The Carolina Hurricanes will be extending defenseman Jaccob Slavin to an eight-year contract worth just shy of $6.5 million annually, beginning in the 2025-26 season. He was entering the final year of his seven-year, $37.1 million contract that carried a $5.3 million annual average.
Slavin 30, had six goals and 31 assists in 81 games with the Hurricanes last season. He has 49 goals and 223 assists in 665 career regular season games, all with the Hurricanes. He was drafted by the team in the fourth round of the 2012 draft at 120th overall.
Slavin’s extension comes in at a team-friendly annual average of just $6.5 million, but the term is a bit long. With the contract kicking in for the 2025-26 season, Slavin will be 39 years old when the contract expires. This is not going to be an issue for Carolina, though, as they land their franchise defenseman on a valuable contract through the duration of his prime and their contention window.
Slavin spent nearly the entirety of the 2023-24 season alongside Brent Burns. The defensive pair played 1,186 minutes together across 81 games. They were on the ice for 58 goals scored, the most on the team, and 42 goals given up, accounting for a +16 goals differential. Slavin did not see much powerplay time, but he did lead the team in time spent on the penalty kill with 204 minutes.
Slavin is also a two-time Lady Byng Memorial Trophy winner (2021, 2024), awarded annually to the player adjudged to have exhibited the best type of sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct combined with a high standard of playing ability. He has been an alternate captain in Carolina for the past five seasons.
While Jordan Staal is the team’s current captain, Slavin will be a prime candidate to fill his role once Staal retires. Slavin ranked first in the NHL in ice time per game among the 35 skaters who played 50 or more games and had 10 penalty minutes or fewer. Through his first nine NHL seasons, he had more than 12 penalty minutes once and fewer than 10 four times. He was also an NHL All-Star in the 2020 season.
