The NHL offseason is in probably its quietest time of the year. The big free agency splash has concluded and most teams have secured what will likely be extremely close to their starting lineup come October. But with that said, various teams are still looking to fine-tune and establish their squads. This includes signing some pretty big-named RFAs. The Carolina Hurricanes are in that exact position. With all of their other notable RFAs signed including Martin Necas and Jack Drury, all focus is now on their only remaining one. This edition of NHL Rumours looks at updates on Seth Jarvis signing with Carolina.
NHL Rumours
Carolina Hurricanes Continue to Push to Sign Seth Jarvis
Rumour: Sportsnet’s Luke Fox and Rory Boylen discuss the latest on the Hurricanes progress in signing Seth Jarvis.
The Carolina Hurricanes had plenty of free agents to sign this summer. One of the biggest names on that list was RFA Seth Jarvis. Now with all of their free agents taken care of and some new faces in the mix, all of the focus is on Jarvis. Fox and Rory provided that Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal mentioned that Jarvis could be looking at a deal at eight years with an AAV of $8.35 million. Meanwhile, Adam Gold of the Canes Corner podcast provided that both parties are looking at a max eight-year extension and that the dollar amount could be worked out anytime soon.
Jarvis is the Present and the Future for Carolina
Coming off of his entry-level deal, Jarvis stormed through this past season in Carolina. He significantly beat his previous bests in goals, assists and points (33, 34, 67). It’s no small feat to be a member of the thirty-goal club and at 22 years old it’s even more impressive. Oh, and he did that playing most of the year with a torn labrum and rotator cuff.
Out of everyone drafted in the 2020 Draft, Jarvis sits fourth in points while playing fewer games than everyone above him. Taking on Patrick Marleau‘s contract turned out to be a good move to snag Jarvis 13th overall that year. Even without the Jake Guentzel and Teuvo Teravainen departures, Jarvis is a top forward for this team. Without those players, he’s even that more important.
Not only does he put up points and play in all situations, he plays a Rod Brind’Amour-style game. With relentless energy, a pestering forecheck and good defensive responsibility, combined with a high skill level, Jarvis has made himself almost indispensable. Not to mention his high-energy personality to bring some life to Carolina’s locker room. As far as the playoffs go, Jarvis is equally as important as he has a certain clutch-like ability to produce when needed. With only three NHL seasons, the sky is the limit for Jarvis.
What Gives with this Potential Deal?
This is where the latest NHL Rumours take us. The question of Seth Jarvis signing a contract seems to be more of a “when” and a “what will it look like” rather than an “if.” All indications point to both sides wanting to get a deal done. And the risk of an offer sheet seems very low as Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky stated they could match it. As mentioned above, based on comparables Jarvis certainly could be looking at a deal a little north of an 8×8.
But does Carolina want to commit to eight years? Or do they want to give him a bridge deal and try again in a few years once they see how he does? It seems unlikely that they really want to risk anything with Jarvis. He fits this Hurricanes team so well and is a true top-line forward. These players don’t just grow on trees. When you have one, you keep him. Especially at this age. Carolina and Jarvis would both do well to commit long-term. Time will tell what this deal will look like.
Main Photo Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
