Hurricanes Sign Rising Forward to Massive Extension

The Carolina Hurricanes locked up another piece of their core as the 2025-2026 regular season approaches. The offseason was hitting a standstill, but the Hurricanes took care of an important business by signing rising forward Jackson Blake to a new, eight-year contract.

The Hurricanes now have one of their best young forwards locked up for the long term. Blake is entering the final season of his entry-level contract, but he was so impressive in his rookie season in Carolina that the organization committed a huge deal to him. The eight-year contract is worth a total value of $45 million, and it will carry an average annual value of $5.625 million. Following the announcement Hurricanes’ General Manager Eric Tulsky shared his and the team’s excitement over the deal.

“Jackson had an outstanding rookie season, and we think he is just scratching the surface of the player he can be,” he said. “His tenaciousness on the puck and competitiveness match our team’s culture and we’re excited about his future with our club.”

The Hurricanes drafted Blake in the fourth round of the 2021 NHL Draft. He made his NHL debut during the 2023-2024 campaign, but last year was his first full season in the top league. Over 80 games, he recorded 17 goals and added 17 assists for 34 points. Five of his goals came on the power play as well.

The Hurricanes love Blake’s game. As Tulsky points out, he’s a tenacious forechecker, something the Canes’ defense thrives on. He’s also shown an offensive upside at just 21 years old, and it’s likely that he will keep improving his offensive totals over the next few seasons.

The deal is another smart move by Carolina. Last summer, they locked up Seth Jarvis with an innovative long-term deal that deferred salary in order to lower the salary cap hit. This time, they have a promising future 25-goal scorer locked up at less than $6 million per season. In a time when the salary cap is rising and player salaries are increasing, the Hurricanes again find ways to create more cap space and options.