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Hurricanes Reach Extension With Rod Brind’Amour

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After weeks of speculation, the Hurricanes have indeed finalized their coaching situation for next season.  The team announced that they have agreed to multi-year extensions with head coach Rod Brind’Amour along with assistants Jeff Daniels and Tim Gleason, Chris Huffine, and Paul Schonfelder.  GM Don Waddell released the following statement:

Rod has been instrumental to the success we’ve had over the last six seasons. Ever since he joined the organization 24 years ago, Rod has embodied what it means to be a Hurricane. We hope to keep him a Hurricane for life.

While this deal doesn’t make Brind’Amour a Hurricane for life, it will keep him around for the foreseeable future as Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that this deal will run for the next five years.

A few weeks ago, a report from TSN’s Darren Dreger indicated that the Hurricanes had pulled an extension offer for Brind’Amour off the table, but that extension talks were advancing after the initial report. After Carolina was ousted from the playoffs at the hands of the New York Rangers, speculation began to emerge that Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes organization may be headed their separate ways.

The speculation advanced so much in the last few days, that Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun reported that the Toronto Maple Leafs would be postponing their search for head coach to see if Brind’Amour would ultimately become available. However, their getting a deal done sheds some light on the Maple Leafs’ pivot towards Craig Berube as their next head coach.

A legendary part of the Hurricanes organizational history, Brind’Amour began his coaching career as Carolina’s Director of Player Development during the 2010-11 NHL season, one year after he retired as a player. Beginning in the 2011-12 season, Brind’Amour was named an assistant coach, a position he would hold until the 2018-19 season.

Taking over as the head coach at the beginning of the 2018-19 season, Brind’Amour helped turn around a Hurricanes team that experienced several years of mediocrity. In his first year behind the bench, he would coach Carolina to the 2019 Eastern Conference Finals before eventually being swept by the Boston Bruins.

The Hurricanes would reach the Eastern Conference Finals once more under Brind’Amour’s reign, this time being eliminated by the Florida Panthers in another sweep. Throughout his six-year tenure as head coach for Carolina, Brind’Amour has amassed an impressive 278-130-44 in the regular season, along with three Metropolitan Division crowns.

If there is one, the major drawback of Brind’Amour’s track record in Carolina is the lack of Stanley Cup Finals appearances. The Hurricanes have become one of the deeper teams on paper, but have been unable to conquer the Eastern Conference up to this point.

In 74 postseason games as a head coach, Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes have only recorded 38 wins, a 10% dropoff from their regular season success. With their last Stanley Cup Final appearance coming nearly 20 years ago, the time is now for Brind’Amour to coach this team to the promised land.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes was first to report that Brind’Amour and his assistants received contract extensions. 

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Hurricanes Notes: Skjei, Pesce, Guentzel

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Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brady Skjei has shared that getting a “fair offer” will be his top priority as he enters free agency, per Walt Ruff of NHL.com (Twitter link). Skjei is coming off a career year, posting a career-high 47 points in 80 games and averaging the second-most ice time on Carolina’s defense. The Hurricanes have expressed interest in hanging onto Skjei, but his strong performance – following an 18-goal season last year – has positioned him as one of the top names set to hit the open market.

Skjei, 30, is likely set to join the team he’ll finish his career with on his next deal. It’d be no surprise if that remained Carolina, who Skjei joined via trade from the New York Rangers in the 2019-20 season – with Carolina sending the 2019 first-round pick used on Hendrix Lapierre the other way. After five up-and-down seasons in New York, Skjei found a home in Carolina – becoming a much more consistent and reliable defender in all three zones. He’s appeared in 302 games and recorded 135 points – both ranked second among Hurricanes defensemen since 2019, behind Jaccob Slavin. Skjei, Slavin, and Brett Pesce have become pillars of the Hurricanes’ defense in the years since, though Carolina is already planning to part ways with the latter. That should give them more cap space to negotiate with Skjei, though they’re sure to have no shortage of competition in pitching a “fair offer”.

