The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Jackson Blake to an eight-year, $45 million deal the team announced Thursday night. The max-length deal also comes with a bit of deferred salary, meaning the cap hit will be approximately $5.1 million per season, starting in the 2026-27 season. Carolina Hurricanes Bet Big On Promising Rookie With Massive Deal “Jackson had an outstanding rookie season, and we think he is just scratching the surface of the player he can be,” said Carolina general manager Eric Tulsky in a press release. “His tenaciousness on the puck and competitiveness match our team’s culture and we’re excited about his future with our club.” Blake, 21, is coming off of his first professional season where he put up 17 goals and 34 points in 80 regular season games along with three goals and six points in 15 postseason games. The talented rookie certainly didn't look out of place in his first season, with some really eye-popping underlying numbers on both sides of the puck. Jackson Blake 2024-25 Microstats [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/6f234cd8-2608-4729-aa3a-2b75bdac4330.png] Jackson Blake 2024-25 Microstats Blake was also able to seamlessly transition to the NHL game as well as playing alongside top-end talent. Nobody really had the rookie penciled into the lineup last summer, but after an impressive training camp/preseason, Blake defied the odds, making the Hurricanes' opening night roster and never looking back. He managed to produce fairly consistently in a fourth-line role before he was finally elevated to the top line for the final third of the season and even was deployed on the team's top power play. Blake's poise with the puck and tenacity for retrieving them when they're not on his stick already looked to be at an elite level and if he can continue to grow into his body and gain a bit more confidence in his shot, there's a lot of potential here. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- RECENT STORIES Where Does Nikolaj Ehlers Slot In For The Carolina Hurricanes? [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/9b34d005-4466-41cc-a641-d7cda5709583.webp] Where Does Nikolaj Ehlers Slot In For The Carolina Hurricanes? The Carolina Hurricanes picked up one of the biggest free agents this summer, signing forward Nikolaj Ehlers to a six-year deal. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/where-does-nikolaj-ehlers-slot-in-for-the-carolina-hurricanes] • 'I'm Very Excited About The Team In Carolina': Nikolaj Ehlers On Signing In Carolina [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/i-m-very-excited-about-the-team-in-carolina-nikolaj-ehlers-eric-tulsky-on-signing-in-carolina] • Hurricanes Target Positional Depth In Opening Days of Free Agency [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/hurricanes-target-positional-depth-in-opening-days-of-free-agency] • Where Have Last Year's Carolina Hurricanes Ended Up? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/where-have-last-year-s-carolina-hurricanes-ended-up] • Carolina Takes Big Swing On Talented New York Blueliner [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/carolina-takes-big-swing-on-talented-new-york-blueliner] • Who Will Quarterback PP2 For Carolina Next Season? [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/who-will-quarterback-pp2-for-carolina-next-season] • 'The Last Two Years, It Wasn't Easy For Me Mentally': Dmitry Orlov Voices Potential Displeasures With Carolina After Signing In San Jose [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/the-last-two-years-it-wasn-t-easy-for-me-mentally-dmitry-orlov-voices-potential-displeasures-with-carolina-after-signing-in-san-jose] • Carolina Hurricanes Release 2025-26 Schedule [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/latest-news/carolina-hurricanes-release-2025-26-schedule] -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stay updated with the most interesting Carolina Hurricanes stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News [https://news.google.com/publications/CAAqBwgKMK-q0gsw7sXpAw/sections/CAQqEAgAKgcICjCvqtILMO7F6QMwmeDfCA?hl=en-CA&gl=CA&ceid=CA%3Aen] to never miss a story.
