The Ideal Offseason from My Perspective as a Canes Fan

The 2021 season was one of the most successful regular seasons in franchise history. They posted a .714 points percentage, won a regular season division title, and qualified for the postseason for the third consecutive season, a first for the franchise since relocation. The postseason didn't go as well as they wanted, beating Nashville in six games in Round 1 before losing to Tampa Bay in five games in Round 2. This offseason rivals the summer of 2017, the summer we were finally introduced to Vegas. This team is no doubt in a better place than they were for that expansion draft four years ago. To give you some perspective of how different this team is, only three of the players the Canes protected in that draft played on the team this season (Jordan Staal, Brock McGinn, Teuvo Teravainen) and the goalie they protected was Scott Darling. There are going to be a lot of different variables to this offseason. I'm going to give a rundown of where the team is now, do my best to predict who they'll protect and lose in the expansion draft, talk about the free agents class for this team and who they could bring in, and what this team could look like next season. Obviously, I have no clue what I'm talking about, so everything I say means absolutely nothing. This is just what I'd like to see or what I'd do in a perfect world.

The Current State of the Organization

The Canes are in a perfect situation as an organization. They are one of few teams that are good enough to win now and still have an extremely deep prospect pool. The team has hit on at least one, sometimes two, players in a given draft between 2012-2018 to contribute to the current team, then used their 12 picks in 2019, the Justin Faulk trade, and taking on Patrick Marleau's contract for Toronto's first pick to help bolster the team's organizational depth. They have considerable forward depth, led by Ryan Suzuki, Seth Jarvis, and Dominik Bokk among many others, solid defensive options, like Anttoni Honka and Alexander Nikishin, and goalie prospects I'm extremely excited about, especially Pyotr Kochetkov and Jack LaFontaine. The 2019 and 2020 draft classes look amazing on paper. Not many of these prospects are ready just yet, but that's not a huge problem since this team is already very young. Aho is 23, Svechnikov is 20, Necas is 21, Ned and Turbo are 25, Pesce is 26, and Slavin is 27. Not to mention the guys like Geekie, Lorentz, and Keane who are all fringe players in their early 20s. This team has the ingredients to be strong for a long time, especially with the core under contract for a while.  

Biggest Questions Heading into the Offseason

1. The Coaching Staff- When will we see extensions finished for Rod Brind'Amour's staff?

Rod Brind'Amour is the Jack Adams winner of 2021 as the league's best head coach. He's back for three more seasons and for good reason. His resume to this point has already been amazing. He's first in team history in regular season points percentage (.631), fifth in regular season wins (120) and points (260), and second in postseason games (34) and wins (17). His three-year extension for $1.8m per season was earned for sure. But what of the rest of the staff? Brind'Amour has been very firm in his wish for his assistant coaches and the supporting staff around the team to receive extensions. In his speech after winning the award, he made it clear that while he is the one who is recognized, this is something he wouldn't have won without the staff behind him. While Brind'Amour will for sure be back, I'd like to hope the team respects his wishes and brings the entire staff back too.

2. The Team's UFAs- Who's coming back and who's gone?

This is a doozy of a UFA class for the Canes and features arguably their most high-profile UFA in team history (though I don't have nearly enough research to support that claim). Dougie Hamilton headlines a team free agent class that also includes Brock McGinn, Jordan Martinook, Cedric Paquette, Jani Hakanpaa, Petr Mrazek, and James Reimer. These were all important names this season and most have been huge for a few years now. While I won't divulge into everyone I think will be staying and leaving now, I do think the Canes are going to have a very interesting offseason when it comes to signing players.

3. Svechnikov, Nedeljkovic, & Bean- What are their RFA contacts going to look like?

The team's RFAs offer just as much intrigue as the UFAs do. Arguably two of their most important players, Andrei Svechnikov and Calder trophy finalist Alex Nedeljkovic, are set to become RFAs for the first time. The beauty of RFAs is that the team still holds a majority of the control over whether you're on the team next season or not, but that doesn't mean things will work out perfectly. They're going to make considerably more money next season given their roles on the team moving forward, but the Canes have a good amount of cap space to play with. I've included Jake Bean in this question as well because he's also set to be an RFA, but he is much for in play for the Seattle Kraken than the other two are. Bean's season felt like a roller coaster ride at times, especially during the postseason where I think his play dipped a little. His postseason run isn't the reason why I'm worried about his standing, but it's more about what the team might see as his role moving forward. The defense has been a strongsuit of this team for a few seasons now and there has always been considerable depth. The Canes have an important decision over who to protect as the third defenseman (since I think they'll opt for the 7F/3D/1G method of protection). Bean is in the mix, which is why his contract is going to be important.

4. Goaltending- How do you address the backup situation?

I will go ahead and spoil that I think this is Alex Nedeljkovic's team to protect as the starting goalie, so now the question is who will play behind him, or at the very least be in a 1A/1B tandem with him moving forward? With Mrazek and Reimer set to become UFAs as I mentioned, the team is left with a hole in net. Goaltending is not necessarily a new problem for the team, but the conversation usually centers around it not being that good despite it overachieving for three seasons in a row. This goalie free agent class is on the weaker side. It's headlined by the likes of Tuukka Rask and Frederik Anderson and has some decent backup potential. The team could opt to bring back either of their UFA goalies to solve this problem. 

