Of the issues the Carolina Hurricanes needed to address this summer, scoring on the wings was one of the most glaring. The Canes have great players, like Andrei Svechnikov and Seth Jarvis, but they could still reach another level by adding an impact player, especially once the postseason begins.
Mitch Marner was at the top of the list for many teams in the league, and the Hurricanes were prepared to submit at exuberant offer. Ultimately, the Canes weren't on his list, and he was traded to Vegas with a big extension. Brad Marchand and Brock Boeser were also highly sought after, though they re-signed with Florida and Vancouver, respectively.
This left one big fish in the pond to be hooked. Winnipeg's Nikolaj Ehlers became the Belle of the ball for many teams, especially the Carolina Hurricanes. He was one of my targets from the jump. The decision carried into the end of the week, but Ehlers finally picked his spot, making his move to Raleigh official. Ehlers signed a six-year, $51 million deal ($8.5m AAV) on Thursday.
For the top free-agent winger, this is a big deal, and it's one of the richest we've seen given during this cycle. Ehlers becomes the second-highest paid player on the roster, behind only Sebastian Aho's $9.75 million. I thought the deal would be closer to $9-$9.5 million, based on supply and demand, so this feels like a solid deal all-around for both the player and the team.
With the Canes unable to sign Marner, and the market for wingers sorely lacking by Tuesday, the urgency to sign Ehlers ramped into overdrive. This was a move the Hurricanes needed to make. They needed to throw as many eggs into this basket as they could. Fortunately, it ended on the right side for them, adding another talented winger to the group.
After being largely healthy during the first five years of his career, Ehlers has faced several struggles remaining in the lineup over the last five. He's only played 70+ games once during that span, making it all the way through the 2023-24 season and the postseason. His 69 contests last season were the closest he's been to fully healthy.
Fortunately, when he's healthy, Ehlers is a difference maker. Despite missing 13 games, Ehlers finished the year with 24 goals and 63 points, coming in at nearly a point per game. He also had his best postseason once he got back into the action in Game 6 of the first round. Ehlers had seven points in eight games, tying for the team lead with five goals.
Honestly, it's a relief to finally have an answer. For three days, fans were holding their breaths until the word finally came through that Ehlers had made a decision. I think it's a poignant moment for the organization after the top free agent that made it to the market has picked the Hurricanes for the second time in three seasons. Maybe, Raleigh isn't such a bad place to play after all.