Subscribe
Follow Us
The Carolina Hurricanes signed Logan Stankoven to a huge contract extension in NHL Free Agency. However, he is not the only young star Carolina has rewarded. Trade pickup K'Andre Miller also received a huge eight-year contract from the Hurricanes. And on Thursday, it was forward Jackson Blake receiving his big payday.
Blake signed an eight-year contract with the Hurricanes. He will count for $5.1 million against the salary cap, though the total value of this contract is $45 million. The Hurricanes are deferring some of his salary to future seasons. This is the final year teams can defer salary, as that practice is banned by the upcoming CBA in September 2026.
The Hurricanes have a lot of confidence in Blake's abilities. And they hope he can be a special player down the line. Let's take a look at the contract they gave their 21-year-old forward and hand them a grade for their efforts.
Jackson Blake remains with Hurricanes
Blake had a very successful season in 2024-25. He had 17 goals, which ranked seventh among NHL rookies. Six of these goals were game-winning goals, which paced rookies this past season. And he also led rookies in playoff power-play goals.
Blake showed a ton of promise in his first full NHL season. He quickly earned the trust of his coaches, as well. So much so in fact that he was deployed on Sebastian Aho's wing on the first line. He didn't produce a ton offensively with that time. But he did a lot of good work off the puck to help Aho find success of his own.
Blake could have put this contract off for another year. He is signed through the 2025-26 campaign. However, there would have been some differences had he gone that route. For starters, he wouldn't have received the eighth year. Along with deferred money, eight-year contracts are also banned in the upcoming CBA.
Getting the extra year of security is crucial. Especially for a young player in the NHL. He receives a good payday for his efforts, as well. All in all, this is a very good contract for Blake.
Hurricanes extend Jackson Blake
The Hurricanes like signing their young stars early on. As mentioned, they signed Stankoven to an eight-year contract this summer. The Hurricanes also signed Seth Jarvis to a huge contract extension last year. Signing Blake continues this trend.
Some may look at the 34 points he put up and wonder why Carolina made this deal. However, that doesn't take in the entire picture. Blake was excellent defensively in 2024-25. The 21-year-old led Hurricanes skaters with the fewest Goals Allowed Per 60 at 5v5 in 2024-25, according to Evolving Hockey. Furthermore, he had the second-lowest Corsi Allowed Per 60 among his teammates.
Blake has shown that he can already flirt with the 20-goal mark. And he has proven himself to be a high-level defensive presence in the NHL. The Hurricanes forward should only get better as the years go along. His $5.1 million cap hit may be steep in the short-term, but as the cap rises, this could be a steal for Carolina.
Grades and final thoughts
The Hurricanes and Jackson Blake receive high marks for their work on this deal. Carolina keeps another one of its young stars locked up long-term at a reasonable price. Meanwhile, Blake earns a significant pay raise early in his career and receives a level of stability he wouldn't have received had he waited until next summer.
Jackson Blake grade: A
Carolina Hurricanes grade: A
