Carolina Hurricanes Extend Defenseman Ty Smith’s Contract for One Year

The Carolina Hurricanes have extended defenseman Ty Smith’s contract for one year, as announced on Friday. The new two-way contract keeps Smith, 24, with the team after a season with the AHL’s Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, where he recorded nine goals and 43 points in 63 games.

Smith joined the Hurricanes from the Pittsburgh Penguins in a trade on March 7, which also included Jake Guentzel. In return, the Hurricanes traded Michael Bunting, Vasili Ponomarev, Cruz Lucius, Ville Koivunen, and two 2024 NHL Draft picks. Following the trade, Smith stayed with the Penguins’ AHL team.

The #Canes have re-signed defenseman Ty Smith to a one-year, two-way contract ✍️

Details » https://t.co/NkYHApnbwh pic.twitter.com/glPbGSKEux

— Carolina Hurricanes (@Canes) June 21, 2024

Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky praised Smith’s offensive skills from the blue line, stating that Smith’s development fits well with the team’s style of play, which emphasizes contributions from defensemen.

Originally drafted 17th overall by the New Jersey Devils in 2018, Smith played his junior career with the WHL’s Spokane Chiefs before making his NHL debut with the Devils in the 2020-21 season. In his rookie year, he amassed 23 points in 48 games and followed up with 20 points in 66 games the next season. Smith was later traded to the Penguins in 2022, where he played nine games before moving to their AHL team.

Smith has played 123 NHL games across three seasons, collecting eight goals and 47 points but has yet to appear in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He was set to become a restricted free agent on July 1 but now has a new contract worth $775,000 in the NHL and $200,000 in the AHL, with a minimum guaranteed salary of $275,000 for the 2024-25 season.

With Smith’s contract secured, the Hurricanes still have eight restricted free agents to negotiate with this offseason: Seth Jarvis, Martin Necas, Jack Drury, Maxime Comtois, Dylan Coghlan, Blake Murray, Tuukka Tieksola, and Griffin Mendel.