What happened: Carolina signed Jordan Staal to a one-year extension with a $4.9 million cap hit and $10 million average annual value for 2027-28. The deal pays $900,000 in salary, a $4 million signing bonus and $5.1 million in performance bonuses tied mainly to games-played thresholds.

Why it matters: The structure keeps the Hurricanes' captain in place while pushing most of the cash into bonuses instead of base salary. It also follows Carolina's decision to keep Jordan Staal under contract for another year after its Stanley Cup run.

What to watch: The next question is how much of the bonus package Staal can reach once that extension year arrives. Carolina's workload management for Staal will shape whether the deal reaches its $10 million ceiling.