The Carolina Hurricanes have finally broken the silence around their batch of upcoming UFAs as the team announced that they have re-signed defenseman Jalen Chatfield to a 3x$3 million AAV deal.
Per PuckPedia, Chatfield has a full no-move clause on the first two years of his deal and the last year he has a 15-team no trade list.
"It's really exciting for me and my family just knowing how much we wanted to stay in Raleigh and continue to play with the Hurricanes," Chatfield said on 99.9 The Fan with Dennis Cox on Friday. "Super excited to have a couple more years to come back here. Just really blessed, really excited and I just can't wait to get the season going and get back to Raleigh.
"It's a great organization and I love playing for Roddy. We had a special group of guys here last year and the last two years I've been here. I love playing here, love playing here and honestly it was the perfect fit. I'm just really happy it worked out."
Chatfield, 28, has truly blossomed into a solid defenseman since joining the Hurricanes organization three years ago.
After a "prove-it" year in the AHL with the Chicago Wolves, where he helped lead the team to a championship as a top-pairing defenseman, Chatfield then cemented a spot in the lineup the following year.
“Jalen has been an integral part of our blue line over the last two seasons and firmly established himself as an NHL defenseman,” said Hurricanes interim general manager Eric Tulsky. “His elite speed and tireless work ethic make him an incredibly dynamic player at both ends of the ice.”
Chatfield has had some of the best possession numbers in the NHL, especially last year. He's a speedy skater who can erase mistakes and he's effective at jumping into plays and pushing the overall pace of play.
The Michigan native has gotten better and better every year and now, coming off of an eight goal, 22 point campaign where he was playing solid minutes along Dmitry Orlov, he's earned a pay raise.
Chatfield had been making league minimum for the last three seasons, so it's a well-earned raise and one that is still really cost friendly to Carolina as well.
With so much uncertainty still surround the team, locking in a player like Chatfield who can play up in the lineup is a vital signing.