The Carolina Hurricanes will have to prepare for an expensive offseason next summer and with several players in need of new contracts, there will be some tough decisions. The Hurricanes have six notable players who are eligible to become unrestricted free agents in a year and this article will look to predict which players will be brought back for the 2021-22 season and beyond.
NOTE: This will only include unrestricted free agents who are projected to have a regular spot in the lineup for this coming season.
RYAN DZINGEL
I think if there was an easy deal to be made, the Hurricanes probably would’ve already moved on from Ryan Dzingel. The team could use the cap space and unfortunately, Dzingel hasn’t really been a fit. He’s been a scratch at times, has played on the fourth line and hasn’t really found his place in the lineup. Out of any of Carolina’s free agents, he's the least likely to return after next season.
Odds he re-signs with Hurricanes: Very unlikely
JAMES REIMER
Reimer has worked out well so far as Carolina’s backup goalie. However, he’ll be 33 years old when it comes time for a new contract and given how inconsistent he can be from year to year, we don’t know how he’ll perform next season. The Hurricanes likely want to upgrade their goaltending situation and if a legitimate starter is found, the team could look to go with a younger, cheaper option in Alex Nedeljkovic as a backup, rather than re-signing Reimer.
Odds he re-signs with Hurricanes: Unlikely
BROCK MCGINN
McGinn is a forward who’s capable of playing in the top-nine and is being paid like a third-line forward but likely won’t be in that role with the Hurricanes. He’ll be entering the free agent market at 27 years old and you can imagine he wouldn’t be keen on taking a pay cut, which is what could be required to stay in Carolina in the midst of an expensive offseason. It’s possible McGinn could return but he won’t be a priority and there’s a good chance there won’t be money left over for him next year.
Odds he re-signs with Hurricanes: Unlikely
JORDAN MARTINOOK
Martinook is someone who the Hurricanes will probably want to re-sign, it’ll just come down to trying to make a deal work. While he’s not a key offensive contributor, he’s a leader on the team and works fairly well as a fourth-line winger. I think in Martinook’s case, it could really come down to how much cap space the Hurricanes have left and what other moves the team is looking to make.
Odds he re-signs with Hurricanes: Possible
PETR MRAZEK
I don’t think Mrazek should be the team’s long-term starter but the Hurricanes passed up the opportunity to add a goalie this offseason. Starting goalies don’t become available all that often and while there could be several options for next offseason, I think there’s still a chance that Mrazek returns for the 2021-22 season. He’s probably not Carolina’s first option but he could be back if no upgrade is found.
Odds he re-signs with Hurricanes: Possible
DOUGIE HAMILTON
Obviously, re-signing Hamilton will be Carolina’s top priority and so long as Hamilton wants to stay, he’ll be back. Given Don Waddell’s comments that he hopes Hamilton will be signed ahead of the 2020-21 season, it seems as though he’s pretty optimistic on keeping him around. That said, it’s becoming more common for top stars to test free agency and after seeing what Alex Pietrangelo got this year after heading to free agency, Hamilton could be tempted to follow suit. That said, no signs as of now point to Hamilton looking to leave.
Odds he re-signs with Hurricanes: Likely
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Here’s today’s poll question (results and discussion will be posted in a future article):
How many of the UFAs listed do you think will re-sign with the Hurricanes?
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