The Carolina Hurricanes work quickly. The team has announced a one-year extension for Klas Dahlbeck, which will pay him $850K for next season. Dahlbeck was set to become a restricted free agent this summer, and would have been eligible for arbitration.
Dahlbeck’s new deal comes as just a slight raise from this season when he earned $750K, and extends his partnership with the Hurricanes after they claimed him off waivers just before the beginning of the season. Dahlbeck ended up playing in 43 games for Carolina, though he averaged just under 14 minutes a game.
With Carolina’s glut of young defenders, Dahlbeck provides a nice depth option and fulfills the expansion requirement we recently discussed. To this point, Carolina would have had to expose Justin Faulk as he was the only defender who met the required amount of games played and had a contract through next season. Dahlbeck will now be that expansion fodder, though he’s unlikely to be claimed.
Instead, he’ll likely come back as an option for a team that is looking to move out a defender to upgrade their forward position. Rumored to be involved in the Matt Duchene sweepstakes at the deadline, their interest in several high-priced forwards will return this summer. Dahlbeck at least provides a fall back option for the bottom pairing if they move on from one of their younger players and don’t think Haydn Fleury is ready for the NHL.