Hurricanes Announce 2-Year Extension for Deslauriers During Stanley Cup Parade – The Hockey Writers – Carolina Hurricanes

We’ve seen players get extensions at different times of the year, but has a player ever gotten one during a Stanley Cup Parade? While the city of Raleigh saw 150,000 Caniacs descend on the City Plaza in downtown, general manager Eric Tulsky pulled a move that shocked everyone but also got everyone hyped, too.

D-Lo for 2 More

It was announced during the rally portion of the festivities that the Carolina Hurricanes extended forward Nicolas Deslauriers to a two-year, $1.75 million deal. The average annual value will be $850,000 in 2026-27 and $900,000 in 2027-28. He was expected to be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) as of July 1. However, he will extend his stay in Raleigh for the next two seasons after winning the Stanley Cup.

Tulsky later commented on extending Deslauriers, “Nic has fit in with our locker room and culture from day one when he got to Raleigh. He provides a veteran presence and adds a physical element to our roster.”

Deslauriers became a Hurricane when the team acquired him on March 6 for a conditional seventh-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft. He played in seven regular-season games for Carolina, tallying one assist. Furthermore, he dressed for Game 4 against the Ottawa Senators in the first round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Deslauriers played because Nikolaj Ehlers was out due to an injury. In 3:09 of ice time in that game, he helped calm things down as they were reaching a boiling point.

In his career, Deslauriers has played in 708 games split between the Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, Philadelphia Flyers, and the Hurricanes. He has tallied 53 goals, 106 points, and 799 penalty minutes in that time.

The extension of Deslauriers will leave the Hurricanes with $11.1 million left in cap space. As of now, all 14 forwards who were on the Stanley Cup team are signed through next season. Barring any trades, I’m not sure we could see any free agent signings, but Tulsky always has a plan and a trick up his sleeve.

The only players left who are UFAs are Frederik Andersen and Mike Reilly. Alexander Nikishin will be a restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration eligibility.

Regarding Deslauriers, he will add some physicality that can help against certain teams next season and beyond. Furthermore, he has a locker room presence that has already woven its way into the Hurricanes’ personality and chemistry. He is already a favorite amongst his teammates and will continue to build that through 2027-28.

While it won’t move the needle necessarily, it’s a solid depth move for strategies against certain teams and in case of injury. The added physicality never hurts to have, especially in the playoffs. His spot in the lineup is uncertain, as he could be the 13th forward, the 14th forward, or something else.

Either way, keeping Deslauriers was a low-risk move, keeping a locker-room veteran for less than $1 million a season. First a Stanley Cup and now a two-year extension; talk about an awesome three months for “D-Lo,” as he will be a Hurricanes player for a while longer and not a rental.

Now the only thing left to do is celebrate more and see what No. 44 can bring to the ice for the next two seasons in Raleigh. Regardless of the role, he will do whatever is asked with a smile on his face. Get used to Deslauriers in Raleighwood for the next two seasons; he’s not going anywhere, especially after becoming a Stanley Cup champion.