The Carolina Hurricanes have added to their Finnish contingent once again, this time signing draft pick Aleksi Heimosalmi to a three-year entry-level contract. Hurricanes GM Don Waddell released a short statement:
Aleksi is a highly skilled, two-way defenseman. We’re excited for him to take the next steps in his development.
Selected 44th overall in 2021, Heimosalmi is expected to make his Liiga debut this season for Assat after signing a three-year deal with the Finnish team earlier this year. With this new deal in place with Carolina, it’s not clear if the young defenseman will spend that entire time overseas, but for this season at least it is likely he continues his development in Europe.
Not only did Heimosalmi find a ton of success at the junior level for Assat, but he also dominated the U18 World Juniors, earning Best Defenseman honors for the whole tournament after racking up eight points in seven games. The smooth-skating defender has quite a way to go before he challenges for an NHL spot, but there’s no rush thanks to a strong depth chart in Carolina.