Hurricanes tracker: What are the Canes up to as NHL free agency opens for business?

The Carolina Hurricanes are in a unique position in the NHL this offseason. Most of the team’s core is under contract for at least another year, with 18 of the 23 allowed NHL roster positions technically filled. Yet the team also has ample salary cap space to use — just over $21 million, per CapFriendly.com — and an owner in Tom Dundon, who does not mind spending to win.

With the future in mind, the Canes will be looking to extend key pieces of their core and will likely chew into some of that cap space to do so. But there is still a lot of room there in which to play.

The most glaring hole the team had was between the pipes. Both Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta were free agents. Part of that equation has been handled.

Here is the latest news on Hurricanes free agency:

Canes make a splash — x2

It was go-big-or-go-home time for the Hurricanes during the second hour of NHL free agency on Saturday. The Hurricanes agreed to terms with a big fish on the blue line, lining up Dmitry Orlov for two years at $7.75 million per season. Orlov spent the first 10.5 seasons of his career with the Washington Capitals before playing the last half of last season with the Boston Bruins.

In 709 career games, Orlov has 64 goals and 209 assists and is a career plus-114. An imposing presence on the blue line, he adds to a position of depth in Carolina.

The Orlov news was quickly followed by another reported addition: Michael Bunting. The 28-year-old forward plays with a snarl, and also scores, putting up 23 goals in each of the past two seasons for Toronto. His cap hit with Carolina will reportedly be for three years at $4.5 million annually.

Running it back in net

The Hurrcanes are bringing back their NHL goaltending tandem, and doing it on the cheap. Antti Raanta, 34, highly regarded in the Canes’ locker room and a steady presence in the net when he was able to stay healthy, reportedly signed a 1-year, $1.5 million deal to stay in Raleigh.

“Antti has been excellent for us over the last two seasons,” GM Don Waddell said in a release. “He’s been reliable when called upon, and we’re thrilled to bring him back for another year.”

The Canes followed that up by reportedly giving Frederik Andersen a two-year deal woth an average of $3.4 million per season. Those signings along with the longer-term deal Pyotr Kochetkov signed midseason, mean the Canes are spending $6.9 million in total on three NHL goalies (less if Kochetkov is playing in the AHL).

Andersen started 33 games for the Canes last season, finishing with a 21-11-1 regular-season record, a 2.48 GAA and a .903 save percentage. In the playoffs, Andersen went 5-3 with a 1.83 GAA and .927 save percentage.

Raanta started 27 games last season, posting a 19-3-3 record with a 2.23 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. He started an additional six games in the playoffs, going 3-3-0 with a 2.48 GAA and .909 save percentage.

Raanta and Andersen became the first goaltending duo in franchise history to win the William M. Jennings Trophy in 2021-22, when Carolina allowed an NHL-low 202 goals against.

Making a Fast decision

Who led the Canes in goal-scoring in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs? Jesper Fast, with six.

Who teamed with Jordan Staal much of the year on one of the NHL’s best shutdown lines? Who is one of the Canes’ most popular players? Jesper Fast.

The Canes found a way to keep the quietly effective Swedish forward. The team announced Saturday it has signed Fast to a two-year, $4.8 million contract extension. The deal will pay Fast an average-annual value (AAV) of $2.4 million per season through 2024-25. The contract also includes a limited no-trade clause.

“Jesper is an extremely hard worker on both ends of the ice, and his consistency has played a key role in our success over the past three seasons,” Canes GM Don Waddell said in a release. “He is the kind of person and player that every team is looking for, and we are thrilled to have him back in our locker room.”

Around the league

The Hurricanes are, of course, just one of 32 teams in the NHL with free agency signing aspirations, and some teams will be more aggressive than others. Here’s a look at some of the bigger signings across the NHL:

▪ Tristan Jarry (Pittsburgh Penguins): The Penguins locked down their No. 1 goaltender this afternoon, agreeing to a 5-year contract with Tristan Jarry for an average of $5.38 million per year.

▪ Matt Duchene (Dallas Stars): A popular player in Nashville, Duchene landed with the Dallas Stars on Saturday on a 1-year deal worth $3 million.

▪ Max Pacioretty (Washington Capitals): A cameo Cane last season due to a pair of Achilles injuries, Pacioretty is hoping for a better season in Washington, where he’ll skate on a 1-year, $2 million deal.

▪ Gustav Nyquist (Nashville Predators): The sturdy forward has had some injury trouble in recent years, but when healthy is skilled addition to a retooling Nashville team. Preds picked him up for two years at $3.19 million per season.

▪ Connor Clifton (Buffalo Sabres): Undersized but gritty, Clifton has been a mainstay for the Bruins for a few years on their blue line. Now, he’ll get a chance to break out in Buffalo. Clifton signed for three years at $3.33 million per year.

▪ Morgan Geekie (Boston Bruins): Maybe not a “big signing,” but a popular former Hurricane was on the move from Seattle to Boston, where he’ll earn $2 million annually for two years.

▪ Radko Gudas (Anaheim Ducks): This hard-hitting defenseman was a pain, literally, in the Hurricanes’ behind this past season, and a steady piece of the Florida Panthers’ blue line. Now, he’ll terrorize opposing forwards in the Western Conference as amember of the Ducks, where he signed a 3-year, $12 million deal with $4 million per year.

▪ Joonas Korpisalo (Ottawa Senators): Considered by most observers to be the top goalie on the free agent market, Korpisalo signed with the Senators Saturday for a reported $4 million per year for five years.

▪ Blake Wheeler (New York Rangers): The longtime Winnipeg Jets forward, who was bought out this week and waived, has signed a 1-year deal with the New York Rangers worth $800,000 at the base level, with another $300,000 in potential bonus money.

▪ Ryan O’Reilly (Nashville Predators): An important piece of the St. Louis Blues’ run to the Stanley Cup in 2019, and a big piece of the Maple Leafs’ attempt this past season, O’Reilly has reportedly cashed in on a 4-year deal with the Predators at a reported AAV of $4.5 million.

▪ Luke Schenn (Nashville Predators): Schenn spent last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The veteran defenseman has reportedly signed a three-year deal with the Preds, with an AAV of $2.75 million.

▪ Oliver Ekman-Larsson (Florida Panthers): Coming off a Stanley Cup Final appearance, the Panthers have added veteran depth to their blue line, agreeing to terms with unrestricted free agent Oliver Ekman-Larsson on a 1-year deal with $2.25 million, per TSN.

▪ Adin Hill (Vegas Golden Knights): The catalyst of the Knights’ run to the Stanley Cup, Hill was rewarded with a new two-year deal worth $4.9 million per year..

▪ Corey Perry (Chicago Blackhawks): Perry has been part of a couple of Stanley Cup Final runs in recent years as he’s bounced around from contender to contender in the twilight of his career. He’ll get a chance to mentor this year’s No. 1 overall pick in Connor Bedard after signing a 1-year deal with the Blackhawks with $4 million.

For a running list of NHL free agent signings, TSN and Sportsnet will update their lists regularly.