The Carolina Hurricanes kept their busy offseason rolling by securing their franchise cornerstone, Sebastian Aho, on an eight-year, $78 million ($9.75 AAV) contract extension.
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Aho had one year remaining on his five-year, $8.454 million AAV contract that he signed through an offer sheet with the Montreal Canadiens - which Carolina matched - and so he earns a nice raise of $1.296 million per year.
This contract is the perfect gift for the Finnish centerman's 26th birthday and will tie him to the team through the 2031-32 season or until his 35th birthday.
Aho, who is coming off of a 36 goal and 67 point season, has been the team's leading scorer in five of his seven seasons in league and has led the team in goals in six straight seasons.
He is also the franchise leader in postseason goals (23), assists (35) and points (58) and is tied with Eric Staal for the most shorthanded goals scored in franchise history (16).
Perhaps the biggest steal of the 2015 draft - he was selected in the second round, 35th overall - Aho ranks third in goals (218) among his draft class and fourth overall in total points (468).
He's also third in goals and fourth in points among active Finnish players and amongst the all-time Finnish NHL records, he ranks ninth and 15th respectively.
Aho has been the heartbeat of this Carolina Hurricanes team for some time now and it's only fitting that he has the security to remain in Raleigh for the foreseeable future.
And if you like analytics and charts, here's just a few of Aho's...
Here's the team's official press release:
-‘CANES RE-SIGN AHO TO EIGHT-YEAR EXTENSION
Forward ranks fifth in franchise history in career goals (218) and points (468)
RALEIGH, N.C. – Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has
“Sebastian has developed into one of the best two-way centers in hockey,” said Waddell. “He’s a tremendous leader on and off the ice who sets a great example for our younger players. We’re grateful that he’s decided to stay in Carolina for the foreseeable future.”
Aho, 26, registered 67 points (36g, 31a) in 75 regular season games with the Hurricanes in 2022-23 and added 12 points (5g, 7a) in 15 games during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He has tallied 468 points (218g, 250a) in 520 career regular season games, all with Carolina. The 6’0”, 180-pound center is tied with Eric Staal for the most career shorthanded goals in franchise history (16), and he has also scored a franchise-record nine career overtime goals. Aho ranks fifth in franchise history in goals and points, and his four 30-goal seasons trail only Eric Staal (5) for the most in franchise history. He has recorded 58 points (23g, 35a) in 63 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, and he owns franchise records for career playoff goals, assists, and points. Aho has finished at least tied for the team lead in scoring in each of his five career postseasons (2019-23).
The Rauma, Finland, native was drafted 35th overall by the Hurricanes in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. Among his draft class, Aho ranks third in career goals, fourth in points, and sixth in assists. He has been named to the NHL All-Star Game twice (2019, 2022), and won the accuracy shooting event at the 2022 NHL All-Star Skills Competition in Las Vegas. Aho has represented Finland at the IIHF World Junior Championship (2015, 2016), the IIHF World Championship (2016, 2017, 2018) and the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.