In this series, Heavy Sports is looking at what every NHL team has done over the offseason. Next up is the Carolina Hurricanes. Carolina had a successful 2025-2026 campaign, finishing as the best team in the eastern conference during regular season play with a 53-22-7 record. This gave them 113 points in the league standings as they finished only behind the Presidents-trophy winning Colorado Avalanche. They followed this performance up with a dominant postseason run, having defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup finals. This gave them their second championship in their franchise history and first since the 2005-2006 season. The Hurricanes head into next year looking to defend their crown.
Who are Carolina’s Additions?
Key additions: N/A
As expected for a defending champion, the Hurricanes have not done much in terms of adding to this team. The main priority for general manager Eric Tulsky has been keeping this core intact for another run next season, which he has accomplished thus far. He extended depth forward Nicolas Deslauriers during the team’s Cup parade. They had acquired John Carlson from the Anaheim Ducks prior to the free agency window opening up. However, Carlson opted to sign with the Tampa Bay Lightning instead. He recorded 14 goals and 46 assists for 60 points in 71 games split between the Washington Capitals and Ducks last season.
Who are Carolina’s Subtractions?
Key subtractions: Frederik Anderson, Noah Philp, Mike Reilly
The main loss for Carolina is their starting goaltender Frederik Anderson. Anderson signed with the Edmonton Oilers in free agency; the team is hoping he can provide the stability that they need in goal. The Hurricanes feel confident that Brandon Bussi can step up and fill the void here. He had a strong regular season last year and was able to fill in for Anderson when he struggled in the Cup finals. Pyotr Kochetkov will also get an increased opportunity with Anderson on the move. The fact that the Hurricanes avoided any major losses to their player core is impressive and puts them in a strong position to win again next season.
Overall, it’s been a quiet summer on the movement front for this team. This is a good thing for this group as they have been able to keep this elite team together. Tulsky has done an impressive job managing his team’s salary cap situation in order to preserve this squad. This is a team that should once again be amongst the top teams in the eastern conference. The task for them to win the conference again will be challenging as plenty of foes in the east have loaded up this summer. Nevertheless, this team projects to be a top contender again next season considering it will be virtually the same cast of players. In the meantime, Carolina will continue to enjoy the offseason and soak up their Stanley Cup victory. They will aim to avoid the infamous Cup hangover next year and assert themselves as the team for the opposition to beat.
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