Jalen Chatfield signed a three-year, $9 million contract to stay with the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday. It has an average annual value of $3 million.
The 28-year-old defenseman could have become an unrestricted free agent July 1. He had NHL career highs in goals (eight), assists (14), points (22) and plus-minus (plus-23) in 72 regular-season games this season and two assists in 11 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
"Jalen has been an integral part of our blue line over the last two seasons and firmly established himself as an NHL defenseman," Hurricanes interim general manager Eric Tulsky said. "His elite speed and tireless work ethic make him an incredibly dynamic player at both ends of the ice."
Signed by the Vancouver Canucks as an undrafted free agent on March 13, 2017, Chatfield has 40 points (14 goals, 26 assists) in 184 regular-season games for the Hurricanes and Canucks and six points (one goal, five assists) in 26 playoff games.
Carolina (52-23-7) finished second in the Metropolitan Division this season and qualified for the playoffs for the sixth consecutive time. The Hurricanes, who advanced to the Eastern Conference Final twice in that span (2019, 2023), lost to the New York Rangers in six games in the Eastern Conference Second Round this season.
"Obviously it's a good place to play and everybody loves it here," Chatfield said May 19, "so this is a place that I think everybody who's (contract is) up wants to stay.
"When you come in and you've got a locker room of a group of guys like this and coaching and the support of the fans and being able to play on a winning team and having a chance to win every year, that's something special. ... I think all those things makes people want to stay here."
