A familiar face is heading back to Raleigh.
After accepting an invite to training camp back in August, defenseman Calvin de Haan has seemingly made a good enough impression to stick around, agreeing to terms on a one-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday worth $850,000.
This is not de Haan’s first tenure in Carolina, having played for the club back in the 2018-19 season.
Look, de Haan is far from the jack of all trades he was throughout his heyday. But for a budding contender like the Hurricanes looking to add veteran stability to their third pair, there are certainly worse options available.
On a bad Blackhawks roster last season, de Haan struggled to produce much of anything at even-strength, getting caved in to the tune of a 45.48 percent expected goal share while generating a scant 45.21 percent of the available scoring chances, too.
The Blackhawks were a disaster both on and off the ice last season, though, with almost no member of their beleaguered ranks walking away with career-best numbers.
Despite the chaos, de Haan still logged nearly 19 minutes per night over roughly 70 games while moving the puck quite well. In a better environment with less responsibility on his shoulders, which the Hurricanes will assuredly give him, perhaps de Haan returns to being the versatile depth anchor he’s always been.
It’s not a massive ask. And at just a smidge above the league minimum rate, de Haan is a worthwhile add with the regular season creeping closer on the horizon.