5. Offense- Should you overreact and spend big after the offense dried up against Tampa Bay?

The Canes' offense during the regular season was really good, finishing tenth in the league in goals scored (179). They added 22 goals in their first round series with Nashville, scoring at least three goals in all six games of the series. However, the well ran dry once the Tampa series rolled around and the offense only scored nine times in five games and no player scored more than one goal in the series for the Canes. Some of this can be blamed on the outstanding play of Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, but it has caused some concern that the team needs to acquire a Top 6 forward, at the very least a Top 9, that can step right in and score for the team. I think the team should look to acquire or sign a player, but I don't think we should overpay for one, which is what tends to happen in free agency. I also don't think this decision should be a knee-jerk reaction to how the Tampa series played out. These may seem like obvious points, but I felt they got lost in translation in the immediate aftermath of the Game 5 loss to Tampa Bay. I think we have the money to sign someone if we want. I just want us to be cautious when doing so.

On the Trade Block

Last season there were a bunch of players I felt should've been on the trading block. Because I'm a genius and know everything, none of those players were traded. So, I'm going to try this again. I honestly don't think there are as many names this time around that are likely to be traded, but I think the Expansion Draft could play a role in whether or not a trade will be made. The number of players potentially on the block is smaller than last season, in my opinion. This is partly because of the draft, but also because I think this team has enough money to play with that they won't need to 

Jake Gardiner (30, LD, RS- 26 GP, 0-8-8, PS- 1 GP 0-0-0, 2x$4.05m remaining)

I had Gardiner on my trade block list last fall based more on how he played last season and how I wasn't sure whether it was the right fit. I labeled him as one of the most scrutinized players on the team, overlooking how often Dougie Hamilton is at times, but also felt he was likely to stay in Carolina because of the time left on his contract and his cap hit. He only played 26 games in the regular season, with his only eight points being assists, and just once in the postseason. Many wanted him to sub in for Jake Bean at different points in the postseason, myself included. Now that another year has come off his contract and he didn't crack the lineup in half the team's games, I think this could be the offseason we see him moved. The only thing that might stop that is the idea the Canes might lose a defenseman in the Expansion Draft (more on that in a minute) and he could potentially see more time in the lineup if he's not the player taken by Seattle. I actually like Jake Gardiner, and still do despite how his signing made me scratch my head at first since the Canes were pretty set on the blueline in 2019-20. 

Jesper Fast (29, RW, RS- 46 GP, 6-13-19, PS- 11 GP, 1-2-3, 2x$2m remaining)

Fast was a player signed last offseason and he played really well for the team in his first season. His 19 points were 10th on the team and he consistently was playing in the Bottom 6 for most of the season. We all knew coming in he wasn't going to score 30 goals or lead the team in points, but he was a great veteran presence to have. To me, this move could be made as a result of the Expansion Draft. To make the team's decisions easier or to protect one of its defensemen, Fast could be moved to Seattle to keep the defensive core intact. This is not an indictment of Fast as a player or as a person. It might just make more sense from a business standpoint.

The Expansion Draft

It's been about four years since the last one, but we're adding a new team to the league, so it's time for another Expansion Draft. I've already said this, but the Carolina Hurricanes are miles ahead of where they were when they had to submit their protected players' list in 2017. For reference, I want to provide the list of players they protected under the 7F/3D/1G format: 

Forwards- Jordan Staal (NMC), Phil DiGiuseppe, Elias Lindholm, Brock McGinn, Victor Rask, Jeff Skinner, Teuvo Teravainen

Defense- Trevor Carrick, Justin Faulk, Ryan Murphy

Goalie- Scott Darling

Some of the names on this list are funny in retrospect. Staal, McGinn, and Teravainen all played on the team this season, but the rest of these names were eventually traded. The Canes ended up trading a 5th round pick to Vegas so they'd pick Conor Brickley in the draft. They also made a trade to acquire Trevor van Riemsdyk and a 2018 7th in exchange for Pittsburgh's 2017 2nd the Canes previously acquired that ended up being 62nd overall. Brickley never played for the Golden Knights, opting to become a UFA and sign with Florida over a week later. On paper, the Canes got off pretty well in 2017.

For most, this list of players is going to be easy to decide on, but there are one or two critical decisions that will need to be made. The team is likely going to protect 7F/3D/1G and that's the model I'll be using as well. Here's my idea of what the draft could look like for the Canes, who I think they'll protect, and who I think will be a member of the Seattle Kraken. 

Quick Note: I'll be operating under the impression that there is no change in contract status for any of these players, meaning none of the pending UFAs are signed to contracts before the draft takes place. I'm doing this simply because it's hard to predict. Pending UFAs are less likely to be drafted by Seattle since there's a chance they could opt to become free agents and never play a game for the Kraken.

Forwards

For starters, the Canes have to protect Jordan Staal. While they would've protected him anyways, Staal has a no-movement clause and by rule must be protected. For the rest of the forward group, the next obvious protections are Sebastian Aho, Teuvo Teravainen, Vincent Trocheck, and Nino Niederreiter. They're all under contract through at least next season, longer for Aho and Turbo, and were major contributors to the team when healthy, with Aho, Nino, and Trocheck being the team's top three goal scorers in the regular season. Andrei Svechnikov is another obvious and important name they'll protect despite being an RFA. The last forward could be up for a little debate. I think the team will ultimately decide to protect Warren Foegele since he's also an RFA and the team still has some control over his contract status. It's worth noting that players like Martin Necas and several of the team's top prospects do not mean the requirements to be protected, so they are exempt from the Expansion Draft. That's why none of them are included. 

