Carolina Hurricanes Reel in the Big Fish of Free Agency: Nikolaj Ehlers Signs Longterm Contract
The Carolina Hurricanes now have two players known as ‘The Great Dane’.
After two long days of suspense, top free agent Nikolaj Ehlers has found his new home in Carolina.
Not many knew where Ehlers would end up after he told the Winnipeg Jets he would take a shot in the free market. But everyone wanted him.
There were rumblings that the Colorado Avalanche, the Boston Bruins, and even the Detroit Red Wings were interested. The 29-year-old left wing was the most sought-after talent available on the market.
However, despite everyone and their mother trying to sweet-talk him into a deal, it reportedly came down to the wire between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals. On July 3rd, he made his choice.
Signing a six-year, $51M contract ($8.5M average annual value) with the Hurricanes, Ehlers is expected to be a main piece of the core for many years to come.
What Should Carolina Hurricanes Fans Know About Nikolaj Ehlers
Being selected ninth overall in an elite 2014 Draft Class, he has posted eight 20+ goal seasons in his career. However, despite his offensive prowess, he hasn’t received an especially large amount of ice time. In the past three seasons, he has only averaged roughly 15 minutes per game.
Interestingly, though, he averaged more time on the ice before the 2022-23 season. These earlier seasons were spent under Paul Maurice, a head coach who employed a system similar to the Hurricanes.
Now isn’t that interesting.
As for Ehlers’ playing style, he is a highly creative forward with an excellent ability to find the best passing lanes, knowing which player in which area is most likely to get the puck to the back of the net. On top of that, he has a mighty fine shot himself, bringing a finishing edge which Carolina could always use more of.
Of course, every player comes with downsides. Notably, Ehlers has a proneness to injury, as evident by his game log. In 10 seasons in the NHL, five were incomplete (not counting the COVID-19 shortened seasons).
His ability to guard the puck is also a bit hindered due to his lighter frame at 172 lbs., but that doesn’t render his defensive capabilities as ineffectual. Additionally, he has tended to make little impact during the Jets’ playoff runs in previous years, though he did noticeably well in their latest postseason campaign.
In Conclusion
With the potential to earn more ice time in Carolina and a system close to what he flourished in during his earlier seasons, this is a fantastic deal for both the player and the team.
Ehlers sounds like a great fit for Carolina in both play and personality, and considering he chose to join Carolina despite all of the teams trying to acquire him, it makes this deal all the sweeter.
The offseason has had a lot of action for the Hurricanes, and it will be interesting to see how it all unfolds when the puck drops on the first night. Things are looking optimistic in Raleighwood.