Almost a week after announcing the Eric Robinson four-year extension, the Carolina Hurricanes extended another player in their system. On Thursday, June 26, the Hurricanes announced that they extended Finnish forward Juha Jääskä to a two-year, $1.55 million deal. The average annual value comes out to $775,000, which will see the Helsinki, Finland native become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) after the 2026-27 season. That said, what does it mean for both sides, and why does this deal make sense?
Jääskä Getting Career Stability
The 28-year-old Jääskä tallied 11 goals and 30 points in 49 games for the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL) during the 2024-25 season, his first full season in North America. Furthermore, he even totaled four assists for the Hurricanes in 18 NHL regular season games after being called up due to multiple roster injuries. What impressed the Hurricanes and the fanbase was his hard-nosed, two-way play as he was not afraid to throw the body. He mainly played on the fourth-line, but was an impact player right from the start. Jääskä has three blocked shots and 20 hits in his 18 games for the Hurricanes; that’s one way to make your presence felt.
The two-year extension breaks down as follows: Jääskä will earn $775,000 if he plays in the NHL, compared to $250,000 while in the AHL. However, he is guaranteed at least $425,000. This is all within the first year of his contract for the 2025-26 season. During the 2026-27 season, Jääskä will be paid the $775,000 on a one-way deal. It’s a great deal for both sides as the Hurricanes loved the way Jääskä played, especially how he fits the system well. For Jääskä, it’s him being rewarded to stay playing in North America after making his debut last season. Not bad for the Finnish winger who had a solid career in Finland before making the jump.
Related: 2025 NHL Free Agency Tracker
Jääskä tallied 51 goals and 142 points in 310 career Liiga games, Finland’s top-flight league, in nine seasons. He spent his whole nine-year Finnish career with HIFK. General manager Eric Tulsky gave his thoughts after the Jääskä extension, stating, “Juha had a strong season making the transition to hockey in North America and proved he could be an effective player at the NHL level.” Tulsky said it perfectly. Jääskä proved in his 18 NHL games that he can play in the biggest league in the hockey world, and it was a no-brainer to keep him within the organization.
Jääskä brings so much needed depth for the Hurricanes as he could play in the AHL and be the first call-up in case of injury. However, if he plays well in training camp, there could be a chance he makes the Hurricanes’ roster as their 13th forward. Which wouldn’t be a bad deal for him because he will train with head coach Rod Brind’Amour and his staff and just get better as the season goes along. Plus, he can just slot into the lineup in case of an injury or someone needing a night off.
Related: Hurricanes Sign Eric Robinson to 4-Year Extension
Either way, this is a great deal for both the Hurricanes and Jääskä. The Hurricanes keep their cap space wide open to make moves while shoring up their depth with guys who fit the system well. Regarding Jääskä, he gets to play in North America a little bit longer and gets a solid contract over the next two seasons for a team that likes his style of play.
Two Extended, Who’s Next?
Even after the Jääskä deal, the Hurricanes are still at a cap hit of $26,715,958, giving them more than ample room to make splashes this offseason. That being said, there are still many moves the team needs to make before the start of the 2025-26 season. Furthermore, after the Jääskä and Robinson extensions, they are still within range of potentially signing Mitch Marner, Nikolaj Ehlers, Brock Boeser, or any other players that are on their shortlist. The Hurricanes have the flexibility to still be aggressive this offseason, while shoring up the depth with Jääskä’s two-year extension. It’ll be interesting to see what Tulsky and the front office have up their sleeve as we get closer to free agency on July 1.
