The Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights gave fans a thoroughly entertaining Stanley Cup final, but both clubs head into the off-season with some roster issues to address.
The Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights gave hockey fans a memorable, action-filled Stanley Cup final.
With the series over and both clubs heading into the off-season, their respective managements will be busy preparing for next season.
For the Stanley Cup champion Hurricanes, they're in a good position financially to keep their championship window open. They have nearly $12 million in projected salary-cap space for 2026-27.
Justin Pelletier of The News & Observer pointed out that the Hurricanes have 13 of their 14 forwards, five of their seven defensemen and two of their three goaltenders under contract for next season. He also indicated they have 15 players signed beyond 2026-27, meaning a rebuild isn't in their immediate future.
Still, Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky does have some decisions to make this summer.
ESPN.com's Kristen Shilton noted that veteran starting goaltender Frederik Andersen is slated to become a UFA on July 1. With Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov under contract next season, the 36-year-old Andersen could become the odd man out if the Hurricanes decide not to carry three goalies.
Defenseman Alexander Nikishin is an RFA without arbitration rights. He's not eligible to receive an offer sheet, so there's no concern that another club will sign him. Nevertheless, Pelletier believes the 24-year-old Nikishin isn't a roster lock for next season.
Tulsky made a big splash in last summer's free-agent market by signing right winger Nikolaj Ehlers. However, Shilton doubted the Hurricanes GM would attempt another major addition now, suggesting only a few roster tweaks instead.
Meanwhile, the Golden Knights could be missing a couple of significant players when their season begins next summer.
Shilton's colleague, Ryan S. Clark, pointed out they must address their salary cap issues if they hope to re-sign pending UFA defenseman Rasmus Andersson and RFA Pavel Dorofeyev. They have $4.625 million in projected cap room for next season, but it could cost them over $14 million to sign Andersson and Dorofeyev to new contracts.
Their limited cap space could also make Dorofeyev a tempting offer-sheet target. A rival team seeking scoring depth could find a 25-year-old right winger coming off back-to-back 30-plus goal seasons irresistible.
The Golden Knights are allowed to exceed the salary cap by 10 percent during the off-season, but they must be cap-compliant when their regular season begins in October. They could free up an additional $8.8 million for next season if sidelined defenseman Alex Pietrangelo remains on long-term injury reserve.
To create sufficient room for Andersson and Dorofeyev, the Golden Knights could be forced to shed a couple of salaries. Clark wondered if former starting goalie Adin Hill might become a trade candidate.
Hill has five years left on his deal with an average annual value of $6.25 million and a 10-team no-trade list. Despite Hill's struggles this season, the limited depth in available goalies could draw interest from clubs seeking an experienced starter.
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