Defense

The decision for the first two defensemen is extremely easy. Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce are both under contract for a few more seasons and are crucial parts of that back end for the Canes. They are considered to be the best defensive players on the team and have shown flashes of offensive prowess the last few seasons. The most important decision of this draft comes down to who the third defensemen to protect will be. To me, it comes down to protecting either Brady Skjei or Jake Bean. Skjei was a pivotal part of the penalty kill all season and really needed to step up when Slavin went down early in the postseason. He has three more years left on his contract with a $5.25m cap hit each season. However, I think that Jake Bean is the third defenseman the team will protect. Part of this is because of his age (23), part of it is his status as a first-year RFA, and a majority, I think, is because of the tremendous potential he has. He was the quarterback of the second power play unit for parts of the season, but his performance in the postseason, mainly in the Tampa series, was subpar in the eyes of some fans. I chalk it up to being a rookie playing in the postseason for the first time, but I think he's going to be just fine. I think this makes more sense for the team from a future standpoint.

Goalie

This is the easiest decision for the team to make, especially since two of your three goalies that played this season are UFAs this season. The obvious choice is Alex Nedeljkovic. He a Calder trophy finalist after performing well in his first full season in the NHL and is primed to become the full-time starter next season. Antoine Bibeau and Jeremy Helvig are the only other options, outside of pending UFAs Mrazek and Reimer, but Bibeau is a UFA and Helvig is an RFA, plus neither have much experience on the NHL level. None of the unprotected goalies are going to appeal to Seattle, so there's nothing to worry about.

Seattle's Pick

If I were in Seattle's shoes, this choice comes down to two former Rangers that played in their first full seasons in Raleigh. Jesper Fast and Brady Skjei are the best options for the Kraken to take. Taking either has its merits for both Seattle and Carolina. Selecting Fast allows Seattle to add a reliable veteran leader that can play in your Bottom 6 and even on the power play for a small cap hit, while it opens up a forward spot for a prospect, maybe Seth Jarvis, for Carolina. Selecting Skjei gets Seattle an iron lung defensive that can play top D-pair minutes and play a major role on the penalty kill while opening up even more cap space for the Canes to add pieces. Skjei's cap hit is $5.25 m for the next three seasons, compared to Fast's $2m for the next two. I think the Canes would be more likely to pull off a trade to keep Seattle from selecting Skjei to keep their defensive core together. I ultimately think Seattle will take Brady Skjei. I think they'll see him as a guy to anchor their kill regardless of the cap hit that comes with it. No matter which one it is, Seattle will be taking a high-quality player from Carolina. 

2021 NHL Entry Draft

By losing to Tampa Bay in the second round of the playoffs and finishing the regular season with 80 points, the Canes have been slotted at the 25th overall pick in the first round of the upcoming NHL Entry Draft. It would technically be the 26th, but Arizona had to forfeit their first round pick for violating combine rules in 2019-20. I do not claim to be an expert on NHL prospects, in fact, I know very little. Based on mock drafts and other things, I've compiled a list of players that I am interested in the Canes considering with their first round pick this season. 

Logan Stankoven- 18, C/RW, Kamloops Blazers, 5'8"/170, 7-3-10 in 6 G in 2020-21

Where Stankoven could end up in this draft varies depending on which source you look at. Some don't think he'll make it this far down into the draft, some think he'll still be on the board. His numbers don't jump out on the surface, but they are a little deceiving. He only played in six WHL games this season, producing ten points, but he also represented Canada at the U18 World Junior Championship. In seven games in the tournament, he had eight points (4-4-8) which is good when you consider he was on the same team as players like Shane Wright and Connor Bedard. The team has a considerable amount of forward depth in the prospect pool, but Stankoven could be a great addition to that group. 

Sebastian Cossa- 18, G, Edmonton Oil Kings, 6'6"/212, 17-1-1/1.57/.941 in 19 G in 2020-21 

I already think the Canes have really good depth in net for the future, Kochetkov, and LaFontaine being the standouts, but Cossa could really make you think about selecting a goalie in the first round. Cossa's number jump off the page, especially this season, but he played just as well in his first WHL season in 2019-20 (21-6-3/2.23/.921 in 33 G). Cossa is the top-ranked North American goalie, according to NHL Central Scouting, so he might be off the board when the Canes pick. Even if he isn't, they still might not pull the trigger, but his big frame and outstanding numbers in the last two seasons make him an intriguing prospect.

Aidan Hreschuk- 18, D, US National U18, 5'11"/187, 6-31-37 in 50 G (USNT U18)/3-14-17 in 23 G (USNTDP) in 2020-21

My last two names are teammates for the US U18 National Team and the US National Team Development Program and both are defensemen. Hreschuk is more likely to make it to the second round, but his numbers are nothing to overlook. The Canes' biggest weakness in their pool is left-shooting defensemen which makes Hreschuk a solid option. He didn't have the best showing in the U18 World Junior Championship (0-2-2 in 5 G) and he's slated to play at Boston College next season, so you'd be making this pick without much expectation of seeing him in the next few years. Given their first pick is late in the round, this could be a risk worth taking. 

Sean Behrens- 18, D, US National U18, 5'10"/176, 7-28-35 in 46 G (USNT U18)/4-14-18 in 23 G (USNTDP) in 2020-21

Behrens is another left-shooting defenseman from the USNTDP, but he's ranked slightly higher than his teammate by a decent amount. He had a slightly better showing at the U18 WJC (1-3-4 in 5 G). He's going to the University of Denver beginning next season, so this is another guy you'll likely be waiting on for a little bit, but this could be another risky pick, but adding depth to the organization might make this worth it. Of the two defensemen, Behrens is probably my preference despite his smaller build. His offensive-mindedness is hard to ignore.

