Nikolaj Ehlers' fate with the Avalanche has officially been revealed
Photo credit: Cameron Bartlett / The Globe and Mail
The Carolina Hurricanes announced on Thursday that they have signed Nikolaj Ehlers to a six-year contract worth $51 million.
The 29-year-old winger, who was ranked as TSN's top free agent entering the market on Tuesday, attracted attention from several teams during the past few days, including the Colorado Avalanche.
Avalanche miss out of signing the NHL's top UFA.
TSN reports that Ehlers finished the 2024-25 season with 24 goals and 53 points in 69 games for the Winnipeg Jets, helping the team secure the Presidents' Trophy. In the playoffs, he contributed five goals and seven points across eight games before the Jets were knocked out by the Dallas Stars in the second round.
Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky confirmed on Tuesday that he had been in contact with Ehlers' agent. Prior to signing him, the team had a substantial $18.26 million in cap space with 23 players already under contract for the upcoming season.
«We've had talks with his agent He's taking his time to field offers. He's obviously a very popular person right now, and we're waiting to see where that goes.» -Tulsky
The 6-foot winger recently completed a seven-year, $42 million contract with a $6 million annual cap hit.
Selected ninth overall by the Jets in 2014, Ehlers has amassed 225 goals and 520 points over 674 career games.
"Adding Ehlers comes after the Hurricanes locked up a key piece of their future on Tuesday, signing Logan Stankoven to an eight-year, $48 million contract extension. Carolina also acquired K'Andre Miller from the New York Rangers, signing him to an eight-year deal worth $7.5 million per year. The Rangers received blueliner Scott Morrow, a 2026 first-round pick, and a 2026 second-round pick in return for Miller." -TSN.ca
This signing follows the Hurricanes' unsuccessful attempts to secure long-term contracts with star wingers Jake Guentzel and Mikko Rantanen, both acquired via in-season trades over the past two years.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 3 | 28 ANSWERS Nikolaj Ehlers' fate with the Avalanche has officially been revealed Are you upset that Nikolaj Ehlers didn't sign with the Avalanche? | ||
| yes | 12 | 42.9 % |
| no | 16 | 57.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
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