Carolina Hurricanes

A rocketing slap-shot goal blasted Justin Faulk into the Carolina Hurricanes' record books on Saturday.

Faulk's 15th goal and 47th point of the season, which gave Carolina a 3-1 lead over New Jersey, surpassed Joni Pitkanen's 46-point campaign of 2009-10 as the highest single-season point total by a 'Canes defenseman. 

Just two games prior, Faulk had become just the fifth defenseman in franchise history (and first in 15 years) to register nine shots on goal in a single game, per Hockey-Reference.com.

Faulk is also only the 61st defenseman in NHL history of age 22 or younger (as of Feb. 1 of the season) to register 47 points in a single season. Although the odds are currently against it, Faulk also has a chance to become only the ninth defenseman in history 22 or younger to play 2,000 minutes in a season.

The Hurricanes' second-round selection in the 2010 draft has quickly emerged as the future face of the franchise and one of the bigger rising stars in the league today.

But less than five years ago, Faulk was barely noteworthy as a projected mid-round pick. Wrote Chris Dilks of SB Nation on June 1, 2010:

The big question surrounding Faulk in the draft is how will teams deal with his size. Faulk stands out as one of the most talented offensive players in the draft. Possessing that one elite level skill might be enough for teams to take a look at Faulk as high as the early second round of the draft. Otherwise, he seems likely to fall to the third or fourth round in the draft.

The 'Canes, however, took the supposed risk on Faulk at pick No. 37.

In the time since, he's played more NHL minutes than all but three other 2010 selections—teammate Jeff Skinner is one of the three—and decisively outperformed every defenseman other than No. 12 pick Cam Fowler. None of the five players selected directly before Faulk have scored their first career goal; Faulk, meanwhile, has 33.

Faulk's appearance at the All-Star Game earlier this season perhaps marked the start of his emergence as a well-known star, but the 'Canes have known what they've had in him for years.

Head coach Bill Peters has played Faulk more than 21 minutes in 66 of his last 68 appearances—and since Faulk has yet to miss a single game this season, that's also been 66 of Carolina's 68 games.

General manager Ron Francis felt comfortable enough with Faulk as a his long-term No. 1 blueliner to deal Andrej Sekera for a nice return at the deadline.

His comfort is certainly justified. Not only do advanced stats paint a very pretty picture of Faulk's excellence, but so does the pure eye test: It's difficult to remember the last time that Faulk has not clearly been the best 'Canes defenseman on the ice in any given game.

And indeed, Francis seems to be building his vision of the future 'Canes as a defensive team focused around Faulk; other young D-men Haydn Fleury, Ryan Murphy, Roland McKeown and Trevor Carrick give the franchise a bright future in the back end.

Should Faulk play in each of the 'Canes final seven matches, he'll record the 45th complete season in franchise history.

Any points he scores during that time, however, will only break his own record for defenseman scoring—which will only make it more difficult for him to perhaps break it again in 2015-16.

Select records and statistics per Hockey-Reference.com. 

Mark Jones has been a Carolina Hurricanes featured columnist for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more or follow him on Twitter.

Ten games now separate the Carolina Hurricanes from the end of the 2014-15 season and an offseason that could shape the franchise for years to come.

The 'Canes appear most likely to conclude the campaign with the fifth-worst record out of the NHL's 30 teams, putting them right in the thick of the most anticipated and important draft lottery in years.

The prize of the No. 1 pick—OHL superstar Connor McDavid—would almost certainly change the entire course of and mood surrounding the otherwise struggling club.

Using the official draft lottery odds and the odds of finishing in each seed according to Sports Club Stats, the 'Canes real chances of landing McDavid:

If the 'Canes do not win the lottery, the chance that either the Sabres, Coyotes, Oilers or Maple Leafs win the lottery and the Hurricanes retain the No. 5 overall selection are 59.47 percent.

They'll face 40.53 percent odds of falling down to No. 6.

If stuck in the middle of the top 10 picks, the 'Canes will likely focus on adding another elite young forward after taking defenseman Haydn Fleury with the No. 7 choice last June and adding prospect defenseman Roland McKeown at the trade deadline.

The top four selections are most likely solidified as McDavid, Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin and Dylan Strome, leaving forwards like Lawson Crouse, Mitchell Marner, Mikko Rantanen and Pavel Zacha from which the 'Canes could have their pick.