Our Free Agents

The Canes are projected to have roughly $30m in cap space entering the offseason which might come in handy considering this is a much larger and important free agent class than last season. Most of that might be because of Dougie Hamilton becoming a UFA and Andrei Svechnikov entering RFA status. There are only 12 players under contract going into next season. Here's a quick breakdown of our free agents and how I'd handle each case. I'm not going to include every single RFA, just the big ones. I've never been too good a predicting contract terms, but I'm going to try my best with these two groups to give myself a rough estimate of how much we'll have to spend towards other free agents. 

RFA

LW Andrei Svechnikov

Giving Andrei Svechnikov is going to be a critical part of the offseason for the team. He's certainly an important part of the forward core, so he's going to get a decent amount of money. The trend seems to be for RFAs to look for bridge deals to become UFAs at a younger age, or at least that's how it has been for most RFAs in recent years. I don't think Svechnikov is going to get Aho money ($8.45m) and likely won't get something like Matthew Barzal ($7m) or Brayden Point ($6.75m). I imagine his contract will be 4 years at about $6m. 

G Alex Nedeljkovic

Goalies are always hard to predict given how often they change depending on the team. Unless you have a franchise goalie, like Andrei Vasilevskiy or Connor Hellebuyck, you aren't often going to give goalies long-term deals as RFAs. Ottawa is likely regretting their four-year deal with Matt Murray last offseason after how poorly he played this season. I think the team will be extra cautious, especially since this was his first full season in the NHL. I think it will be 2 years at roughly $2.5m.

F Warren Foegele

The team faces an interesting decision with Warren Foegele. I've already stated I think the team protects him in the Expansion Draft, but I'm not 100% sure if Foegele will accept the qualifying offer if given to him. He made $2.15m last season, which is a surprising number to me. If this negotiation makes it to an arbitrator, it'll likely just be the average between Foegele's camp and the Canes organization. I do think they'll bring back Foegele given the forwards on the UFA list for the team. The final contract will be in the ballpark of 1 year at $2.4m.

D Jake Bean

Bean is another player I've stated I think the team is likely to protect in the Expansion Draft, so he'll be on the team for his second season. His play was under a microscope during the postseason. He's going to be a major contributor on next season's team. If they do end up losing Dougie Hamilton, his role is going to be even bigger, potentially even on the first power play unit. I don't see this being more than a year or two, so I'll stick with 2 years at $1.2m.

C Morgan Geekie

Geekie burst onto the scene in 2020 in the final two games before the shutdown due to COVID, posting four points (3-1-4). He only had one assist in the postseason that followed and was in-and-out of the lineup all season, including this postseason. Geekie scored nine points (3-6-9) in 36 games and was held off the scoresheet in three appearances in the playoffs. I don't expect Geekie to fetch a whole lot in his first season as an RFA. I don't know exactly what it'll be, so I'll guess 1 year at $900k.

D Maxime Lajoie

I'm including Lajoie despite only playing in two games for the Canes, both being in the playoffs. He was acquired last offseason from Ottawa in exchange for Clark Bishop and is only 23 y/o. I think he'll likely not a qualifying offer in real life, but I don't see why we wouldn't give him a contract just to add some depth to the defensive core for AHL affiliate Chicago. A potential contract could be something like 1 year at $800k. 

UFA

D Dougie Hamilton

There has been no more polarizing player on the Canes in the last few seasons than Dougie Hamilton. After acquiring him from Calgary for Hanifin/Lindholm at the 2018 draft, his point production has improved every season, which is amazing considering the last two seasons have been shorter. He'd have been in the Norris conversation in 2020 if he hadn't gotten hurt during the season. Regardless, it has always felt fans would get on him about his defense and that if it weren't for Jaccob Slavin's defensive abilities, Hamilton wouldn't be anything special. The Canes are within their window to compete for a Stanley Cup. Losing Hamilton would do some damage to that window. This is why I personally think the Canes need to re-sign Hamilton but as the days pass, the less convinced I am that he'll be in Carolina next season. I don't think the team is as concerned with the money as much as they are the term for his contract. On the open market, someone is going to give him around $8m+ per season. If he'd be willing to stay on a five-year deal, then the Canes would jump on it. Ultimately, I think Hamilton will become a free agent. 

F Brock McGinn

These next two names are extremely interesting to me. Starting with McGinn, he'll always be remembered as the 2OT goal-scorer from the Washington series three seasons ago. His postseason performance in 2018 earned him a two-year extension at $2.1m per season. He's spent most of the past few seasons as a bottom-six forward that has been known to jump up and get some time with Aho and Teravainen at some times. He performed solidly this season when he was healthy, putting up 13 points (8-5-13) in 37 games and adding four more points (3-1-4) in 11 games. He isn't going to put up huge numbers, 30 points being his career-high (16-14-30 in 80 games in 2017-18). His style of play will not put up 30 goals in a season. He's more of an annoyance for opposing teams. I think the Canes should strongly consider bringing him back for another year or two. I'd give McGinn 2 years at $2.5m.

F Jordan Martinook

Martinook is another name that intrigues me and someone I think the team should consider re-signing on a short-term deal. He's worn an "A" for the last two seasons and embodies what it means to be a Hurricane both on and off the ice. He's always considered to be a hard worker that plays a tougher, more physical game, similar to McGinn. His career-high is only 25 points, a mark he's reached twice, and he's never scored more than 15 goals in a season (2018-19). He might just be worth keeping so we can hear "MISTA SVECHNIKOV" before every game. Obviously, you want to keep him around for what he does on the ice, but I think his leadership is what should keep him on the team going forward. The extension he earned after 2018-19 was 2 years, $2m per season, but that was also on the heels of his 15-goal, 25-point season. If he's to re-sign, it would need to be a team-friendly contract that is slightly lower than his last contract. I think he'll ultimately choose to become a free agent and sign elsewhere for next season.

