At this point, any small move from the Carolina Hurricanes is newsworthy. On Thursday, both the Hurricanes and the Chicago Wolves got some business done, though both moves will benefit the AHL squad. It's not the most exciting news in the world, but it's something fun to talk about in late July. Let's take a quick dive into a "busy" day for the organization.
Seeley, Hurricanes avoid arbitration with a one-year extension
After being the only Hurricane to seek arbitration before the deadline passed, Ronan Seeley's date was fast approaching. Just over a week before the player and the team were set to talk it out in front of a neutral party, a contract was agreed upon to avoid such proceedings. It gave both sides what they wanted at the end of the day.
Seeley and the Hurricanes agreed to a one-year, two-way deal on Thursday. He's set to make the league minimum in the NHL ($850k), or $100k if he's in the AHL with Chicago, where he'll likely be for most of the season. Seeley is still several seasons away from being an unrestricted free agent, with next year being another season where he'll be an arbitration-eligible RFA.
In 69 games last season with the Wolves, Seeley had 11 goals and 23 points before making his NHL debut at the end of the season. He had just two points in 21 AHL playoff games. He's one of three left-handed defensemen under contract for the Wolves, along with Juuso Valimaki and Noel Fransen. I imagine that he could get a few more looks in the NHL this season.
The Wolves add a new forward on an AHL-exclusive deal
There was also a very quiet addition to the forward group on Thursday for the Wolves, giving them a player with decent AHL experience. Chicago signed Chase Wheatcroft after the Dallas Stars didn't extend a qualifying offer to him. The terms of the contract are unclear at the moment, but we've seen several deals like this around the league go for one year.
After being passed up in the NHL Draft, Wheatcroft inked a three-year entry-level deal in 2023 after scoring 107 points in 68 games for Prince George of the WHL. His numbers were by no means dominant during his first two AHL seasons, scoring 16 points in 46 games in his first year and 27 points in 67 games in 2024-25.
Wheatcroft dealt with a wrist injury heading into the 2025-26 season, finally making his season debut after Thanksgiving. His campaign lasted just eight games before another hand/wrist injury wiped him out. He didn't record a point before the Stars let him walk at the start of the offseason. The 24-year-old center joins a group that has been hit hard this summer, so he'll get a good chance in Chicago.
Add us as a preferred source on Google