Marner offers the flashy offensive skill of a stereotypical top-five pick, while Crouse and Rantanen serve as big power forwards and Zacha is acclaimed as a reliable two-way center.

Of course, general manager Ron Francis will be hoping he doesn't get his pick of the four: his eyes are more likely lusting for McDavid's franchise-changing stardom.

He has an 8.62 percent chance of those dreams being fulfilled.

Mark Jones has been a Carolina Hurricanes featured columnist for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more or follow him on Twitter.

It has been a long six games and 12 days since Eric Staal last registered a point for the Carolina Hurricanes.

Staal's slump is the latest low point in a highly underwhelming campaign for the team's captain, who turned 30 this past October.

No. 12 sports a mere 19 goals and 24 assists in 66 appearances this season, putting him on pace for his worst full-length season since 2003-04. He's found the back of the net just three times in Carolina's last 24 games and now trails complete non-superstars like Colin Wilson, Matt Beleskey and Anders Lee on the NHL goal-scoring leaderboard.

Head coach Bill Peters has revolved a number of forwards around Staal in a (so far) futile attempt to jump-start the center-turned-winger.

He dropped Staal's ice time to 15:12 on Thursday in Montreal—the lowest it's been (when not affected by injury) since Feb. 25, 2011—then spiked it back to 20:05 Saturday against the Rangers.

Staal also played separately from brother Jordan in Montreal, then rejoined him vs. New York.

Neither tactic proved particularly effective, as Staal tallied two more box score goose eggs and the 'Canes lost both contests.

But should the Hurricanes be concerned about the long-term implications of Staal's poor season? Is age and wear (he's already played 878 NHL games) catching up to the longtime face of the franchise? Will 2014-15 be the start of Staal's long decline?

Most likely not.

The stability of Staal's shot production is a good sign that his ongoing slump will eventually turn around.

He's averaged 3.67 shots on goal per game during this stretch of six games, a clip that exceeds his per-game rate for this season and every other season since 2008-09.

Staal has also ranked among the top five Hurricanes (among those with significant playing time) in shot attempt differential, or Corsi, in all but one season since 2008-09 (per Hockey Analysis). He trails only his brother Jordan in such regard this season.

In fact, Staal's Shot Attempts For percentage has been off the charts during this six-game stretch: 63.2 percent, according to War on Ice data. His line burned the Habs 18-9 and the Rangers 20-12.

While not putting the rubber into the twine, Staal is creating scoring opportunities and driving offensive play just as much as always.

Late-season declines, however, have become something of a pattern in Staal's career.

The Ontario native scored just three times in a 22-game stretch late in 2013-14 before potting two in his final game. The year before, Staal scored merely twice during the Hurricanes' final 15 matches. 

Certainly the team's new generation of young forwards—Elias Lindholm, Victor Rask, Andrej Nestrasil and even Jeff Skinner, who is still just 22 years old—has put some of the team's older stars on thinner ice. Staal's move to the wing of his brother and Lindholm worked at first, but his lack of experience and comfort level seems to have caught up with him.

Nevertheless, it's likely that No. 12's March struggles are more of a short-term issue than a foreshadowing of career problems ahead.

His scoring drought could very well end when Carolina hosts Chicago on Monday, after all. Staal has recorded 10 points in eight appearances against the Blackhawks since 2006.

Mark Jones has been a Carolina Hurricanes featured columnist for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more or follow him on Twitter.

The overtime of the Carolina Hurricanes' game against the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday was the kind of overtime that comes around far too rarely.

It was the four-on-four overtime that was likely envisioned when the concept was introduced in 1999: a rink full of space and eight skaters eager to take advantage of it without abandon, ready to risk almost everything to try to win the game on each rush.

The disease of ultra-conservatism that usually plagues NHL overtimes nowadays was nonexistent. The teams—one desperately needing the two points, the other with nothing to lose—appeared fully content to trade odd-man counterattacks back and forth.

It was just the kind of reckless, thrilling party of an overtime that's usually cut off far too early by the horn and banished to commissioner Gary Bettman's dreaded shootout land. But this time, it wasn't.

Erik Karlsson, Kyle Turris and Mark Stone combined for an absolutely spectacular goal to win it for Ottawa with 14 seconds left in the extra frame. From a neutral perspective, one could hardly have imagined a better and more fitting finish to the contest.

