The Carolina Hurricanes have added yet another forward for 2021-22. They have signed Josh Leivo for one year. The former Calgary Flames winger will carry a cap hit of $750,000 for the upcoming season. Bruce Garrioch was among those who announced the move Wednesday.
Carolina signs D Ian Cole and F Josh Leivo to 1-year deals
— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) July 28, 2021
Hurricanes Sign Josh Leivo
Leivo was mostly a supporting player for the Flames in 2020-21. He scored six goals and nine points in 38 games and received credit for 33 hits. He had a very good year for possession numbers with a 54.6 percent Corsi For and 3.0 relative Corsi, but he only averaged 10:45 of ice time per night. Leivo has always been a good possession winger, but teams have often slotted him in a bottom-line role for his overall lack of scoring ability.
The Toronto Maple Leafs originally drafted Leivo in the third round of the 2011 Draft. He skated for the Leafs for several seasons before joining the Vancouver Canucks in a 2018 trade. He then signed with Calgary as a free agent in October 2020. Overall, Leivo has collected 37 goals and 74 points in 207 games. He also sports a career Corsi For of 57.4 percent and a 9.2 relative Corsi.
What This Means For the Future
Carolina’s forward group continues to get better. On a deep team, Leivo will likely fall into his usual territory as a bottom-six forward option or extra forward to be used in the event of injury or fatigue. He seems worthy of a slightly larger role based solely on his ability to drive play, but he is on a team that will be looking for a deep postseason run.
The Hurricanes are likely not done with moves, but much of their roster is secured for 2021-22. The only major outstanding free agent is Andrei Svechnikov. Expect the team to focus heavily on one of their bright young stars who just posted 15 goals and 42 points in 55 games. They have roughly $15 million in remaining cap space for further moves at this time.
Main Photo:
MONTREAL, QC – APRIL 14: Josh Leivo #27 of the Calgary Flames and Alexander Romanov #27 of the Montreal Canadiens battle for position during the third period at the Bell Centre on April 14, 2021 in Montreal, Canada. The Calgary Flames defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-1. (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
