The Carolina Hurricanes continued to wheel and deal Tuesday night, signing free agent defenseman Calvin de Haan to a four-year deal worth $4.55 million per season.
De Haan was one of the more sought after free agents on the market, particularly among defensemen, and chose Carolina as his long-term home.
“To be honest it was a pretty simple [pitch],” de Haan said. “I get to play with one of the best young blue lines in the NHL. That to me is very important. I feel like I can step in and help this team win. I’m aware that the Carolina Hurricanes haven’t made the playoffs in the past nine years and to be honest I really want to be a part of the solution here.”
While Carolina was relatively quiet with the opening of the NHL’s free agency period Sunday, this deal started to come together then.
“We started talking about it on Sunday and then a couple conversations with Andy Scott, the representation for Calvin,” Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said. “And then Monday we had set up some interviews where I talked to Calvin, [owner] Tom Dundon talked to Calvin and [head coach] Rod Brind’Amour talked to Calvin also.”
In six seasons with the New York Islanders, de Haan compiled 12 goals, 69 assists and plus 26 rating. He’s developed a reputation as one of the better shot blockers in the league, with 687 blocks in 304 career games.
In addition to his on-ice strengths, de Haan should bring a boost to the Canes’ locker room as well.
“Once everybody had a chance to talk to him, they understood what a good person he is,” Waddell said. “We all know him as a player but you want to get to know him as a person as much as you can. And we made a decision late last night that we committed to today.”
As a team that has missed the playoffs nine consecutive years, Carolina has not been a marquee destination for free agents, but de Haan wanted to join up and be a part of the solution. Having faced the Canes many times as a member of a Metropolitan division foe in the Islanders, he knows this is a talented team with potential.
“The Carolina Hurricanes are an annoying team to play against as a defenseman,” de Haan said. “There’s fast, skilled forwards up front. When you look at the overall team’s possession numbers over the past few years, they’re annoying to play against. It’s something I took into consideration. I respect those guys. Not making the playoffs for nine years, it sucks. I want to be a part of that solution to help make the team better, to help make the fans in Raleigh appreciate the Hurricanes. We want people in those seats. I will do my best to help the winning cause and put the Hurricanes and Carolina back on the map.”
The de Haan signing, coupled with the blockbuster deal with the Calgary Flames at the draft that netted the Canes Dougie Hamilton, gives the team an absolutely stacked blue line that includes, for now at least, Hamilton, de Haan, Justin Faulk, Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce.
Waddell said the signing gives him added flexibility to make a move on the blue line, and trade rumors continue to swirl around Faulk.
“We have pretty good depth on the blueline right now,” Waddell said. “If we didn’t do anything, I think we’d probably have one of the top blue lines in the whole league. But it may give us an option to look at some other needs or restocking the shelves with young players and draft picks. We’ve got some time on our side and … I don’t feel an urgency to do something but certainly we’ll look at all our options.”
De Haan missed most of last season with the with a shoulder injury, but confirmed he’s recovered from a January surgery and will be ready to go come training camp.
For Waddell in his first year as the Canes’ GM, landing a player of de Haan’s caliber in free agency is an affirmation of what he, Dundon and Brind’Amour are trying to build.
“I think it’s always important when you have the opportunity to sign good players and you can actually get them,” Waddell said. “Because so many teams are looking for these type of players so to be the winner on it makes you feel good. First I give credit to Tom Dundon obviously for stepping up and being willing to go after free agents. Like Tom says, if we like the player and it’s going to make us better, he’s all in. … Our team is on the rise right now with all the young players that we have. To put some key veteran players as Calvin, Dougie Hamilton, who we traded for last week, these types of players in our lineup, that’s going to make us a better hockey club.”
