The Carolina Hurricanes are wasting no time in locking up their defensemen of the future this summer.
Jaccob Slavin still has one year remaining on his rookie deal, yet they extended him for seven years at $5.3 million per season earlier this summer. They did something similar with fellow defenseman Brett Pesce today, handing him a six-year extension with a $4.025 million cap hit.
(That works out to $24.15 million overall.)
“Brett took another big step forward last season,” GM Ron Francis said. “He plays a smart defensive game and has good ability to move the puck and contribute offensively. We plan for him to be a part of the Hurricanes’ defensive corps for a long time.”
Much like Slavin, Pesce still has a year remaining on his current deal, so that $4.025M won’t begin until 2018-19.
During his sophomore season, Pesce saw big gains. He played all 82 regular-season games for the Hurricanes, generating 20 points and averaging 21:12 TOI, up from 18:46 during his rookie season.
Pesce’s offense was pretty average, but he showed serious promise in his own end, particularly for a player who is only 22.
Pesce and Slavin join Justin Faulk as Hurricanes defensemen with at least three-year commitments. Carolina still has three other blueliners slated to become RFAs next summer, including Noah Hanifin, whose value could really climb if his 2017-18 season goes well.
