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Heat Bring Back Dru Smith On Two-way Deal
A day that started with the Carolina Hurricanes re-signing Jaccob Slavin and losing both Brady Skjei and Brent Pesce in free agency, then saw them have a deal in place with Sean Walker while being on the verge of seeing Shayne Gostisbehere's return, according to multiple reports.
Carolina's defense has cemented itself as one of the strongest units in the NHL over the past few seasons. But it also came with the belief that that the group could go through changes in the offseason with Pesce and Skjei being unrestricted free agents.
Pesce would sign with the New Jersey Devils while Skjei was part of the banner day held by the Nashville Predators, who also signed Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault.
Slavin, a two-time Lady Byng winner, will remain with the club that drafted him after signing an eight-year deal worth $6.461 million that will go into effect at the start of the 2025-26 season. Initially, the 30-year-old Slavin had one year left on his current contract worth $5.3 million annually.
"Jaccob might be the best defender in the NHL, and he has already cemented himself as one for the best players to ever put on a Hurricanes uniform," Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said in a statement. "He is a crucial leader for our team, both on and off the ice, and keeping him in Carolina long term was a top priority."
Tulsky told reporters during the afternoon that they had an agreement in place with Walker. Although terms had yet to be announced, TSN reported Walker was slated to sign a five-year deal worth $3.6 million annually. TSN also reported that the Hurricanes were seeking to finalize a contract with Gostisbehere for three years and a $3.2 million annual tag.
Carolina would be the fourth team in the past three years for Walker, who has previously played for the Los Angeles Kings and spent last season playing for the Philadelphia Flyers before he was traded to the Colorado Avalanche at the NHL trade deadline. Walker finished with a career-high 10 goals and 29 points in 2023-24.
Gostisbehere spent part of the 2022-23 season with the Hurricanes, where he scored three goals and 10 assists in 23 games. He signed a one-year deal last offseason with the Detroit Red Wings where he scored 10 goals while his 56 points were the second-most of his career.