Other notes from Carolina:

  • Speaking of Pesce, he shared with Chip Alexander of The News and Observer that he was close to returning from injury before the season ended, sharing he was hoping to return in the Conference Finals. Pesce was bearing through a fracture in his fibula, near his ankle, suffered in Game 2 against the New York Islanders. He missed the final nine games of Carolina’s season – a quiet end to what was a quiet season, with Pesce posting a career-low 13 points through 70 games. He finished his closeout interview by adding that he’s hoping both he and defense-partner Skjei will find a way to re-sign in Carolina, saying “We don’t want our story to end, for sure. We both want to be back, it’s pretty obvious.”
  • New Carolina Hurricanes star Jake Guentzel didn’t rule out a return to Carolina during locker room clean-out, though he made sure to emphasize that it’s a business at the end of the day, shared Ruff (Twitter link). Guentzel was dazzling in Carolina, recording 25 points in 17 regular-season games and nine points in 11 postseason games. He was, in his usual fashion, one of the team’s most consistent performers in the playoffs, serving a strong role on Carolina’s top line after spending the regular season throughout the top six. Guentzel, 29, would challenge Steven Stamkos as the most coveted player on the open market this year, should he enter free agency. That excitement could have him interested in playing the field, though he made sure to speak highly of the Hurricanes in his final interview, sharing “This team for sure can win a Stanley Cup. I think it’s right there… I want to win more than anything and that’s all I care about.”

Return In Guentzel Trade Finalized With Carolina's Elimination

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  • As a result of Carolina being eliminated from the playoffs on Thursday, the Jake Guentzel trade from March is now finalized. CapFriendly points out (Twitter link) that because the Hurricanes lost (failing to reach the Stanley Cup Final), the conditional 2024 second-round pick (44th overall from Philadelphia) they gave up will not be upgraded to their 2024 first-round selection.  Meanwhile, the conditional fifth-round pick will no longer transfer to Pittsburgh since Carolina isn’t going to win the Stanley Cup this year.

Afternoon Notes: Huhtanen, Lyle, Nečas

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The Tampa Bay Lightning have made the signing of forward prospect Niko Huuhtanen official, following reports of the signing yesterday. The three-year, entry-level deal will kick off next year and carries $57.5K in performance bonuses and $92.5K in signing bonuses each season, in addition to its $867.5K cap hit. Huuhtanen is currently playing with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, appearing in two games of the Calder Cup Playoffs but still searching for his first AHL point.

Huuhtanen played through his second full season in Finland’s Liiga this season, recording 19 goals and 46 points in 52 games. Tampa drafted Huuhtanen in the seventh round of the 2021 NHL Draft, selecting him out of Finland’s U20 league after he posted 20 goals and 34 points in 37 games. He moved to America in the following season – appearing in 65 games and recording 77 points with the WHL’s Everett Silvertips. But his juniors career was short-lived, and Huuhtanen returned back to Finland ahead of last season – posting 17 goals and 30 points in 48 games as a Liiga rookie.

Huuhtanen has scored at every level and served as a staple for Finland’s international teams for the last six seasons. He’s a hefty winger who sacrifices swift feet for strength. He doesn’t lack finesse, though, and knows how to use his strong frame to fight for space and become an option for teammates. From there, Huuhtanen’s shot is strong enough to make him dangerous anywhere in the offensive end. He’ll likely return to the AHL next season, though his strong performances against pro competition in the Liiga could help him rival the Lightning lineup soon.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Pending Calgary Flames free agent Brady Lyle has signed with HC Dynamo Minsk of the KHL. Lyle was previously a Group 6 free agent in the NHL, set to become an unrestricted-free agent if Calgary didn’t sign him by July 1st. He’ll now head to Russia, after posting 15 points in 47 games with the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers this season. The scoring brought his career point totals up to 51 across 186 AHL games. With Lyle now headed to Russia, Calgary’s only remaining Group 6 free agent is centerman Benjamin Jones.
  • Carolina Hurricanes centerman Martin Nečas is joining Team Czechia for the remainder of the World Championship, reports Walt Ruff of NHL.com (Twitter link). Nečas’ NHL season ended with Carolina’s Game 6 defeat on Thursday. He contributed nine points in 11 playoff games – a boost in production after he managed just 53 points during the regular sesaon. This will be the first time that Nečas has played with Team Czechia since the 2019 World Juniors, when he posted four points in five games. He made his World Championship debut in 2018, with five points in seven games.

Hurricanes Not Expected To Re-Sign Brett Pesce, Martin Necas

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The Hurricanes will be one of the most interesting teams to watch this offseason by any measure. After getting bounced in the second round by the Rangers, not only is the future of head coach Rod Brind’Amour in question, but they have multiple pending unrestricted free agents that would be among the top 20 names on the market should they not be re-signed before July 1.

