The Carolina Hurricanes have been very active in NHL free agency. On July 1, they picked up defenseman K'Andre Miller in a trade with the New York Rangers. That helped solve their problem on defense, but they still needed to add scoring. On Thursday, ESPN insider Kevin Weekes reported that the Hurricanes are expected to sign Nikolaj Ehlers to a free-agent contract.

“I’m told there’s a good chance UFA F Ehlers signs with the [Hurricanes] today, situation remains fluid,” Weekes reported.

Minutes later, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported the connection between the player and the team. Walt Ruff of the Hurricanes revealed that Carolina had signed Ehlers to a six-year deal worth $8.5 million per season.

Ehlers was one of the top free agents available when the new league year started on July 1. But as other players flew off the board, Ehlers held out for a few extra days. Now, he is with the Hurricanes, who made the Eastern Conference Final last season.

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During his decade with the Winnipeg Jets, Ehlers scored 20 goals eight times, totaling 225 regular-season goals. But his playoff record should have the Hurricanes concerned, with only nine goals in 45 postseason games. Carolina's biggest issue has been scoring in the postseason, so Ehlers must figure that out.

Ehlers received the highest average annual value of any 2025 unrestricted free agent. Mitch Marner was paid more, but he was technically a sign-and-trade. The Hurricanes are paying big prices to fix their problems, but they are in their competitive window and pushing for a deep playoff run.

The Hurricanes did lose Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov in free agency in recent days. While their blue line did need a refresh, K'Andre Miller cannot replace both of them. Veterans Jan Rutta and Matthew Grzelcyk highlight the remaining free-agent pool for defensemen.

Do the Hurricanes have more moves to make?

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