The Carolina Hurricanes were the busiest team during a rather slow week of NHL transactions. Let’s take a look at what went down around the league over the last seven days.
Carolina inked forward Jackson Blake to an eight-year contract extension worth $45 million. Blake is coming off an impressive rookie season that saw him score 17 goals and add 17 assists in 80 regular season games. He produced three goals and six points in 15 postseason games as the Hurricanes were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Final by the Florida Panthers. Blake’s new deal will kick in after the 2025-26 season. He will play this season under the final year of his entry-level contract.
The Hurricanes also signed center Ryan Suzuki to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K and defenseman Ronan Seeley to a one-year, two-way contract worth $812, 750. Suzuki put up team-highs in assists (47) and points (59) in 69 games with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in 2024-25 and made his first two NHL appearances with the Hurricanes. Seeley also played in 69 games with the Wolves and finished the season with three goals and ten points.
Kaapo Kakko avoided an arbitration hearing with the Seattle Kraken by signing a new three-year contract worth $13.575 million. Kakko was acquired by the Kraken from the New York Rangers on December 18, 2024, with Will Borgen and two draft picks going back the other way. The 24-year-old put up 10 goals and 30 points in 49 games with Seattle following the trade.
The New York Islanders and Maxim Tsyplakov avoided arbitration when the two sides agreed on a new two-year contract worth $4.5 million. The 26-year-old Russian produced ten goals and 35 points in 77 games with the Islanders last season, his first in the NHL.
The Tampa Bay Lightning signed forward Ethan Czata to a three-year, entry-level contract. Czata was selected in the second-round (56th overall) of the 2025 NHL Draft after he produced 21 goals and 55 points for the Niagara IceDogs during his second OHL season.
The New Jersey Devils inked Thomas Bordeleau to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K. A former second-round pick of the San Jose Sharks, Bordeleau put up 14 goals and 38 points in 59 AHL games with the San Jose Barracuda in 2024-25.
The Colorado Avalanche signed left wing Danil Gushchin to a new one-year, two-way deal worth $775K. Gushchin appeared in 12 games with the Avalanche last season and was credited with one assist. He racked up 28 goals and 23 assists in 56 games with the Barracuda. It was his third-straight 20+-goal season the AHL.