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2025-26 Canes Miscellaneous Thread

Jankowski was the only forward in the current NHL rotation that wasn’t signed past this season. At this point, Freddie and Nikishin are the only regulars who aren’t signed for next season. It will be a little tricky to get a valuation on Nikishin, I think, but he’s an arbitration eligible RFA so there’s a mechanism for a bridge deal if all else fails. Andersen will be a wait and see. A month ago, you could have easily assumed that the Canes were done with him, but … yeah. Honestly, with Bussi and Kochetkov signed to relatively cheap deals ($3.9 mil AAV, all in) you could see them signing Freddie to another incentive-heavy deal and going with the 3 man rotation again next year. Cap room won’t be a problem, and they never have a full roster. All depending on how the rest of the playoffs go, of course.

Deeper down the roster, 7th D Mike Reilly is out of contract this summer but I’d expect the Canes to go with Nystrom or LeGault in that role next season. Or potentially Jusso Valimaki who is a vet and has been good at the AHL level. He’s also out of contract this summer. In the A, Robidas, Gunler, Brind’Amour the Younger and a group of defensemen (Seeley, Hiemosalmi, Fensore, Masters) are RFAs. Not a lot of room for promotion, but none of those guys would be looking for advancement quite yet anyway. Forward Victor Neuchev is also an RFA but I’m not sure he gets re-signed. Goalie Kayden Primeau has taken over as Chicago’s playoff goalie and he’s out of contract. Same problem for him as last year … he’s not really an NHL keeper but is too good to clear waivers. Not sure what the play will be with him.
 
So barring a trade, there are no vacancies among the forward group. Nadeau, Unger Sorum and Robidas will have to wait at least another year. Robidas is a RFA without arbitration rights. PuckPedia shows Nadeau as having 1 more year left but didn’t the Canes burn the first year of his contract when he played at the end of the 23-24 season? Blake would have been a RFA after this season, shouldn’t Nadeau also be? Nadeau signed on April 7, 2024, Blake signed 3 days later.
 
andyt said:
So barring a trade, there are no vacancies among the forward group. Nadeau, Unger Sorum and Robidas will have to wait at least another year. Robidas is a RFA without arbitration rights. PuckPedia shows Nadeau as having 1 more year left but didn’t the Canes burn the first year of his contract when he played at the end of the 23-24 season? Blake would have been a RFA after this season, shouldn’t Nadeau also be? Nadeau signed on April 7, 2024, Blake signed 3 days later.
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Nadeau's signing age is the differentiator there. His signing age was 19, which subjected him to entry level slide rules.
 
Either way, he’s the tricky one going forward. He could easily hold down an NHL roster spot on a rebuilding team, but there’s really nothing for him here other than spot duty. Unger Sorem will be in the same boat next year if he continues to progress at the rate he did this season. He ended up just a hair under a point per game in the A, but only had 15 goals. If he gets that up a bit, he’s a legit NHLer as a playmaking winger for somebody. Robidas is a nice player but just doesn’t have enough to his game to overcome his small frame.
 
Having those level of kids around is important for the continued search for a 'high end superstar' or a late season rental. Frustrating as heck for these kids, but good for the organization.
 
Ah Pat McAfee and PK Subban. I’m not unmuting my speakers for those two no matter what they say. ESPN … you make wrestling coverage look professional these days, guys.
 
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