Carolina Hurricanes sign defenseman Jalen Chatfield to three-year contract

What promised to be a busy summer for the Carolina Hurricanes should soon start heating up considerably.

The NHL draft is two weeks away. Free agency begins July 1. Contract issues need to be settled. Management positions need to be filled.

With the departure of Don Waddell for Columbus, Eric Tulsky has been the team’s interim general manager. It’s possible the ‘’interim” tag could soon be removed from Tulsky, an analytics guru who has served as assistant general manager for Waddell, who held the dual position of GM and team president.

Tulsky and the Canes have made one major personnel decision so far, agreeing with defenseman Jalen Chatfield on a three-year contract that will pay an average of $3 million a year, according to a news release Friday morning.

“Jalen has been an integral part of our blue line over the last two seasons and firmly established himself as an NHL defenseman,” Tulsky said in the release. “His elite speed and tireless work ethic make him an incredibly dynamic player at both ends of the ice.”

There also is speculation in NHL circles that defenseman Jaccob Slavin, who will be in the final year of his contract in 2024-25, could be on the verge of receiving a long-term extension. Slavin is eligible to sign July 1.

Chatfield, 28, was due to become an unrestricted free agent July 1 but decided not to test the market and stick with the team that gave him the opportunity to be in the lineup and develop the past two seasons.

“Obviously It’s a good place to play and everybody loves it here and wants to stay,” he said during his May exit interview.

Chatfield, who had played a handful of games with the Vancouver Canucks in 2020-21, first signed as a free agent with Carolina in July 2021. He then received a two-year contract that paid him $750,000 in 2022-23 and $775,000 last season.

Chatfield played 150 games the past two years for the Hurricanes, gaining the respect of Canes coach Rod Brind’Amour with his aggressive but responsible play. Last season, the Michigan native had career highs in goals (8), assists (14) and points (22), averaging a career-best 15:11 in ice time per game in 72 games.

“I really committed a few years ago to my craft,” Chatfield said. “Having the opportunity to come here and play with such a great group of guys and a great team, I think that helped. Everything came together.”

Chatfield, a right-shot defenseman, played last season with Dmitry Orlov in the Canes’ third D pairing.

“He’s a Russian beast out there,” Chatfield said. “He played hard, he shows up every night and I learned a lot from him. He’s a great partner to have.”

The Hurricanes have decisions to make on defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce, both set to be UFA’s. If Skjei and Pesce are not re-signed, Orlov-Chatfield could be the second D pairing next season.

Forwards Jake Guentzel, Teuvo Teravainen, Jordan Martinook and Stefan Noesen are due to become UFA’s on July 1, as is defenseman Tony DeAngelo. Forwards Martin Necas and Jack Drury are restricted free agents with arbitration rights.