Business in the front office is starting to pick up a little more. The Hurricanes signed Pierre-Olivier Joseph on Tuesday, adding some depth to the blue line. On Wednesday, they did a little more work to fortify the AHL roster, re-signing three players from the Chicago Wolves' Western Conference championship-winning squad.
The team announced the signings of forwards Skyler Brind'Amour and Justin Robidas, and goalie Cayden Primeau. The forwards were given one-year, two-way contracts worth $850k in the NHL, while Primeau inked a two-year deal worth $912.5k, likely solidifying him as the third-string netminder for the team this season. It also isn't lost on me that all three have NHL bloodlines.
Robidas was second on the Wolves in goals (23), assists (37), and points (60) a year ago. He represented the Central Division at the 2026 AHL All-Star Game, along with Bradly Nadeau and Domenick Fensore. Robidas tied for the team lead in goals during the playoffs with seven while sitting third in points (16). He also has four NHL games under his belt, recording a goal and three points.
Brind'Amour continued to show steady improvement during his third professional season. He notched career highs in assists (18) and points (34) while tying his goal total (16) from 2024-25. His best effort was a two-goal, four-point effort against Rockford before Thanksgiving. Brind'Amour had two goals and four points in 21 postseason games.
Trading for Primeau last summer might've been the catalyst that sparked the Canes' run to the Stanley Cup. If not for needing to put him on waivers, the team might not have claimed Brandon Bussi. Primeau spent the start of the season with Toronto before Carolina re-claimed him. With the Wolves, Primeau won 21 games and posted a 2.41 GAA, finishing seventh in the AHL.
With no disrespect intended, Primeau's signing is the biggest deal of the bunch. Not only is it the only multi-year contract of the three, but goalie depth is still a position of weakness throughout the organization. Primeau provides stability in the AHL, but he also has the most NHL experience of anyone else in the system. In fact, only Pyotr Kochetkov has more NHL games than him.
Just like that, the Wolves' roster is taking shape. Robidas will likely be called upon to be a top-line center, while Brind'Amour can hold things down in the bottom six. Primeau slots back into the starting spot, Zachary Sawchenko moves into the backup role, and Ruslan Khazheyev, who'll be in this weekends' prospect showcase, can assume the starting job in Greensboro.
It's a good bit of business for the organization. I assume that all three will be at training camp for the Canes next week, with a move to Chicago coming as the roster dwindles down before Opening Night. Hopefully, we won't have a situation like last year when Primeau was claimed off waivers. The Wolves lost quite a bit this summer, but they're starting to resemble a strong championship contender.
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