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Five unqualified restricted free agents the Canes should sign

By Conor Power

MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 07: General manager Don Waddell of the Carolina Hurricanes prior to Round One of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 07, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JULY 07: General manager Don Waddell of the Carolina Hurricanes prior to Round One of the 2022 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Bell Centre on July 07, 2022 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 18: Sonny Milano #12 of the Anaheim Ducks looks on during the first period of a game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Honda Center on November 18, 2021, in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 18: Sonny Milano #12 of the Anaheim Ducks looks on during the first period of a game against the Carolina Hurricanes at Honda Center on November 18, 2021, in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

Sonny Milano

When we talk about players coming off a flashy year, Sonny Milano has to be the cream of that crop. Known for his scoring of “the Dishigan” or the lacrosse move pass that happened out in Anaheim. A player that has always been touted as someone with great skill, Milano has kind of bounced around this league as a young player, and Carolina becoming a permanent home may help him.

At 26, Milano isn’t likely to wake up at the start of next season and become a point-per-game player and challenge for major awards. However, he could be a very solid under-the-radar pick-up to replace some of the players the Hurricanes are losing from their roster. With talent in all three zones and being exceptionally solid defensively, he seems like a fit for the Hurricanes system.

Milano can do much more than just keep the puck out of the net too. In 66 games this year, Milano had 14 goals and 22 assists. Half-a-point a-game players are not common and if he can take that next step and get to a 40-45 point pace consistently, he could be a good player to support the core of this team. Beware, many other organizations have had this thought process with Milano and there’s a reason he is still a free agent.

By no means is Sonny Milano a player the Canes should go out and spend the big money on. If you can get him around the $2 million mark for a year or two, it’s worth it. If you can get him on a flier, there are not a lot of reasons to avoid it. Carolina currently sits with $20 million available and will need to flush out the roster anyway. A solid player who fits the Canes system and wasn’t qualified would be very on-par for this front office.

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