The Carolina Hurricanes sign forward Andrei Svechnikov to a long-term contract
The Carolina Hurricanes have made a long-term commitment to Andrei Svechnikov, signing the forward to an eight-year contract that will pay him an average of $7.75 million a year.
The Hurricanes announced the deal Thursday after months of speculation of when Svechnikov, a restricted free agent, would sign with the club, how much it would cost them, if negotiations would linger into the fall, if a shorter “bridge” deal might be in the offing.
But Svechnikov put it simply Thursday when he said. “It was an easy deal. I want to be a Hurricane.” The Hurricanes, from owner Tom Dundon on down, wanted Svechnikov, 21, to be an integral part of their franchise for the long run.
“I think it’s important because we want to keep guys around here that obviously are great players but identify as great Hurricanes,” Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour said in an interview Thursday. “Since day one, he’s checked those boxes. He’s done everything we’ve asked of him. A good human being. I feel like he’s the kind of kid you want to build around, those foundational players.
“I’m happy Tom was willing to pony up and now we’ve got to put that behind us and just worry about winning.”
In Svechnikov’s three seasons in the NHL, and Brind’Amour’s three years as head coach, the Canes have reached the Stanley Cup playoffs -- that after a nine-year playoff absence. A dynamic player, Svechnikov has thrilled Canes fans with such indelible moments as his much-acclaimed lacrosse-shot scores and his power moves to the net.
Canes president and general manager Don Waddell said Thursday that an eight-year contract was being discussed with Svechnikov’s agent, Mark Gandler of International Sports Advisors Co., from the start.
“That was the good part, that we were both on the same page,” Waddell said on the media call. “It was finding the right number for eight years. We had great discussions, for the last three weeks probably almost daily. I think Mark was tired from hearing from me.
“But we’re very pleased. Andrei is one of our key players and moving forward will have even a bigger role. ... It’s a lot of money to commit but we all felt it was a very worthy investment. He’s all in. He’s a dedicated athlete. He’s a great teammates. The guys love him.”
The Hurricanes were able to draft Svechnikov in June 2018 after moving from 11th to second in the first round after the NHL Draft Lottery. He started the 2018-19 season in the Canes lineup, at 18, and continued to mature and develop, with the expected ups and downs of a young player competing in the world’s best hockey league.
“Three years ago I just wanted to make the NHL and maybe score a couple of lacrosse goals,” Svechnikov, smiling, said on the call. “I just wanted to grow in the NHL and play my game and be a team guy and hopefully win a Stanley Cup.”
Because of the pandemic, the NHL’s 2021 season did not begin until January, and Svechnikov had a sizzling start: goals in each of his first three games and six goals in the first eight games. He finished with 15 goals and 27 assists in 55 regular-season games as the Canes won the newly created Central Division.
Svechnikov had eight points (2 goals, 6 assists) in 11 Stanley Cup playoff games as the Hurricanes won their first-round series against the Nashville Predators, then were beaten by the eventual Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.
Looking to next season, Brind’Amour said he is hoping to see Svechnikov “take that next step in every area.”
“I’d obviously like to see him take less penalties,” Brind’Amour said. “That’s an area he needs to shore up. That’s a big thing. If we can knock a few of those off, it gets him more ice time at the end of the day.”
Svechnikov’s 44 penalty minutes were a team high and his 22 penalties ranked eighth highest in the NHL.
“That’s one area (to improve), and then there’s that 200-foot game that we’re always talking about,” Brind’Amour said. “He’s definitely improved a lot over his three years and there’s still room to grow there. too.”
Svechnikov becomes the second highest-paid player on the Hurricanes. Center Sebastian Aho has an annual salary of $8.46 million, the result of an offer sheet tendered to Aho by the Montreal Canadiens in 2019 that the Canes matched.
Svechnikov’s $62 million contract is the largest ever given by the Canes, topping the 10-year, $60 million deal that Jordan Staal signed in June 2012 soon after being traded to Carolina by Pittsburgh.
CapFriendly.com, which tracks player salaries, reported that Svechnikov, who wears No. 37, received a signing bonus of $4,000,037 that he said he might give to his parents and family.
Svechnikov said he was both happy and bit relieved to have the contract issue settled. Now it’s all about the hockey.
“We’ve got a great team and great coaches and we’re going to make it happen,” Svechnikov said.
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 11:35 AM with the headline "The Carolina Hurricanes sign forward Andrei Svechnikov to a long-term contract."
