Nikolaj Ehlers is finally off the board.
The Danish forward has left the Winnipeg Jets for the Carolina Hurricanes, signing a six-year deal worth $51 million, the team announced on Thursday.
The 29-year-old has spent his entire career with the Jets since being selected ninth overall in the 2014 draft.
He notched 24 goals and 39 assists in 69 contests last season, helping lead the Jets to the franchise’s first Presidents’ Trophy. Ehlers added five goals and two assists in eight playoff games after debuting late in the post-season due to injury.
For his 674-game career, Ehlers sits seventh among his draft class with 225 goals and 290 assists for 515 points.
The six-foot, 172-pounder has topped 60 points four times in his career despite averaging just 16 minutes 26 seconds of ice time and often only seeing time on Winnipeg's second power-play unit.
His last contract, which kicked in for the 2018-19 season, was a six-year deal worth $42 million total for a $6 million average annual value.
Ehlers now heads to Carolina, joining a team that has fallen in the Eastern Conference Final in two of the past three seasons.
“Nikolaj was the top free agent available on July 1, and we are proud that he’s chosen to make Carolina his home,” Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky said. “He’s a highly skilled winger who can really skate and will fit very well with our forward group.”
The winger marks the Hurricanes' second major addition of the off-season after acquiring defenceman K'Andre Miller in a sign-and-trade with the New York Rangers. Miller then inked an eight-year, $60 million deal with the club.
Carolina also gave an eight-year, $48 million contract extension to young forward Logan Stankoven, who was the centrepiece of the return for Mikko Rantanen from the Dallas Stars.
Ehlers' contract is the most lucrative of any signed by an unrestricted free agent who left his team this week and $250,000 more than Brock Boeser got to re-sign with Vancouver.
The only bigger contracts handed out after noon ET on July 1 have Miller's and Ivan Provorov staying with Columbus for $59.5 million over the next seven seasons.
“From first-round pick to the highest-scoring Danish player in NHL history, and all the countless memories in between, thank you for everything, Fly,” the Jets posted on social media. “All the best in Carolina.”
Winnipeg, meanwhile, will have to pivot to replace Ehlers' offence. The Jets have been relatively quiet in free agency, with their biggest deal a one-year, $3.25 million pact with forward Gustav Nyquist.
They advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a dramatic seven-game victory over the St. Louis Blues before losing out to the Dallas Stars 4-2.
Ehlers has also suited up for Denmark at five world championships and three Olympic qualifying tournaments.
--with files from The Canadian Press and The Associated Press
5:04
car
COMMENTS
When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.