One of them is blue-liner Brett Pesce, whose season ended in Game 2 of the first round against the Islanders after sustaining a lower-body injury. The top-four staple in Raleigh for nearly a decade could very well have played his last game for the Canes, notes Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman on Friday’s edition of “32 Thoughts”:

“Pesce didn’t seem likely. They kinda told him what they were willing to do last year,” Friedman said. “I think it was in the (five years, $5MM AAV) range. It didn’t work. I don’t know that it’s changed.”

Early into the extension-eligible period for their 2024 UFAs, reports indicated the Hurricanes weren’t close to extensions with any of them aside from franchise center Sebastian Aho, who inked the richest contract in franchise history last July. That included Pesce, who most expected Carolina to trade before the season to avoid letting him walk for nothing. He was even allowed to discuss extensions with other teams last summer, but Friedman confirmed during training camp that he’d been taken off the trade block by general manager Don Waddell.

It wasn’t the wisest decision for Pesce, who’s coming off arguably his worst campaign since his rookie season. His 0.19 points per game were a career-low, his 20:17 average per game was the lowest since 2015-16, and his possession metrics checked in right around the team average in both shot attempts and expected goals.

After a lengthy run of being one of the better two-way defenders in the league, though, he’s still likely in line to earn a slightly richer deal than what Carolina is offering him. Evolving Hockey projects him to land a six-year deal on the open market with a roughly $5.5MM cap hit.

Friedman also believes that forward Martin Nečas, now a restricted free agent after completing a two-year, $6MM bridge deal, could have his signing rights traded this summer, saying he doesn’t think Carolina will do “what Nečas wants to do.” The Hurricanes are expected to prioritize re-signing trade deadline pickup Jake Guentzel, the best left wing available on the pending UFA market. He also notes that Seth Jarvis, an RFA like Necas, has surpassed him on the depth chart internally and is more of a financial priority long-term.

Nečas is eligible for salary arbitration this summer, so they may need to execute a sign-and-trade or allow him to negotiate with other clubs. Opening the possibility for Nečas to force an acquiring team to arbitration could lower his trade value.

The 2017 12th-overall pick took a considerable step back this season, posting 24 goals and 53 points in 77 games after recording a career-high 71 in 82 last season. The Czech winger hasn’t historically been a positive possession force on a deep Hurricanes forward group, either, although he was good in playoff action this year with four goals and five assists in 11 games.

Any team acquiring Nečas would only be able to sign him to a seven-year deal if they wanted to go for the maximum term since he was on Carolina’s reserve list at the trade deadline, although it could be an eight-year deal via a sign-and-trade. Evolving Hockey projects that as the most likely outcome with a $7.5MM cap hit.

Maple Leafs Among Teams Monitoring Rod Brind’Amour’s Availability

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After blowing a 3-1 third-period lead and being eliminated in Round 2 at the hands of the Rangers last night, there’s now an immediate focus on what the Hurricanes opt to do with pending free-agent coach Rod Brind’Amour. Among other teams, expect the Maple Leafs to delay their head coaching decision until gaining clarity into whether he’ll hit the market, reports Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun.

The Hurricanes had offered Brind’Amour an extension earlier in the season, but a report from TSN’s Darren Dreger before the second round indicated the team rescinded it. His report seemed to spur some momentum between the two sides, as within 24 hours, Dreger issued a follow-up saying talks between Brind’Amour and Carolina ownership had advanced.

However, no deal has been made for either Brind’Amour or his assistants. Losing in such a dramatic fashion could very well influence the Canes to turn elsewhere.

Toronto, meanwhile, is on the hunt for a new head coach on the heels of a similarly familiar playoff disappointment. They fired five-year veteran Sheldon Keefe last week and have already interviewed former Blues coach Craig Berube and ex-Kings bench boss Todd McLellan for the vacancy, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Berube is widely viewed as their preferred candidate, but they’re not the only team heavily considering him – the Jets interviewed him for their vacancy this week. If they wait too long to see if Carolina decides to part ways with Brind’Amour, Berube may not be available as a Plan B.

Outside of Toronto and Winnipeg, the Devils, Kings, Kraken and Sharks still need to fill coaching vacancies. New Jersey (link) and Seattle (link) appear to be in the final stages of their searches, while the Sharks’ cast net is a tad wider. But all three would likely have interest in Brind’Amour if he became available, especially the Devils and Kraken, who have playoff aspirations next season.