G Petr Mrazek

The goalie situation is an interesting one because, for the first time in Brind'Amour's tenure, there is a pretty clear #1 goalie, but the backup situation is questionable. Alex Nedeljkovic has separated himself as the starter going into next season, in my opinion. Now they'll have to weigh whether or not to re-sign one of their other two goalies. In Mrazek's case, I think he played well enough when healthy to be considered for a starting job for another team. Injuries derailed his season, but we can't forget he posted shutouts in three of his first five starts this season, the third coming after two months on the shelf with an injury. He only made 12 starts this season, going 6-2-3 and posting a 2.06 GAA, a .923 SV%, and three shutouts. He added two starts in the Tampa series, going 1-1, but it's his six goals allowed in Game 4 that most people are going to remember, not his stellar performance in Game 3 that secured a win. I'm not convinced he's going to take a backup role with the team. I think he'll become a free agent and be the starter for a new team.

G James Reimer

If the team were to re-sign a goalie, Reimer is far more likely than Mrazek. When Mrazek went down early in the season, he took most of the starts to begin with. While his GAA (2.66) and SV% (.906) don't look great compared to the other two goalies, his record of 15-5-2 is extremely hard to ignore. That's 32 of the team's 80 points, exactly 40 percent, and just one point fewer than Ned. I've long felt that it doesn't matter how ugly the win is, as long as you win in the first place. I also just realized that the Canes have never negotiated his contract since he's a UFA after the extension he received while in Florida is expiring. I don't think he'll re-sign either and will become a free agent. 

C Cedric Paquette

After acquiring him early in the season from the Ottawa Senators, Paquette added some serious sandpaper to the fourth line. He only put up seven points (3-4-7) in 38 games and added just one assist in the playoffs, so you wouldn't be re-signing him to score massive amounts of points. The center depth on the team is already loaded with Aho, Staal, and Trocheck. I think this trade was just to add some Stanley Cup experience since Paquette won with Tampa last season and some much-needed grit to the team. I don't think the team is going to resign him, so he'll become a free agent.

D Jani Hakanpaa

Another trade acquisition, this one at the trade deadline, Hakanpaa quickly became a team favorite. He scored two huge goals after joining the team, a game-winner against Nashville and the game-tying goal against Dallas that secured the Canes a playoff spot. From what I have read, the trade to bring him in was about adding some size on the right side of the defense and Hakanpaa was an extremely physical player. Given the chances the Canes lose a defenseman in the Expansion Draft to Seattle, I think it would be wise for the team to re-sign him to sure some things up. I'd give him 1 year, $1m.

I'll go over the other remaining UFAs that I can see on CapFriendly, I think the team will re-sign Rolan McKeown and potentially Max McCormick, while the remaining players likely won't.

Just to have a benchmark moving forward, I estimate that the team will re-sign the RFAs and UFAs I've named above for roughly $17.3m, leaving about $12.7m to spend on free agents. 

Who's on the Market?

I'm super bad at predicting things, as I've mentioned numerous, so I don't know what to expect when it comes to who'll they'll sign and how much it would be for. Based on my re-signings, I think the team needs to focus on adding a top-six winger, a top-end defenseman that would be cheaper than re-signing Hamilton, and a backup goalie. These aren't the only things, but trying to predict everything would be tough. I'll give some names that I think could fit into the roles listed above, as well as some other free agents outside of those roles that I'm also a fan of. 

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Canes have already signed someone as a free agent. The team signed 30 y/o left defenseman Eric Gelinas to a 1 year, $750k contract on June 13. Gelinas has spent the last three seasons playing for Rogle BK of the Swedish Hockey League alongside Detroit top prospect Moritz Seider. This past season, Gelinas put up 34 points (8-26-34) in 48 games. He's spent parts of five seasons in the NHL with the Devils and Avalanche with 55 points (14-41-55) in 189 career games. He last played in the NHL with the Avalanche during the 2016-17 season. He'll likely start the season in the AHL with Chicago, but I could also see him being a healthy scratch for the Canes. 

Top-6 Winger Candidates

Tomas Tatar

Tatar is a name I've liked for a few years, but this might be the perfect time to pull the trigger. He started this season well, putting up 27 points in his first 38 games, but went cold to end the season, only putting up three assists to end the regular season with 30 points. The big problem is that he only scored ten goals this season after scoring 20+ goals six straight seasons before this one. Since being traded to Montreal in 2018 with Nick Suzuki for Max Pacioretty, Tatar's had his two best statistical seasons, notching 58 points (25-33-58) in 2018-19 and a career-high 61 points 22-39-61) in 2019-20. He played the first five games of the Toronto series, only one point to show for it, but has been out of the lineup with an injury since. I think with a decent amount of cap space and coming off a down season, the Canes could look to buy low. His cap hit was $5.3m this season, but I don't see it being any more than $4.5m-$4.8m this time around. Potential Contract: 3 years, $13.5m ($4.5 AAV)

Mike Hoffman

He was on my list of targets last offseason too, so I'm going back down the Hoffman well. He signed late in the offseason with St. Louis and took a dramatic pay cut, signing for only $4m. This season was the first time since becoming a full-time NHLer that Hoffman didn't eclipse 20-goals, though he came close with 17 goals, 39 points in 52 games. There's a decent chance he'll stay in St. Louis, but I think he'd be a good fit with this team. He can score goals and that's what this team needs. It wouldn't be anything too long-term since he's 31 y/o, but I could see a short-term deal coming to fruition. 