The Sens' clutch 2-1 victory was also fitting because of an announcement made several hours before puck drop and several hundred miles south of Raleigh.

The Associated Press' Sandra Harwitt reports that the NHL's board of general managers met in Boca Raton, Florida on Tuesday afternoon and approved the implementation of a three-on-three overtime for next season.

"The recommendations will go to the joint NHL/NHLPA competition committee, which meets in June and must approve any rule changes," Harwitt added.

According to ESPN Insider Craig Custance, the AHL has used a seven-minute overtime system with up to three minutes on three-on-three this season and seen the percentage of games decided in shootouts drop from 15.6 to 5.6 percent.

For the Canes, who are tied for the fewest all-time shootout wins in the NHL with a 30-42 record, the shift away from the skills competition would likely be appreciated.

Goaltender Cam Ward may like it most: He's 12-30 in shootouts in his otherwise largely successful career.

However, the numbers suggest the greater emphasis on overtime instead of the shootout would not be much better for the Hurricanes. After all, Carolina is an atrocious 8-22 in games decided in overtime over the past four seasons.

Tuesday's loss to Ottawa dropped the Hurricanes to 1-3 in overtime games this season (4-6 in shootouts), and their one win in extra time came against Columbus back in November.

But the change would at least provide a refreshing format and clean slate for a club that has perennially—or at least ever since the "Cardiac Canes" era of 2009 died—struggled in pressure situations.

If head coach Bill Peters trots out the Staal brothers and Justin Faulk as a three-on-three overtime trio next autumn, the Canes may have good reason to be optimistic at last about their overtime odds.

Fans of the team would appreciate a little more excitement, too. Attendance at PNC Arena has dropped tremendously in recent years.

Back on Feb. 25, 2012, the Hurricanes and Florida Panthers enjoyed a sneak preview of what would not become a regular part of the NHL until over three years later.

After Eric Staal and Eric Gudbranson were both sent off for roughing with two minutes and nine seconds left in overtime, the teams traded two-on-one breaks during a couple minutes of the heart-pumping bedlam known as three-on-three sudden-death overtime.

Amazingly, neither team scored during the sequence and Florida eventually won the game in a shootout.

The closing minutes of overtime nevertheless created an indelible memory among the 18,860 at PNC Arena that night of just how intoxicating the concept can be.

Three-on-three creates hockey at its most frantic and most intense. The clock ceases to matter. Only the definite knowledge that one team and one team only must win prevails. 

How each respective NHL team, the Hurricanes included, will prepare and adapt for the game's newest potential feature will create some intrigue entering the 2015-16 season.

Mark Jones has been a Carolina Hurricanes featured columnist for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more or follow him on Twitter.

Thursday night's game against the Dallas Stars featured a Carolina Hurricanes comeback that fell short and a startlingly spacious PNC Arena of empty seats.

On a weeknight against an unappealing Western Conference opponent, the time conflict with the NC State-Duke basketball matchup in the ACC Tournament proved the nail in the coffin. Re-sale tickets were available for less than 12 dollars on game day. Official attendance was announced at 10,025, but such a figure appeared quite exaggerated.

The Hurricanes rank 29th in the NHL with an average attendance of 12,306 (per ESPN), ahead of only Florida and almost 1,000 per game below Arizona. The Hurricanes have drawn over 11,000 just once in four games during their current homestand.

It's become common for the upper rows of some sections behind the goals to go rows without a single fan and for some upper-level sections to contain only a single family or two. The season's worth of sparse crowds and appalling attendance has sparked plenty of discussion on Twitter about the team's future in Raleigh:

But the franchise's ticket revenue has fallen far less than the sheer attendance.

Over the past two years, the 'Canes average crowd has dropped by 30.1 percent, but the average ticket price has risen by 28.2 percent (per Team Marketing h/t Statista), essentially balancing out the decline.

Since 2011-12, moreover, the franchise's total value has risen from $169 to $220 million and annual revenue has increased from $81 to $91 million (per Forbes). 

Although the math fails to factor in a subsequent decline in concession sales, the team's finances likely aren't nearly as empty as PNC Arena has been recently.

The attendance outlook is due to improve significantly over the remainder of the season, too.

Eight of the team's final nine home games feature an Eastern Conference opponent. Eastern foes have drawn 15.6 percent higher attendance than Western opponents so far this season.