Brind’Amour has made the playoffs in all six years behind the Hurricanes bench and won the Jack Adams Award in 2021, overseeing perhaps the best possession team in the NHL over that time. However, the Hurricanes haven’t won a game past the second round in his tenure. They were swept by the Bruins (2019) and Panthers (2023) in their two Eastern Conference Finals appearances under their 2006 Stanley Cup-winning captain to date.

Overall, Brind’Amour has a 278-130-44 (.664) regular season record and a 38-35 (.521) playoff mark as Carolina’s head coach.

Brett Pesce Ruled Out For Game 6

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  • The Hurricanes will be without defenseman Brett Pesce as they try and stave off elimination for a third straight game against the Rangers tonight, head coach Rod Brind’Amour confirmed (via Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal). He’s ramped up practicing with the team as he tries to return from a lower-body injury, but he’ll miss his ninth straight contest. Pesce hasn’t played since sustaining the injury midway through Game 2 of Carolina’s first-round win over the Islanders. The pending unrestricted free agent averaged 20:17 per game in the regular season, his lowest usage since his rookie season in 2015-16 while posting three goals and 13 points in 70 games.

Pesce Returns To Practice

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  • Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce returned to practice today as he works his way back from a lower-body injury, notes team reporter Walt Ruff. The 29-year-old has been out since being injured in the second game of the playoffs and consistently logs big minutes for Carolina while helping to anchor their penalty kill.  While Pesce skated today, head coach Rod Brind’Amour indicated that they’re still operating under the expectation that he won’t be back this round but would consider putting him in if he was cleared to return in this series.

Snapshots: Henrique, Pesce, Utah

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The Edmonton Oilers will be without centerman Adam Henrique in Game 3 due to an undisclosed injury, reports Tony Brar of Oilers TV (Twitter link). Henrique missed Game 1 of the series with a lower-body injury. And while he returned for Game 2, he played in just 11 minutes of ice time, limited by the injury that will now hold him out of action.

Connor Brown is expected to step back into the lineup in Henrique’s absence. Brown has played in one game this postseason, though he failed to change his stat line in any way. He’s coming off an incredibly slow season, scoring just 12 points in 71 games despite being recruited to play on Connor McDavid’s wing. It was a far, far step down from the 39 points Brown posted in 64 games during the 2021-22 season – though a torn ACL limited his 2022-23 to just four games. He’ll likely step right into Henrique’s role as the team’s third-line left-winger, though Brown may not be the choice for Henrique’s limited role on special teams. Those minutes could be fed to someone like Warren Foegele, who brings a bit more grit and energy and has similarly operated on the fringe of special teams.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce returned to the team’s practice on Sunday but remains doubtful for the lineup, head coach Rod Brind’Amour shared with Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer (Twitter link). Pesce has been out since April 22nd, battling with a lower-body injury suffered midgame. He was ruled as out indefinitely at the time, and while no direct timetable has been provided, his upgrade to doubtful is an encouraging sign of progress. Pesce played in 70 games this season, recording a career-low 13 points. He’s added one assist in two postseason games. Pesce’s return would likely bump Tony DeAngelo out of the lineup, with DeAngelo boasting just two points in his seven playoff games so far.
  • Utah is beginning to fill out their front office, with Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting that agent Chris Armstrong could be a candidate for a senior management role with the club (Twitter link). Armstrong has ties throughout the hockey world, representing Kyle Dubas in his negotiations with the Toronto Maple Leafs and advising Utah owner Ryan Smith throughout the buying process, Seravalli adds. Armstrong is currently the Senior Vice President at Wasserman Media Group LLC, where he supports the representation of top NHL clients including Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, and Zach Werenski. He also represents star golfer Tony Finau.

Prospect Nikita Quapp Signs One-Year Deal With Dusseldorfer EG

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  • Hurricanes goalie prospect Nikita Quapp has signed a one-year contract with Dusseldorfer EG in the German League, per a team announcement. The 21-year-old was a sixth-round pick back in 2021 (187th overall) but has spent most of his time in Germany’s second division since then.  Quapp played in 26 games on loan to Lausitzer Fuchse this season, posting a 2.63 GAA and a .920 SV%.  Carolina has until June 1st, 2025 to sign Quapp so this will be his last chance to try to demonstrate that he’s worthy of an NHL contract.

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