Potential Contract: 2 years, $9.5m ($4.75 AAV)

Zach Hyman

This one is completely out of left field and might be a serious pipe dream, but I think this would be extremely interesting. The rumblings are that Toronto won't be re-signing Hyman, making him an interesting target for the Canes. Hyman spent last season playing on Toronto's top line with Marner and Matthews, scoring 33 points (15-18-33) while only playing 43 games and missing the end of the regular season. He made it back for the playoffs but, like his linemates, he didn't do anything, scoring a goal in Game 5, his only point of the series. He'll likely be looking for something longer than two or three years and want a decent amount since his last contract saw him making $2.25m or season. I don't think this move is likely, but the temptation is there. Potential contract: 4 years, $21m ($5.25m AAV)

Top Pair Defenseman Candidates

Brandon Montour

Montour was a hot commodity at the trade deadline and was dealt to the Panthers from Buffalo. He played well after the move, scoring four points (2-2-4) in 12 games to close the season, but didn't score any points in Florida's first round series with Tampa. Montour can play on either side of his pairing, so he is flexible in that regard. This works well for the Canes since their defense could look very different depending on who they sign and who they lose in the Expansion Draft. If it's Skjei, this could be the right move. If they lose a forward, it might just be making a strong D-core stronger. Montour might not be the biggest name on the market, but I'd be stoked if the team signed him. He's only 27, so he's still on the younger side of things. Potential Contract: 4 years, $18m ($4.5m AAV)

Alec Martinez

Outside of Dougie Hamilton, Martinez is the best defenseman in free agency, and for good reason. He posted his second-highest point total in 53 games with 32 (9-23-32) and played spectacularly in the postseason (4-2-6 in 19 games) for Vegas. He's 33 y/o so there aren't likely to be any teams that give him a contract longer than four years. What appeals to me most is his postseason experience. He's a two-time Stanley Cup champion with Los Angeles and scored the series-clinching OT winner in 2014. He's played 103 games in eight postseason appearances which is a lot of experience. I don't know how well this fit would be since he plays on the left side of the defense and the left side is definitely the Canes' strongest, but I'm sure someone can play their offside. This is another longshot signing, but I wouldn't be upset at all. Potential Contract: 3 years, $19m ($6.33m AAV)

Backup Goalie Candidates

Linus Ullmark

The Buffalo Sabres were very bad this season, but Ullmark was one of the few bright spots of this team. His numbers don't jump out as being amazing, but a 9-6-3 record, a .917 SV%, and a 2.63 GAA on the worst team in the league are surprisingly good. He's only 27, so he could want to push for a starting job somewhere else. This might make it hard to convince him to join the team as a backup. The only hope the Canes have in signing him would be that the rest of the league sees who he played for last season and doesn't trust his ability to be a starter. That would help the Canes if they have any interest in signing him. Potential Contract: 2 years, $4m ($2m AAV) 

Jaroslav Halak

If Halak decides to play next season, this would be super interesting to me. Halak is 36 y/o and has been in the league for a very long time. His 15-year career has featured several playoff runs, including knocking the Canes out in the bubble in 2020, and a few Jennings Trophies. His 281-173-62 record and 2.48 GAA are amazing given his long career. The reason I have Halak here is because of the potential mentorship Halak could give to Ned in his first year as the full-time starter in the NHL while also serving as a strong backup goalie that can step in if needed. He's entering the end of his career, so this could be a good final stop for him. Potential Contract: 1 year, $1.5m

David Rittich

Rittich had a less than ideal season in 2021. He started the season in Calgary and was traded to Toronto, but his numbers weren't that good at either stop. His 5-8-2 record, 2.86 GAA, and .901 SV% aren't good, but that might make teams hesitant to give him a good look. He hasn't proven himself to be a consistent and reliable starting goalie, so bringing him in as the backup could make him a decent fit for the Canes. He could be a cheap option to backup Ned and might allow for more space to sign skaters. Potential Contract: 1 year, $1.1m

Other Free Agents to Look At

Mikael Granlund

The Canes got to see Granlund up close and personal during their first round series against Nashville. He put up five points (2-3-5) in the six games in the series after being a non-factor during the eight games during the season (two points in eight games in the regular season). I don't see Granlund as the answer as a top-six forward, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like him to join the team. His regular season numbers were actually really good. His 27 points (13-14-27) were respectable in 51 games, but more than half of his points (14) were against Chicago and Detroit in 16 games. I could see him jumping on the third line, maybe with Jordan Staal, and producing. Not to mention, he's from Finland, so he'd fit right in with the group. Potential Contract: 2 years, 6.5m ($3.25m AAV)

Kyle Palmieri

Palmieri is coming off a good postseason run after a less than ideal regular season run. He was traded from the Devils to the Islanders and was a solid contributor in their run to the semi-finals. He scored seven times in New York's 19 games in the postseason after scoring just ten times all season. I'm not sure what was going on during his regular season run with the Islanders, but the playoff version of Palmieri looked like the guy who scored 20+ goals five straight seasons before this year. His playoff performance might be enough to get him some decent money and I don't think he's on the Canes' radar, but he is for sure an intriguing name. Potential Contract: 1 year, $5.2m

Mattias Janmark

Janmark is an extremely under-the-radar player that I enjoyed watching during the postseason with Vegas. He started the season with Chicago and was actually playing really well (10-9-19 in 41 games) and had three points (1-2-3) in five games against Carolina. He finished slowly with Vegas after being traded (1-4-5 in 15 games) but was a strong role player in the postseason. He scored eight points (4-4-8) in 16 playoff games with three of his goals coming in the deciding game against Minnesota in the first round. He has plenty of postseason experience to boot. To go along with a semifinal appearance this season, he played in the Stanley Cup Final last season with Dallas (1-7-8 in 26 games). I think he's more likely to be a fourth-line player on this team, but he could also be a solid veteran presence for the younger guys. Potential Contract: 1 year, $2.5m