Among those nine opponents are a plethora of high-profile, high-interest clubs: the Rangers (March 21), Blackhawks (March 23), Penguins (March 26), Bruins (March 29) and the Red Wings in the April 11 season finale. The cheapest re-sale tickets for any of those marquee matchups start at $25 on StubHub, a stark contrast to the $12-$16 get-in prices of recent games.

From a longer-term perspective, the 'Canes future box office success will rely almost solely on the team's on-ice success. 

Abrupt leaps from the bottom to the top of the NHL attendance rankings are relative commonplace. The last time the 'Canes ranked 29th in average attendance—the 2003-04 season—they were joined in the league's bottom six by Washington (25th), Chicago (27th) and Pittsburgh (30th).

All of those teams' 2014-15 attendance lies above 100 percent of arena capacity, and it's largely due to the emergence of each as top Stanley Cup contenders in recent years.

Ron Francis' well-developed plan for Carolina's rebuilding project, which impressed in its first implementation at the trade deadline, could possibly set the Hurricanes down a similar path.

If the plan indeed proves successful, PNC Arena attendance would likely reflect the resulting improved fan morale and interest. Carolina averaged over 16,400 per game as recently as 2010-11, when the team lasted until the final day before being eliminated from playoff contention.

I've recently received a number of questions from alarmed 'Canes fans (and hopeful Hartford hockey enthusiasts) doubting the stability of the franchise's future in Raleigh. Naturally, but perhaps inaccurately, many presume the density of crowds at home games to be a parallel indicator to the financial state of the team.

But such concerns are premature, at least for now. Another half-decade without playoff hockey could change such a reassurance, but the 'Canes are fairly secure in North Carolina as of 2015.

Attendance information per ESPN data.

Mark Jones has been a Carolina Hurricanes featured columnist for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more or follow him on Twitter.

The Carolina Hurricanes are currently on track to finish in the NHL's top 10 in both power play and penalty kill efficiency for the first time in 14 years.

After a 3-for-5 effort on Sunday, the 'Canes man-advantage unit cracked the league's upper third for the first time this season. The unit, which has been steadily improving for months, played a critical role in Carolina's stretch of six consecutive goals to erase a 3-0 deficit.

Sporting a 19.5 percent overall conversion rate for the 2014-15 season, the power play has operated at a 28.8 percent clip since the All-Star break and a 34.4 percent rate over the team's last 10 games. The 'Canes have tallied multiple power play scores in four of those 10 contests, winning all four.

The league-leading penalty kill has been a story for most of the season—so much that even the Oilers' surprising 2-for-3 performance against it still failed to knock it out of the top ranking in the NHL.

The rise of the other special teams group, however, could result in the team's first representation in the top 10 of both categories since 2000-01.

Thanks to the diligent work of assistant coach Rod Brind'Amour, the 'Canes power play has discovered at last the importance of a net-front presence and found productivity through cross-ice passing.

Net Front Presence

Jordan Staal has been a massive game changer for the 'Canes ever since his December return from injury, but No. 11's screen of Edmonton goalie Richard Bachman on Sunday demonstrated just how obstructive the 6'4", 220-pound hulk can be.

It's hardly a wonder that Jeff Skinner was able to snipe his wrister into the open corner for Carolina's third consecutive power play goal.

It's also hardly a wonder that the 'Canes power play scores 9.9 goals per 60 minutes when Jordan Staal is on the ice and just 5.6 goals per 60 minutes when he's not (per Hockey Analysis data).

Creating Isolation on One Side

One period before Skinner scored past Staal's screen to put the 'Canes ahead 5-3, he had tied the game on the 5-on-3 after the 'Canes created a ridiculous amount of open space on Bachman's glove side.

After working it down low, Elias Lindholm (with the puck) had an open Eric Staal in the slot, a very open Victor Rask on the opposite half-wall and an extremely open Skinner right across the goalmouth.

The Oilers defended this particular play quite poorly, but the ability to draw penalty killers all across an invisible line vertically down the middle of the rink before burning them on the opposite side has become a 'Canes specialty over the past month.

Implementing Both at the Same Time

The 'Canes ran basically the exact same play twice against the Islanders late last month and scored on it both times.

