CANES MAKE A SPLASH IN FREE AGENCY
The Hurricanes sign a trio of vets during Free Agency as the 'Canes look to solidify their core this offseason to make a push for that elusive playoff seed. The additions of Jordan Staal, Mats Zuccarello and Jason Spezza will join previous additions of Jeff Carter, Zdeno Chara and Marcus Johansson who will form a leadership core outside of the Hurricanes young core they built around. The goal for the Hurricanes was to add this veteran presence without taking away from the youth rebuild the Hurricanes went through that last few seasons
A lot of this offseason restructure will rely on the shoulders of Chara, as he takes some time to decide if he wants to come back to Raleigh for one more season or call it a career
New Additions
Jordan Staal FA 3yrs @ 4.50M
It's unsure right now if Jordan will take the center position on the 3rd line, bumping Adam Lowry to the 4th, or will he play on the left side of Mathew Barzal and Alex DeBrincat as the 'Canes No.1 line
Regardless, Jodan along with Lowry will become the foundation of the Hurricanes PK for the 2021-22 season. A be the foundation of trying to hold other teams off the scoreboard
Mats Zuccarello FA3 yrs @ 1.70M
The 'Canes desperately lacked scoring last season, partly due to the fact that the Hurricanes lineup just didn't have any secondary options. Mats join the 'Canes for just this purpose, to be a different look.
Mats look to start the season playing on the 3rd line with Staal and Marcus Johansson. If the DeBrincat - Barzal - Carter line struggles to produce, Mats slots in for Carter and hopefully ignites the two stars. Also if the young speedster Jordan Kyrou struggles with the pressure of producing on the 2nd line, Mats can also jump in and add a veteran boost to the unit also.
Jason Spezza FA 3yrs @ 1.25M
Jason looks to play right wing beside either Lowry or Casey Cizikas with Colton Sissons playing the opposite wing. Spezza gives the Hurricanes a solid 4th line that will be able to give the 'Canes a chance to make a run for the playoffs, which will be the first in a very long time.
In the previous years, the 'Canes filled out the 4th line with pylons and plugs to ice a lineup. There just wasn't enough depth in the organization to fill out the roster. With the league changing direction and going to a two-year rating system, the Hurricanes found themselves on the short end and being a young team, carrying the burden of the first year weighed down their potential. The only solution was to bring in some vets to let the young players add another season to their experience before joining the Canes
Zach Bogosian Waiver 2yrs @ 750K
Zach was claimed from the Devils on Saturday to be the guy to pop the popcorn and host the pressbox rally cheers. We are taking a chance that playing a full season for the NHL Lightning, Zach will have a very attractive DF rating next year that will make a great shutdown addition to our team... at a very cheap 750k cap hit. With Chara's career in question still and the inevitable injuries there's no doubt, Zach, with getting a few games this year at least