The popular thinking surrounding contract negotiations between the Carolina Hurricanes and Andrei Svechnikov was that the two sides would eventually find common ground on a bridge deal, but if we’ve learned anything from this front office regime over the last three years, it’s that they oftentimes don’t make the decision you’d expect them to make.
In this case, they made an unexpected move that appears to have been one with great value for the team, as they locked up their young budding star to an eight-year deal that carries a $7.75 million AAV. Svechnikov’s deal carries the highest AAV among all U23 players in the league and has the highest dollar amount of any contract in Hurricanes franchise history.