Aging defenseman signs contract till he's 39: Gary Bettman is not happy

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James Connelly
July 1, 2024 (12:09)

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The Carolina Hurricanes are signing defenseman Jaccob Slavin to an 8-year extension that keeps him in town till he's 39 and they may be circumventing the cap.

It is expected that the Carolina Hurricanes will announce a massive 8-year extension for Jaccob Slavin at noon today.

The #Canes have announced that defenseman Jaccob Slavin will hold a press conference at noon at PNC Arena.

Today is the first day that the two-time Lady Byng Trophy winner can sign an eight-year contract extension.

#Canes Jaccob Slavin is expected to sign an 8-year extension in the $51 million range once eligible at 12 noon ET.

Always dangerous to be precise with AAV, but was told 8 years x $6.43 million.

Slavin's first year of the deal will begin when he is 31. Recently the Leafs made waves with Chris Tanev's contract as many thought they could have been circumventing the cap. Frank Seravalli shared the following.

Example: If #Leafs want to offer Tanev 6 years x $4 million, and the goal (😉) is to only play three years and spend the last two or three on LTIR (😉), well then, that won't be looked upon fondly later. We've been through this once before, hence the 35+ contract rule...

2. It is expressly prohibited in the CBA for a free agent to agree to a post-contract arrangement for services, say as a team ambassador or in player development, as a way of working outside of the salary cap. That type of deal is outlawed and the #NHL would very likely also consider that circumvention.

If the Hurricanes think Slavin can play at the top level for another eight years, they are certainly doing nothing wrong. However, if Slavin were to retire before the end of the contract and go on LTIR, then NHL commissioner Gary Bettman would not be happy.