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Carolina Hurricanes forward Andrei Svechnikov is due for a new contract next summer and despite a breakout season, it appears as though a bridge deal may be likely for the young forward.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman noted a little over a month ago that the Hurricanes were looking at an eight-year deal worth $7.5 million per year, however, Svechnikov is willing to take a bridge deal and bet on himself instead. Plus, general manager Don Waddell said in October that the team could be open to a bridge deal, so it seems as though unless the Hurricanes were going to up their offer on a long-term deal, we’re heading towards a short-term deal.
Factoring in how this will work with the Hurricanes' cap situation, a bridge deal makes sense for the team. They’ll have other priorities next offseason, including re-signing Dougie Hamilton, so keeping Svechnikov's AAV lower is probably a good move, even if it’s on a short-term deal
That said, Svechnikov’s value will almost certainly be higher at the end of a short-term deal, so it’s not all positive by going that route. I’ll go more in depth in predicting a contract extension later on but I could probably see a two-year deal around $5.5 or $6 million, if it’s signed before the start of the season.
As for a timeline though, I could personally see this deal waiting until next summer instead. If Svechnikov is willing to bet on himself, wouldn't it make more sense to hold off on re-signing, put up 25 goals and 70 points next season, then negotiate once his value is even higher?
Either way, a bridge deal seems likely for Svechnikov and it’s a move that would work well for both sides. Regardless, he’s going to be a key member of the team for many years and for now, we’ll wait to see what happens.
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Here’s today’s poll questions (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
Hurricanes and Warren Foegele can still avoid arbitration Hurricanes re-sign Warren Foegele Analyzing Warren Foegele’s new contract Will the Hurricanes stick with Petr Mrazek and James Reimer in net? Hurricanes will need to be prepared for an expensive 2021 offseason Jake Bean should have a spot in the Hurricanes' lineup next season Weekly Recap: Hurricanes Edition (November 8) Jordan Staal’s no-move clause could cause issues for Hurricanes Hurricanes looking to re-sign Dougie Hamilton prior to start of season Hurricanes could still potentially re-sign Sami Vatanen Hurricanes unveil Reverse Retro jersey