The Carolina Hurricanes announced Friday that they have secured rookie defenseman Joel Nystrom on a four-year contract extension valued at $4.9 million. The agreement carries an average annual value of $1.225 million and begins next season, running through the 2029–30 NHL campaign. Nystrom was set to become a restricted free agent after completing his entry-level contract, making the extension a move that locks in cost certainty for the Carolina blue line.
“Joel stepped into our lineup early in the season and has proven that he belongs in the NHL,” said the team’s general manager, Eric Tulsky, in a press release. “He fits our style of play well, and we are excited to watch his continued development in Carolina.”
Nystrom is in his first NHL season and has appeared in 23 regular-season games for Carolina. Through those games, he has recorded four assists, all at even strength, along with a plus-2 rating. The 23-year-old is averaging 16:02 of ice time per game and has played in 23 of the Hurricanes’ 24 contests since making his NHL debut on Oct. 23 in Colorado. His first NHL point came on Nov. 8 against the Buffalo Sabres, and he later put up a two-assist performance against the Boston Bruins in mid-November.
At five-on-five, Carolina has posted strong possession and chance metrics with Nystrom on the ice. The Hurricanes have controlled 60.65% of shot attempts, 59.02% of expected goals, 59.69% of high-danger scoring chances, and 56.52% of goals during his even-strength minutes. Among Carolina's defensemen, his 59.0% share of expected goals at five-on-five ranks third on the team.
Nystrom earned his place in the lineup early in the season due to multiple injuries on the Hurricanes' back end. Jaccob Slavin, K’Andre Miller, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Jalen Chatfield all missed significant time, creating an opportunity that Nystrom capitalized on. He has primarily skated on the bottom pairing alongside fellow rookie Alexander Nikishin and remained in the lineup even as several injured defenders returned.
Before arriving in North America, Nystrom spent five seasons with Farjestad BK in the Swedish Hockey League. In 221 SHL games, he produced 25 goals and 61 assists for 86 points with a plus-13 rating. In the 2024–25 SHL season, he ranked first among Färjestad defensemen in assists (21), tied for first in points (27), and second in goals (6) while playing 51 games. He also won an SHL championship with Farjestad in 2022. Carolina selected Nystrom in the seventh round, 219th overall, of the 2021 NHL Draft.
Listed at 5-foot-11 and 178 pounds, Nystrom is a right-shot defenseman whose game has been built around puck movement and transition play. Through 23 NHL games, he has racked up 14 blocked shots and five hits. He has also appeared in three AHL games with the Chicago Wolves this season, picking up one assist and a plus-2 rating.
The signing comes one day after the Hurricanes reclaimed first place in the Metropolitan Division with a 19-9-2 record following a 3-2 shootout win over the Washington Capitals, reaching 40 points alongside Washington as one of the league’s early teams to do so. Carolina will take on the Philadelphia Flyers in a weekend home-and-home, starting in Philadelphia on Saturday and returning to Raleigh for Sunday’s game.
