Carolina is getting a bit of a hometown discount from its star winger.
The Hurricanes have taken care of their last piece of (massively important) in-house business for this offseason. As first reported by Kevin Weekes on Thursday morning, and confirmed by the Canes, the team has signed restricted free agent forward Andrei Svechnikov to an eight-year deal with a $7.75-million AAV.
This contract is undoubtedly a bit of a home-town discount for Carolina. With Svechnikov coming off a bit of a “down” (but by no means bad) year with 15 goals and 42 points in 55 games, the thought was that both sides might go with a bridge deal, but that AAV likely wouldn’t have been much below $7.75.
Locking Svechnikov into that number for eight years is a very good deal for the Canes, and it has the potential to end up being absolute larceny if he develops as he should into his prime.
The 21-year-old winger, the Hurricanes’ second overall pick in the 2018 draft, has played three seasons in the NHL, with 59 goals and 140 points in 205 games. After posting a solid 20 goals and 37 points as a rookie, he broke out with 24 goals and 61 points in 68 games last year.
While he did not take the leap many were expecting in year three, at just 21 his best days should still be well ahead of him. If he becomes the absolute force on the wing that many expect, the Hurricanes will have an absolute bargain on their hands.
The official release from the team follows:
‘CANES AGREE TO TERMS WITH ANDREI SVECHNIKOV
Winger to sign eight-year contract with Carolina through 2028-29 season
RALEIGH, NC – Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with forward Andrei Svechnikov on an eight-year contract. The deal will pay Svechnikov an average-annual value (AAV) of $7.75 million per season through 2028-29.
“Andrei is one of the cornerstones of this organization, and we are thrilled to reach a long-term commitment to keep him here,” said Waddell. “He is one of the brightest rising stars in our sport, and will play a key role in our efforts to bring the Stanley Cup to the Triangle this decade.”
Svechnikov, 21, scored 15 goals and added 27 assists (42 points) in 55 regular-season games during his third NHL season in 2020-21. The Barnaul, Russia, native ranked fifth on the team in goals, tied for third in assists, tied for third in points and second in hits (114) for the season. He added eight points (2g, 6a) in 11 Stanley Cup playoff games as the Hurricanes defeated the Nashville Predators in the first round before falling to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
Selected by the Hurricanes in the first round, second overall, at the 2018 NHL Draft, Svechnikov has totaled 59 goals and 81 assists (140 points) in 205 career regular-season games and has scored more goals for the franchise than any other Russian-born player in team history. He recorded career highs in goals (24), assists (37) and points (61) in 68 games during the 2019-20 season, and has helped the Hurricanes reach the playoffs in each of his three NHL campaigns.
Leave a Reply