wish to bring Bear back and he is pricing himself out of Raleigh at this moment. Carolina can afford to look elsewhere, but having Bear back would be nice for simplicities sake.
Bear’s qualifying offer is $2.5 million as he comes off a 2-year, $2 million per year deal. While this might not be the best ballpark for Bear, it’s his rough asking price. If he wants to play elsewhere, the Canes are going to look at moving him. He could net something along the lines of a third-round draft selection ahead of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, which is where the Canes’ front office seems to have the most trust in itself.
What is interesting about Bear in this scenario is that despite reports that Carolina was going to move Bear, they want to bring him back. We know that there were a lot of issues given Bear suffering from long-term Covid and “something” that he had removed from his foot. Seemingly, the Cree defenseman would like a fresh start, and I’d imagine it is something Carolina tries to entertain.
Tony DeAngelo
Yes, the most polarizing player on the roster is a pending RFA. Already listen in most trade bait boards, Tony DeAngelo is the one most people are going to be watching because his one-year deal with the Canes has expired. What happens with the Sewell, New Jersey native is going to be interesting because of the position he is in. There’s not a situation like DeAngelo in the league.
DeAngelo has already been ostracized from three organizations in the NHL and a lot of other teams will have reservations about the man who was kicked out of the New York Rangers team last season. However, Raleigh seems to have created an environment that DeAngelo has been able to find success in as he managed to tally 10 goals and 41 assists for 51 points in 64 games.
It has been reported that Carolina could look to move the RFA defenseman on due to his contract demands. Not knowing anything about what they could be, this is not the moment to start speculating. When there’s no news coming from DeAngelo, that is a good thing given his previous track record. If he is moved, replacing him would be very difficult. DeAngelo sighted being a loyal guy in his exit interview.
If the Canes don’t bring him back, it is going to be very difficult to replace his production at that cost. I know that this is not something that will be a major worry for the team right now, but it is going to be a daunting task to replace him if he’s moved. You won’t get a player as good as DeAngelo is on the blueline for him so you’re looking at free agency and I just don’t see it.
What do you think? Am I completely insane with anyone here? Let me know. Let me know what you think will happen with each of these pending restricted free agents and tell me what you think will happen moving forward.
Next. Exploring a Jesper Bratt trade. dark