Hurricanes sign Ivan Ryabkin to entry-level contract

The Carolina Hurricanes announced on Wednesday that they have agreed to terms on a three-year, entry-level contract with Russian center Ivan Ryabkin.

The Hurricanes selected Ryabkin in this past June’s NHL draft at the tail end of the second round with the No. 62 overall pick. Under the terms of the agreement, Ryabkin would receive a salary of $775,000 at the NHL level in 2025-2026, $850,000 the following year and $895,000 in 2027-2028.

At the AHL level, he will receive a salary of $85,000 for all three seasons. He’s also getting a combined $235,000 in signing bonuses.

Ryabkin was one of the most polarizing prospects throughout the past year leading up to the draft, with his profile of skills and physicality reflecting that of a lottery pick in the first round, but he slid down draft boards due to concerns over a slow start to his season in Russia. In the final draft rankings from Daily Faceoff‘s Steven Ellis, Ryabkin was ranked as the No. 35 prospect in the draft.

Ryabkin put up 12 points in 15 games with MHK Dynamo Moskva of the MHL before making the jump to North America in the middle of the campaign when he joined the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks.

There, he called 30 points in 27 regular season games before helping lead Muskegon to the USHL championship with 16 points, 7 goals and 9 assists, in 14 playoff games.

The selection of Ryabkin marked a clear continuation of Carolina’s draft philosophy of prioritizing high-upside bets and potentially undervalued Russian prospects.

Cam Robinson of Elite Prospects has reported that Ryabkin is likely to move from the USHL to the QMJHL this upcoming season, though by signing this entry-level contract, the possibility of joining Carolina’s AHL affiliate in Chicago is now in play as well.