Eric Staal

This is purely for nostalgic purposes since I don't think the team needs a center at this point given the depth on the team. He'll be on the verge of 37 once the next season starts, so he's for sure on the back-end of his career in the NHL He wasn't a major contributor when he signed and started the season with Buffalo (3-7-10 in 32 games) and even less effective after being traded to Montreal (2-1-3 in 21 games). However, his postseason performance (2-6-8 in 16 games) has proven he can still play in this league and he's going to play for the Stanley Cup for a second time with Montreal after winning one with the Canes. I think returning home would be a nice way to end his career and make for some great stories for the next season, though I don't think it's going to happen. Potential Contract: 1 year, $2m

David Savard

Savard was highly sought after during trade deadline discussions this season and was ultimately traded from Columbus to Tampa Bay, where he's going to be playing for the Stanley Cup. He is not a player that is going to put up points (six points in 54 games this season between Columbus and Tampa) but that has never been his role. He's been paired with Mikhail Sergachev for most of the postseason and they've played very well as a duo, especially during their series against Carolina in the second round. He plays on the right side and while I don't see him as a good replacement for Dougie Hamilton if he signs elsewhere, he'd be good to pair with a young guy like Jake Bean to help guide his development. I don't think this will be his destination, it's just intriguing to me. Potential Contract: 2 years, $9.5m ($4.75 AAV)

Jordie Benn

I see Benn as a player similar to Jani Hakanpaa in terms of his role on a team. I think Hakanpaa is the more physical of the two players but if he isn't re-signed, Benn isn't a bad alternative option. I do have a couple questions about whether he'll be able to stay healthy given how he plays. The Canes have added these sandpaper guys the last couple of seasons, like Paquette and Hakanpaa this past season, so it wouldn't be completely out of left field for the team to sign a guy like Jordie Benn. I'm not sure the fit is there, but it's always fun to speculate. Potential Contract: 1 year, $1.5m

My Ideal 2021-22 Lineup Preview

Now, I'm going to put together a couple of different lineups. Because I enjoy speculating so much and am really having fun with this, I'm going to put together three lineups and I'll explain the rules for each one as I do it. Two of them are not going to be the most realistic, but I'll try to ground the last one in some semblance of reality. 

Lineup 1: The Dangle Method

This first lineup will be created using what I'm calling the Dangle Method. It was inspired by Steve Dangle, the guy most will associate as being the Maple Leafs fan who screams a lot. I'm a fan of his as a hockey fan so when I saw him release a video where he puts together a potential lineup for the Leafs next season with some major parameters. Those were 1) the player must be under contract with the team for next season, meaning UFAs aren't included, but RFAs are since there is still some team control there, 2) players must have at least one game of NHL experience in the regular season or postseason unless they are over 25 years old, so no prospects that haven't played yet (ie Seth Jarvis, Ryan Suzuki, etc.), and 3) I'm going to go ahead and take out my pick for the Expansion Draft, Brady Skjei since he's who I think will be taken. I'll put together four (4) full forward lines, three (3) full defensive pairings, a goalie tandem, and an extra forward and defenseman. Here's the mess I came up with:

Andrei Svechnikov-Sebastian Aho-Teuvo Teravainen

Nino Niederreiter-Vincent Trocheck-Martin Necas

Warren Foegele-Jordan Staal-Jesper Fast

Steven Lorentz-Morgan Geekie-Yegor Korshkov

Spencer Smallman

Jaccob Slavin-Brett Pesce

Jake Bean-Jake Gardiner

Eric Gelinas-Max Lajoie

Joey Keane

Alex Nedeljkovic

Beck Warm

I did kind of break my rules on two separate occasions with this roster. Technically speaking, Spencer Smallman and Beck Warm have not played a game in the NHL yet, but they were both called up to the Taxi Squad during the season and I could not for the life of me find a 17th forward and 2nd goalie with NHL experience under contract for next season. 

For the most part, the forward group looks the same. Outside of Smallman, Yegor Korshkov is the only new name. He was acquired in the trade that sent Canes legend Alex Galchenyuk to Toronto. He's a 24 y/o Russian winger that has spent most of his career in the KHL. He does have one game of NHL experience with Toronto and he scored in his debut. By the parameters set, he fits within the rules. 

Defensively, things look different with Hamilton and Skjei potentially out of the picture. I reunited Slavin and Pesce, though I think their games are too similar to put them together and I like Rod Brind'Amour's strategy to spread the wealth on the backend. Bean and Gardiner are both familiar faces that play on the same side but since the Canes are thin on the right side, I've put them together since that's a pairing we've seen as well. Gelinas and Lajoie have plenty of NHL experience, it just isn't with the Canes. Joey Keane made his NHL debut this season and has only one game played, but it's enough for me to include him here.

The situation in net needs to be addressed in some way. Alex Nedeljkovic is the only one in the organization signed to a contract next season with any NHL experience. The next closest person was Beck Warm, who at 22 y/o has not played a game in the NHL yet, but was placed on the taxi squad this season. I consider this to be closer than Jeremy Helvig who is an RFA this offseason and has not been on the active roster. It honestly doesn't matter that much who the backup is since it's all hypothetical.

Lineup 2: My Perfect World Scenario

This lineup will play loosely with the salary cap rules and give the roster I'd like to see next season. There aren't any parameters regarding NHL experience or contract status, thus any UFA could be signed or re-signed and any prospect could make the team. I won't worry about making it cap compliant, but I also won't make it extremely egregious by having the team sign every major free agent or anything like that. Any player that is under contract by the organization or is a pending free agent could make this roster.

