The Carolina Hurricanes announced they’ve re-signed Juuso Välimäki to a one-year contract worth $900,000 for 2026-27. The move comes after a stretch this spring in which the pending free agent had been widely expected to continue his career in the SHL; as PHR reported in May, Välimäki was in talks with Brynäs IF and appeared willing to take a pay cut to play closer to home. , appearing ready to take a pay cut to play closer to home rather than wait on the NHL market. Instead, GM Eric Tulsky keeps an experienced left-shot option in the fold at minimal cap cost.
Välimäki, a former first-round pick (16th overall by Calgary in 2017), was acquired by Carolina in January for future considerations and spent the bulk of last season in the AHL, posting 23 points in 27 games between Tucson and Chicago before adding 14 points in 21 playoff games to help the Chicago Wolves reach the Calder Cup Final. He carries 271 games of NHL experience with Calgary, Arizona, and Utah, totaling 72 points.
Additional Notes:
- Bruins GM Don Sweeney signaled the team is willing to sell as readily as buy this offseason, leaning into a thin seller’s market, as reported by Connor Ryan with The Boston Globe. “Sometimes that’s a half a step back for two steps forward,” he said at his pre-draft press conference, adding that everything has to be on the table this time of year. The comments line up with Pierre LeBrun’s reporting that Boston has been listening on offers for top-line center Pavel Zacha, even if an extension remains the preferred outcome.
- Don’t expect resolution on Alex Ovechkin‘s future before free agency opens July 1, with word more likely to come sometime after, per Piere LeBrun with The Athletic. The all-time leading goal scorer is a pending unrestricted free agent after his five-year deal expired, but his options effectively begin and end in Washington: the winger, who turns 41 in September, has said he’d “probably not” play for another NHL club, leaving a one-year return, a multi-year deal, or retirement as the realistic paths.
