The Hurricanes 2021 fourth round pick signed his ELC with the team on Wednesday
The Hurricanes announced on Wednesday that they have signed North Dakota forward Jackson Blake to a three-year entry level contract.
The contract, which is slated to start this season will see Blake make $775,000 at the NHL level in 2023-24 and $832,500 in both 2024-25 and 2025-26. If he is at the AHL level, he will receive $80,000 for all there years of his ELC.
A finalist for the Hobey Baker, Blake was a star for North Dakota this past season, leading the team with 60 points in 40 games played, which was 21 more points behind his closest teammate.
Having spent the past two seasons with the Fighting Hawks, Blake collected 38 goals and added 64 assists for 102 points in 79 career NCAA games.
The latest signing by the Hurricanes, who also inked Bradly Nadeau and Gleb Trikozov to entry-level deals recently, Blake has the chance to a solid contributor for the Hurricanes in the not so distant future.
A smart player who sees the ice well, Blake is a threat whenever he gets the puck in the offensive zone. He has a quick release, capable of changing the angle on his release and can beat a goalie from a multitude of areas. Blake navigates well in tight areas, showing he has the ability to spot players through traffic with a quick slip pass through sticks while also using give and go's to advance the puck into high danger areas.
With the Hurricanes signing many high-end prospects to deals, speculation has commenced as to them potentially having a deal in place for an AHL team for next season. While nothing has been confirmed, it has created an added excitement over the last couple of days for Hurricanes fans.
As for Blake, patience is the name of the game with him. He has developed well over the last few years and will only continue to get better. Letting him adjust to the pro game at his own pace should be the Hurricanes number one priority.
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