Andrei Svechnikov-Sebastian Aho-Teuvo Teravainen

Tomas Tatar-Vincent Trocheck-Martin Necas

Nino Niederreiter-Jordan Staal-Seth Jarvis

Mikael Granlund-Morgan Geekie-Warren Foegele

Steven Lorentz

Jaccob Slavin-Dougie Hamilton

Brady Skjei-Brett Pesce

Jake Bean-Brandon Montour

Jake Gardiner

Alex Nedeljkovic

Jaroslav Halak

Once I put it all together, this team looks very different, particularly amongst the forwards. I've added Tomas Tatar and Mikael Granlund through free agency and promoted Seth Jarvis from juniors. I'm a big fan of Tatar and Granlund, I'd really like to add them both, though I think it'd be more realistic to sign just one of them. The team needs more goal-scorers, so Tatar checks that box. It would also be good to sure up the bottom six, so Granlund would be a perfect role player that could help to add some depth scoring. Seth Jarvis is the only of the team's prospects that I think could make the jump next season to the NHL. I'm not sure whether that's the plan, but I'd find that interesting. This would also mean Steven Lorentz would be extra forward. It'd be between him and Morgan Geekie, so it's a bit of a toss-up. 

The defense looks relatively similar to last season's, which also means I've made decisions that have major implications for the team. First, I've re-signed Dougie Hamilton and paired him with Slavin. I think this team would be crazy not to re-sign him given how important he has been the last three years. People are quick to rag on his game defensively, but I think losing his offense would be a major subtraction to this team. Second, in a perfect world, Brady Skjei is not selected in the Expansion Draft. I've swapped his selection by Seattle for Jesper Fast, which is why Fast is omitted from the forward lines. I've paired him up with Pesce as he was last season. The final change is the addition of Brandon Montour. He can play on either side of the defense and I've paired him with Jake Bean. I contemplated signing Alec Martinez while also keeping Hamilton, but that would just be extreme overkill and I couldn't see him slotting in well. Jake Gardiner would be the extra defenseman.

In net, Ned is still going to be the starter, so it's all about signing a backup. Of all the names on the market, Jaroslav Halak is my favorite name out there. He's had a great career and is at the end of the line. Like I mentioned earlier, I think pairing him up with Ned would allow for him to have a great mentor that has been around the block once or twice. Add to that if something happens to Ned, Halak could step in and be a serviceable option to take over. It's a major reach for most of these new additions, but this is the world I choose to live in. 

Lineup 3: My Realistic Idea of Next Season's Team

The last lineup was a shot in the dark, but this is intended to be more rooted in reality. It will be some combination of what I hope happens and what I think is more likely to happen. Some of the decisions will be the opposite of what I would do or have written before this, just because I can't predict the future and am not sure what the front office will do. Here's my stab at a realistic roster we could see next season.

Andrei Svechnikov-Sebastian Aho-Teuvo Teravainen

Nino Niederreiter-Vincent Trocheck-Martin Necas

Mikael Granlund-Jordan Staal-Jesper Fast

Warren Foegele-Morgan Geekie-Seth Jarvis

Steven Lorentz

Jaccob Slavin-Brett Pesce

Jake Bean-Eric Gelinas

Jake Gardiner-Joey Keane

Max Lajoie

Alex Nedeljkovic

David Rittich

It can't be overstated how much I really want us to sign Mikael Granlund. I really liked his game in the series against the Canes in the first round. If the team signs a forward, that's who I want it to be. I also have Seth Jarvis in the lineup as the only top forward prospect. The forward group I've laid out here does neglect the idea that the Canes need to sign a top-six forward. Free agent signings are always tough to guess, which is why Granlund is the only one I've added because I really just want him to be a Hurricane. The market is always so unpredictable, which is why I don't have any confidence in adding names outside of the organization. Improving from within is a strategy the team has often deployed. 

The team has already made a signing on defense with Eric Gelinas and since signings are hard to predict, I've decided to improve from within again. I'm excited to see Joey Keane play as a regular NHLer, so this is why I have him in my lineup. Max Lajoie is my extra defenseman, but if he's in the lineup, I have Keane back in the AHL so he can play and not sit around waiting for his chance. I've put Slavin and Pesce back together so the team has a true shutdown pairing, despite my prior feelings their styles are too similar, though I still feel that is the case. I also don't like the idea of having two young guys together, so I paired Bean with Gelinas and Gardiner with Keane. 

I strongly feel Jaroslav Halak is the best backup option on the market, but I also admit he might not be the most realistic option for the Canes. I've chosen David Rittich to be the backup. I don't see the team re-signing Mrazek or Reimer and if Halak isn't the option, the next best choice to me is David Rittich. Rittich underperformed last season, which makes him a perfect target for this front office. He'll be a cheap option, plus we've had success bringing in underperforming goalies and watching them thrive, like the aforementioned Mrazek and Reimer. Of all the goalies on the market that aren't former Hurricanes, he makes the most sense to me.

Final Thoughts

I've been working on this for at least a solid week and I'm well aware that everything I've written isn't likely to happen, but I couldn't care less. I have fun speculating these things as a fan of the Canes and is something that also allows me to learn more about the league as a whole. I don't expect what I've predicted to happen, nor should it be taken seriously. I have my opinions just like everyone else does. It'd be cool if I got something right. Last season, I had Jesper Fast as one of my free agent targets, and low and behold the team signed him. It's not because I predicted it or am some all-knowing entity. I'm just a regular person that cares about this team we all cheer for. I can't wait to see what this team looks like next season.