We are officially in July and the first day of free agency did not disappoint in the NHL. As the dust settled, 183 players were signed with a combined 389 contract years. Furthermore, the total cap hit reached $358.
196 million, with total contract dollars hitting $1.205 billion. It’s safe to say the teams spent money and the players were getting paid handsomely.
Regarding the Carolina Hurricanes, they had a busy July 1 with a slew of departures and new arrivals for the upcoming 2024-25 season. From fan favorites leaving, some staying for multiple seasons, to fresh new faces, this will be a different Hurricanes team compared to the 2023-24 group. Buckle in Caniacs, let’s see what Day 1 of free agency brought for the team from Raleighwood.
New Guys on the Block After the dust settled, the Hurricanes acquired five new players who will join head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s team before opening night this fall. The new faces on the Hurricanes are: As the team saw five players from the 2023-24 roster depart, or be traded to other cities, the Hurricanes did not make any knee-jerk reactions. General manager Eric Tulsky has been with the team for 10 years and has seen that a slow and methodical pace works.
The Hurricanes are known as a team that plays a high-tempo system with strong forechecking and a 200-foot game from their forwards and defense. It is clear that Tulsky and the front office were looking to add players who fit the system and they did that with their five acquisitio.