Nystrom has earned every penny of his new deal after stepping up for the Hurricanes

On one hand, the Carolina Hurricanes were dealt a very tough hand when half of their defensive group was hit with injuries at almost the exact same time. It put the team in an unenviable spot, especially during their early road trip. On the other hand, opportunities arose for players to make their mark. On Friday, one opportunity paid off, both figuratively and literally.

The Hurricanes announced that defenseman Joel Nystrom had signed a four-year extension carrying a $1.225 million cap hit beginning next season. He was set to be a restricted free agent this summer before inking this new contract. He's spent less than two months in the NHL, jumping into action and never looking back.

Nystrom made his NHL debut in Colorado on October 23rd. He'd initially been called up to be the healthy extra but was thrust into the lineup after K'Andre Miller was injured before the game. Since then, Nystrom has only missed one game, playing 23 of the team's 24 contests since debuting against the Avalanche.

He earned his first point on November 8th, in his eighth game. He carried the puck around the net and found Jesperi Kotkaniemi for a goal in the second period. Nystrom has since added three more assists, including a two-assist effort against the Bruins in mid-November. Arguably his best play of the season came just Tuesday, knocking down a pass and helping to create the go-ahead goal.

As the defense has gotten healthier, Nystrom's minutes have gone down, though he's averaging just over 16 minutes per night. Still, for him to earn a new deal this soon into his NHL career shows that he's doing things the right way with the limited time he's given. Take Tuesday for example. He only played 11:38 against the Blue Jackets, yet he made one of the game's most consequential plays.

In less than two months, Nystrom has gone from a seventh-round pick to a potential fixture on the Canes' blueline for years to come. The Canes now have Nystrom and Sean Walker locked up through 2030, while Jalen Chatfield is set to hit the market in 2028. While it's way too early to determine the long-term future of the team, having Nystrom in it at this price could be huge.