In NHL free agency, Hurricanes seek improvement after Stanley Cup winning season
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- GM Eric Tulsky seeks upgrades and will pursue talent despite championship status.
- Canes acquired Carlson's negotiating rights from the Anaheim Ducks.
- Goalie Frederik Andersen faces potential UFA status Wednesday if not re-signed.
Every NHL team looks to get better in the offseason, whether the Stanley Cup champion or not.
This year, that includes the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.
It’s easy to ask how to improve a team that swept through the playoffs, won 16 of 19 games and has nearly every player returning for the 2026-27 season? Why not just run it back?
The answer: Canes general manager Eric Tulsky is not a ‘run-it-back” kind of guy or manager.
“We want to continue to be aggressive and find those avenues that’s available to us,” Tulsky said last week. “There’s still a lot of room to improve. When the team was playing at its best, we were incredibly hard to beat. But there’s always room to improve, spots to get better.
“Our goal is to build a team even when we’re not playing our best and have some injuries that still can win the Cup. This year we were fortunate. We were playing our best and we were healthy. We need to keep taking steps to get to where we’re the favorite year in and year out no matter what comes our way.”
No one can question Tulsky’s approach or track record at this point. His name is going on the Cup. But he’s also aware that changing up a championship team could alter the chemistry on the team, the feel in the room, that made it championship caliber.
“That is a challenge,” Tulsky said. “We have a group of players who are exceptional fits for the way we play and exceptional fits in locker room, very good people who are comfortable with each other. That’s something we have to be conscious about.
“We want to bring in talent and trust the character we have built and assimilate them and keep the positive vibes and the chemistry we have. But we have to keep adding talent whenever we can.”
Can Canes keep John Carlson?
The Hurricanes on Saturday traded a sixth-round draft pick and minor-league defenseman Kyle Masters to the Anaheim Ducks for the negotiating rights to veteran defenseman John Carlson.
The Canes had until Wednesday and the start of free agency to sign Carlson, who won a Cup with the Washington Capitals in 2018, or he becomes an unrestricted free agent.
Signing Carlson would give the Canes a third right-shot D-man to go along with Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker. Carlson also could boost the power-play production.
If Carlson’s asking price from the Canes is too high, he will be testing the market on Wednesday. Carolina’s top-paid defenseman is K’Andre Miller at $7.5 million a year and Carlson is thought to be seeking more than that.
In an interesting switch, the Canes on Tuesday reacquired Masters from the Ducks in exchange for forward Noah Philp, who was claimed off waivers Dec. 29 from Edmonton and played in two Hurricanes games.
Freddie Andersen status with Canes
In other business, goalie Frederik Andersen also is due to gain UFA status on Wednesday if not re-signed. Andersen, 36, was in net for 13 of Carolina’s 16 playoff victories but has had knee issues and has dealt with a serious blood-clotting issue.
Trade speculation continues about defenseman Alexander Nikishin. The Canes made a qualifying offer to the restricted free agent on Tuesday while his name again popped up in various media reports about a possible move.
“Every player on our team is an option for a trade if there’s a way to get better,” Tulsky said.
The Hurricanes made a major move a year ago, trading for Miller from the New York Rangers on July 1, 2025. Tulsky then signed free-agent forward Nikolaj Ehlers on July 3. Both signed long-term contracts.
The Canes, after winning the Cup, have a short turnaround in the offseason. There was the NHL draft, the pending free agency, contract negotiations and trade talk.
“It’s a lot. The busiest time of the year for me, by far,” Tulsky said.
This story was originally published July 1, 2026 at 5:45 AM with the headline "In NHL free agency, Hurricanes seek improvement after Stanley Cup winning season."
