The Carolina Hurricanes are reportedly retaining defenseman Jalen Chatfield on a three-year contract with an annual average value of $3 million, per Frank Seravalli. Chatfield was set to become an unrestricted free agent in July but will remain with the Hurricanes following a breakout 2023-24 season.

Chatfield set career marks in goals (8), assists (14) and points (22) while playing more than 15 minutes per game. He emerged as one of Carolina's best blueliners and formed a solid pairing with veteran Dmitry Orlov.

Chatfield's performance in the playoffs further proved his worth as he saw increased playing time for the Canes. The 28-year-old totaled over 20 minutes per game, contributing a pair of assists. His speed on the backend helped Carolina secure a playoff series win for the sixth consecutive season.

After making his NHL debut with the Vancouver Canucks in 2021, Chatfield split time between the NHL and AHL the following season upon signing a one-year deal with the Hurricanes. The Canes rewarded him with a two-year extension and he's more than earned his pay raise with his play over the last two seasons.

It was reported that the Canucks were interested in bringing Jalen Chatfield back had he hit the open market. The Hurricanes saw enough from him to prevent that from happening, keeping the Michigan native under contract through the 2026-27 season.

Canes facing significant roster changes

The Hurricanes might be the busiest team this offseason as they try to retool following another disappointing playoff exit. Re-signing Chatfield on a team-friendly deal is a good move, but Carolina has a lot of work to do this summer to stay among the Eastern Conference's elite.

With longtime general manager Don Waddell leaving his post to join the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Hurricanes are set for a new leadership era with interim GM Eric Tulsky at the helm. It is widely expected that Tulsky will have the interim tag removed before the offseason officially begins.

Tulsky is tasked with deciding which of the multitude of free agents the Hurricanes should keep. Among them are Jake Guentzel, Brett Pesce and Teuvo Teravainen. Carolina also needs to decide on the futures of restricted free agents Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis, the latter of which could demand a long-term deal with an AAV north of $7 million following a 33-goal campaign.

It will be impossible for the Hurricanes to retain all of those players, leading to some tough pills to swallow. Carolina will no doubt expect to remain a Stanley Cup contender regardless of how the roster looks in October, but the pressure is on to win a championship following three straight seasons of heartbreaking exits.

The Canes avoided potential disaster by locking up head coach Rod Brind'Amour on a five-year extension in May. Carolina reached the playoffs in each of Brind'Amour's first six seasons in charge and won at least 52 games in the last three seasons.

Few teams have replicated Carolina's success over the last half-decade but a championship still eludes the Hurricanes. This is an uber-important offseason for the franchise.