The following images are from different situations, but both times the 'Canes had a man screening then-Isles netminder Chad Johnson from the pass and a defenseman pinching on the opposite side for what became two tap-in goals.

Michal Jordan's only other career goal came a week prior against the Senators, when he was found streaking wide open down the left side for an easy power-play conversion. Again, note the clear line formed when the 'Canes power play sucked opposing killers into a misbalanced formation.

Then, of course, there are also moments like this, which the Flyers might've slightly regretted in hindsight:

The 'Canes man-advantage strategies aren't particularly complicated, but Brind'Amour has brought an element of planning and movement to the unit.

Gone are the moments from years past when it seemed like only the passer and the pass receiver were moving at all.

Both the puck and the players now seem continuously cycling, not merely trying to find the open man but trying to create an open man.

Regardless of how the 'Canes have done it, the power play has become one of the league's best since the turn of the calendar, rallying from the bottom third to the top third in shockingly little time.

As the final weeks of a lost, if not failed season wind down, the tremendous momentum of both Carolina's penalty kill and power play groups should create much-needed optimism for the thick of the Bill Peters coaching tenure ahead.

Mark Jones has been a Carolina Hurricanes featured columnist for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more or follow him on Twitter.

The Edmonton Oilers are having a tough time, guys.

After storming out to a 3-0 lead against the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday, the team morphed back into a kicked-in alley pumpkin and gave up six consecutive goals in a 7-4 meltdown at PNC Arena.

Edmonton's implosion began in the second period with an absolute head-shaker from Hurricanes winger Alexander Semin. The 31-year-old Russian fell in front of the Oilers net while attempting to corral a pass and somehow managed to one-handedly swing the puck on goal while flat on his stomach.

The tactic caught Oiler goalie Richard Bachman by surprise, and the puck slid untouched through the five hole. 

Vine user Hockeymotto (h/t FoxSports.com) uploaded footage of the goal. It is utter silliness.

Semin later said he was just trying to make the best of a weird situation.

"I just saw the puck and threw it toward the net," he told reporters. "Maybe it helped the team because we scored two more goals to get even at the end of the second period." 

Hurricanes captain Eric Staal said the early deficit was unfortunate, but Semin’s goal brought the team to life.

"Obviously, you never want to get down like that," Staal told reporters. "I felt like our game wasn't too bad. We just needed to find that first one and we obviously found it. That was a nice one. It was pretty nice. It will probably be up there in the highlight reel for a while."

Lying down, facing the wrong way, shooting blind with a goalie and a teammate between Semin and the net—yes, that’s a "pretty nice" trick.

The loss at Carolina extended the Oilers' losing streak to four games, leaving them 18-37-11 on the season as they race neck and neck with the Buffalo Sabres for the league's worst record. If Sunday's performance is any indication, the Oilers appear to be finally hitting their tanking stride.

Dan is on Twitter, trying to figure out how you give up seven goals in two periods.

Andrej Nestrasil's stat line since joining the Carolina Hurricanes in November: 21 games played, four goals, nine assists and a plus-seven rating.

Not bad for a 24-year-old rookie player costing the team just $422,850 to employ.

When Ron Francis claimed Nestrasil off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings on Nov. 20, the 6'3" forward had tallied just two points (both assists) in 13 games after surprisingly making the NHL team during training camp. Stephen Weiss was returning from injured reserve, and Nestrasil was the one put at risk to open up the necessary roster spot.

In the time since, Weiss—a 31-year-old with a career heading downhill—has tallied 19 points in 39 games for Detroit while the young and promising Nestrasil has scored 13 in 21 for Carolina.

The Red Wings are, nevertheless, fifth in the Eastern Conference at the moment while the 'Canes sit in 15th.

Yet the real impact of November's transaction won't be realized for years. And the Hurricanes certainly like their end of the not-so-mutual exchange from that perspective.

Since returning from an abdominal tear that sidelined him from Dec. 8 (just eight games into his time in North Carolina) to Jan. 16, Nestrasil has emerged as one of the most reliable and productive secondary scorers in the Hurricanes' lineup.

Nestrasil has scored thrice and accumulated seven assists over his last 10 games alone, dating back to Feb. 7 at San Jose. In the 'Canes' last three contests, he's played over 15 minutes every game and recorded a whopping five assists and 10 shots on goal.

