Hurricanes ‘Really Want’ Best Remaining Free Agent, Claims Elliotte Friedman originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
With Brad Marchand, Mitch Marner, and Sam Bennett off the board, the focus of the NHL free agent market has shifted to the new best-available player in the market, Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers.
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According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, who appeared as a guest on Monday’s episode of the “Spittin’ Chiclets” podcast, the Carolina Hurricanes are the leading contender for the free-agent forward.
“Carolina… Carolina,” Friedman said when asked which team he expects to make a “splash” in free agency. “Ehlers, with Marner off the board… Ehlers is the biggest name out there, right?
“Carolina, I think, they really want that guy.”
Ehlers is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He just finished a seven-year, $42 million contract with the Jets, where he consistently delivered as a top-six forward.
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The 29-year-old left winger scored 24 goals and 63 points in 69 games this season, while averaging 15:48 of ice time. He also scored seven points in eight postseason outings.
While Friedman views Ehlers as a strong fit in Carolina, former NHL player and “Spittin’ Chiclets’ co-host Paul Bissonnette pushed back on the idea during the conversation.
“But then, they just… they don’t really address what they need,” Bissonnette said. “They just keep getting, like, small, fast guys.”
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Winnipeg Jets left wing Nikolaj Ehlers (27) is one of the best-available players in the market.Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Friedman acknowledged Carolina’s trend when targeting players, but believes Ehlers addresses their pressing need for scoring while being the best forward available in free agency.
“Yeah, though the one thing is they had trouble scoring too, right?” Friedman said. “And he can score… he’s always said, ‘Put me on the first line and I will do something.’
“And Carolina is a team that can give him a chance. Carolina’s got a lot of money to spend, and they wanna spend it.”
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The Hurricanes will enter free agency with a humongous $26.7 million in cap space, the third-largest figure across the NHL.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 1, 2025, where it first appeared.