Carolina Hurricanes bank on Tulsky’s cap room for rare Cup repeat

The Carolina Hurricanes will begin their Stanley Cup title defence looking very much like the group that just lifted the trophy. After a dominant run to the second championship in franchise history, the club has kept its core intact and is widely expected to contend again for the top of the Metropolitan Division and another deep playoff run.

Net set with Kochetkov and Bussi, but experience thins out

GM Eric Tulsky moved early to secure his crease, signing goalie Pyotr Kochetkov to a two-year contract extension last week. Paired with Brandon Bussi, the Hurricanes now have their goaltending tandem locked in through the 2028-29 season, giving both players security without saddling the team with long-term risk.

The move also underlines a deliberate shift away from veteran Frederik Andersen. Andersen faltered late in Carolina’s Cup run and ultimately ceded the starting job to Bussi, opening the door for Tulsky to change direction in goal. The bet is clear: the Hurricanes trust their young tandem, but if either Kochetkov or Bussi goes down, the lack of an established veteran could quickly become a concern.

Cap flexibility as a weapon during the grind

Where Tulsky may hold his biggest advantage is on the books. With $8.4 million in salary cap space, Carolina has room to react if trouble hits mid-season, whether that comes in the form of a key injury or an underperforming position. The team enjoyed relatively good health on its way to the Cup, and a reversal of that fortune would likely force the GM to spend some of that cushion on a high-end replacement.

In an era where navigating the cap is as important as coaching, that flexibility could prove decisive. It allows the Hurricanes to wait and see how their roster holds up rather than making pre-emptive moves that eat into space they might desperately need later.

Nikishin trade request tests blue-line depth

Tulsky’s most delicate file is RFA defenceman Alexander Nikishin. The 24-year-old recorded 22 assists and 33 points in 81 regular-season games while averaging 18:11 of ice time, solid numbers for a young blueliner on a contender. Once the playoffs hit their peak, however, his role shrank, as he played under 12 minutes in two of the Hurricanes’ final three championship games.

Head coach Rod Brind’Amour leaned heavily on veterans when it mattered most, and that shift is at least part of why Nikishin has asked to be traded. Interest around the league should be strong, but Carolina is under no real pressure to move him quickly. As an RFA, his rights give the Hurricanes leverage, and Tulsky appears content to use it while he explores his options.

Despite these question marks, there is still plenty to like about Carolina’s chances. Brind’Amour remains a perennial Jack Adams candidate, and the Hurricanes’ speed and skill fit the modern NHL as well as any team. The Metropolitan Division is expected to be tougher, and recent history shows how hard a repeat is: over the past decade, only the Pittsburgh Penguins, Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers have gone back-to-back. For the Hurricanes to join that group, they will need health, some favourable bounces and for Tulsky’s calculated approach to hold up under the pressure of another long spring.