Carolina Hurricanes Looking at Marner With $36M to Spend in 2025 Free Agency

With a massive $36 million in cap space, the Carolina Hurricanes could set their sights on Toronto's Mitch Marner when the 2025 free agency period opens on July 1st.

The money just keeps growing in Carolina. Their spending room could reach $38.71 million for the 2025-26 season, then jump to $71.76 million by 2027-28. This financial freedom puts them in a position to make some major moves.

During the trade deadline, Carolina's management showed clear interest in Marner after failing to land Rantanen. The skilled Leafs winger, now 28, put up an impressive 98 points in 80 games this year.

GM Eric Tulsky has big choices ahead about his current team. Several important players, Hall, Burns, Orlov, and Andersen, will become free agents after 2024-25.

As the NHL's salary cap grows, competition for top players will heat up. Both Chicago and Boston are sitting with plenty of money to chase big names.

"Both Clubs and Players have sought a certain level of predictability with respect to Payroll ranges from year to year and over time for advance planning capabilities," said NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly to thehockeynews.com.

The Hurricanes haven't missed the playoffs in five years. Their possession-focused style would work great with Marner's playmaking ability, potentially solving their scoring problems.

In Toronto, money issues could force the team to break up their star players after next season. When Marner's contract expires in 2025, it's not clear if he'll stay with the Leafs.

Under Tulsky's analytics-focused approach, Carolina keeps finding success. He continues looking for players who fit their style while building for the future.