Part of Nestrasil's recent success seems to stem from the simple trust the 'Canes coaching staff seems to have with him. The Czech Republic native, who spent the past three seasons with the Red Wings' dominant minor league clubs in Grand Rapids and Toledo, has received far more playing time since his waiver claim:

Recently re-signed defensive center Jay McClement ranks second-best on the team in limiting opponent shot attempts—second to Nestrasil, that is (per Hockey Analysis data), who has proven to be one of the team's best two-way forwards.

Nestrasil's effect on gameplay, moreover, is noticeable well outside of the stat sheet. His powerful presence in board battles, defensive dedication and responsibility and powerful stride have added new dimensions to the team's depth.

The 2009 third-round draft pick is currently slated to be a restricted free agent this summer, and he'll expect a very significant raise over his current salary. It does appear, however, that he's found his long-time home in Raleigh, North Carolina.

The trade deadline departure of Jiri Tlusty and the expected summer departure of soon-to-be unrestricted free agent Patrick Dwyer will open up plenty of space for Nestrasil to establish himself as certainly a third-line, if not a borderline second-line, winger in the coming years. 

It seems likely that the franchise's front office foresees him as an important member of the team's future, particularly providing solid, if not flashy, two-way reliability on the wings. Nestrasil lacks star upside, but he's quickly growing into a vital role player.

Salary information per Spotrac.

Mark Jones has covered the Carolina Hurricanes for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more, or follow him on Twitter.

Jay McClement's spectacular start to the 2015 calendar year has earned him two more years with the Carolina Hurricanes.

A common name in NHL trade rumors over the past month, McClement—who had said he was bringing more clothes on road trips in anticipation of being dealt—was surprisingly extended by the 'Canes on Sunday. Per TSN's Bob McKenzie via Twitter:

It's an early birthday present for the 743-game NHL veteran, who turns 32 simultaneous to the trade deadline on Monday.

It's also a significant raise for the older player, who signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the 'Canes last summer, but certainly not one that will break the team bank account.

McClement has scored 13 of his 18 points this season since New Year's Day, including three goals during Carolina's ongoing three-game winning streak.

He's also been a vital contributor in the Hurricanes' rise to No. 1 in the league in penalty killing and No. 6 in faceoffs. McClement ranks 18th among NHL forwards in shorthanded ice time per game and eighth in shorthanded faceoff wins among forwards—a part of his No. 14 ranking in overall faceoff winning percentage.

Despite starting a whopping 60.2 percent of his shifts in the defensive zone (per Hockey Analysis data), McClement is also one of just three 'Canes players with a positive plus-minus rating.

General manager Ron Francis, who had already traded upcoming free agents Jiri Tlusty, Andrej Sekera and Tim Gleason in the past week, was evidently able to see around his "trade first" sunglasses when it came to McClement.

The decision to secure a crucial role player and leadership provider on an otherwise rebuilding team—after all, not every player can be young—paints a promising picture about the first-year Francis's ability to negotiate on the run.

Said Francis in the official press release:

Jay has proven to be a valuable veteran leader for our club and it was important for us to keep him in Raleigh. He’s one of the league’s best face-off men and has played a key role in what currently stands as the best penalty-killing unit in team history.

McKenzie reports that the "sticking point" of negotiations was contract length, as "McClement wouldn't take a [one-year] deal."

That's not surprising, considering the 6'1" center has an incredible history of reliability: he's missed two or fewer games in every season since 2006-07 and two total in the last three campaigns combined. 

The average salary, moreover, is highly reasonable for one of the NHL's elite fourth-line centers. A $1.2 million cap hit is equivalent to that of Chris Thorburn, Shawn Thornton and Mike Brown (the three of whom have fewer combined points this season than McClement alone) and less than fellow centers like Derek MacKenzie, Cody McCormick and Nate Thompson as well.

It's hard to see how the concession to a two-year term remotely negates the exceptionally affordable salary aspect of the contract.

Sunday's extension secures McClement for the remainder of 2014-15 and two more seasons after.

The Hurricanes' long-maligned fourth line and resurgent penalty kill now boast a promising future with McClement at the helm.

Ron Francis, meanwhile, can take pride in another well-advised trade-deadline decision, sans the trade.

Salary cap information according to Spotrac.

Mark Jones has been the Carolina Hurricanes Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report since 2009. Visit his profile to read more, or follow him on Twitter.