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The Carolina Hurricanes had a massive offseason once July 1 rolled around. They traded for K'Andre Miller with an eight-year extension in place and, after a few days, signed Nikolaj Ehlers. But before both of those moves, they extended a key trade acquisition after a solid second half. How did the Hurricanes and Logan Stankoven fare on the eight-year contract extension they signed?
Stankoven came over as the key piece of the Mikko Rantanen trade. After the Hurricanes picked Rantanen up in a big trade with the Colorado Avalanche, they could not reach a contract extension. So, they flipped the All-Star to the Dallas Stars for Stankoven and two first-round picks. They liked the fit of Stankoven and were able to agree to a contract. It starts in 2026, runs for eight years, and is worth $6 million per season.
Stankoven is 22 years old and scored 14 goals in 78 games across his two stops last year. While the offensive production could be better, Carolina is betting that he takes a step forward next year. Rod Brind'Amour's system is built on defense, and this contract is proof that Stankoven's play on the wing is up to his standards. If he can score 20-25 goals per year, this contract will pay off immediately.
The Hurricanes went out and added Nikolaj Ehlers on July 3, landing one of the top forwards to change teams this summer. Mitch Marner was the pipe dream, dating back to the deadline when they tried to pry him out of Toronto. But when he went to Vegas, Eric Tulsky paid up to land Ehlers, who joins the team with eight 20-goal seasons in ten years on his resume.
That move takes a lot of pressure off the Stankoven deal, giving him time to become that 20-goal scorer.
Hurricanes grade: A-
Logan Stankoven is on the Hurricanes for the foreseeable future
The Hurricanes did great work by keeping Stakhanov. Not only does it add NHL depth to their roster, but it also locks in a win-now piece after all of the Rantanen drama. They gave up Martin Necas, their top goal scorer at the time of the deal, to land Rantanen. Stankoven is hardly a replacement for him now, but he can be down the road. But for Stankoven, it comes at a time when signing a short-term deal could have made him very rich.
Stankoven is signed through his age-31 season, so he could sign another big contract before retirement. But the salary cap is exploding in the coming years, reaching $113.5 million in 2027-28. Stankoven was going to be a UFA in July of 2030, where the market for a scoring winger could have been out of control. Instead, he is locked in through 2034, which puts four more years on his tires before a new contract.
The Hurricanes don't play in a no-tax state, but they have been a competitive team for a generation now. That was enough to keep Stankoven in Raleigh for nine years, and if he wins a Stanley Cup, it will be worth it. But there are a lot of young players who would be hitting free agency now who signed big deals years ago, likely regretting it. Adam Fox could have blown his $9.5 million cap hit out of the water this offseason, for example. But he is locked in until he is 31 years old. Sound familiar?
It's nearly impossible to turn down $48 million, especially in a sport where injuries are so common. But Stankoven will not have the opportunity to get a raise until he is 31. That takes down his grade on his deal.
Stankoven grade: B
Final Logan Stankoven thoughts
Stankoven's extension helped the Hurricanes trade for K'Andre Miller and sign Nikolaj Ehlers. That already makes it a home run for Carolina, which needed to improve after an embarrassing defeat at the hands of the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. If Stankoven takes a step forward, this will immediately become one of the best deals in the league.
