Carolina Hurricanes Should Start Thinking About Nadeau & Legault Extensions

After night one of the 2026 NHL Draft, general manager Eric Tulsky stated about Nadeau getting more of a look, “He’s been great in the AHL. He had, sort of, two call-up stints this past year. I thought in the first one, he looked like someone who was acclimating for the first time. In the second one, he looked like someone who was acclimated. You could see the progression. He absolutely will be in the conversation if we need a call-up at the start of the year. I think it would be a good opportunity for him to get some runway.”

Regarding an extension, AFP Analytics is projecting Nadeau to sign a one-year, $940,000 deal, as he will be a restricted free agent (RFA) after the 2026-27 season. While it makes sense to possibly go that route, since the Hurricanes have done it with Ronan Seeley and Aleksi Heimosalmi, for Nadeau they need to look long-term.

Nadeau will be 22 years old after his current entry-level contract concludes. He is currently being paid $82,500 in the AHL, while his NHL salary is $918,333. Even if his next contract is a two-way deal like Nystrom’s, it should have a term of at least four or five years. He has shown throughout his career, especially with the Wolves, that he should be part of the next Hurricanes core alongside Blake, Stankoven, Nystrom, Seth Jarvis, etc.

In his first professional season, Nadeau had 32 goals and 58 points in 64 games. That was before last season’s 56 points in 52 games. When it comes to an extension for Nadeau, the Hurricanes need to do it soon, and for longer than one or two years.

Charles Alexis Legault

Regarding Charles Alexis Legault, he is someone the Hurricanes need to extend for the added insurance on the blue line. Despite missing two months due to getting his hand cut on a skate during a fight against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he is someone to extend long-term. During the 2025-26 season, he had one goal and two points in 12 games with the Hurricanes, plus three goals and eight points in 24 games with the Wolves. He followed that up with one goal and four points in 16 Calder Cup Playoff games.

Legault is in the final year of his three-year entry-level contract, which pays him $82,500 in the AHL and $915,883 in the NHL. Just like Nadeau, AFP Analytics projected Legault to sign a one-year, $940,500 extension for the 2027-28 season. That said, he should get a three- or four-year extension to be closer to the Nystrom deal, which ends after the 2029-30 season.

Even if it’s a two-way deal like Nadeau and Nystrom, Legault is a defensive defenseman who could benefit within the Hurricanes’ system. Adding a player like Legault alongside Nystrom in a season or two would benefit the Hurricanes long-term. However it plays out, Legault should be considered for an extension just like Nadeau.

It’ll be interesting to see how extension talks work for the Hurricanes with Nadeau and Legault; they are two players who should stay with the team long-term. Whether the deals come out to three years at the minimum, those are prove-it deals for two guys who have shown they can function in the Hurricanes’ system. Now it comes down to when the deals will get done and what the term will be.