The Carolina Hurricanes won’t have to go to arbitration with defenseman Ronan Seeley. The two sides have agreed on a one-year contract extension that pays $850K at the NHL level and $100K at the AHL level, with $160K guaranteed, per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. Seeley made his NHL debut in the final game of Carolina’s regular season.
Seeley grew into a key role on the Chicago Wolves’ blue-line last season. He finished the year with 11 goals and 23 points in 69 games – marking a new career-high in goals for the fourth-year pro. Seeley also served as one of the Wolves’ alternate captains for a second season.
Originally Carolina’s 2020 seventh-round pick, Seeley turned pro in the Hurricanes organization in the 2022-23 season. His rookie season was marked by highs-and-lows, with the offensive defenseman pushing for 25 points in 70 games but consistently leaving gaps on defense. Those struggles pushed him to the ECHL for the start of the 2023-24 season – but Seeley managed to earn a promotion after just 11 games with the Norfolk Admirals.
He has found strong footing in Chicago’s defense corps in three seasons since, though a new focus on defense has kept the 23 year old from surpassing the scoring he posted in his first AHL season.
Next season could be a career-year for Seeley, who found better footing on both sides of the puck by the end of the 2025-26 campaign. He will return to a middle-pair role in the Wolves defense and could earn an extended chance at NHL minutes, should the deep defense corps of the Hurricanes be tested by injuries. How Seeley can take advantage of those opportunities could go far in supporting another round of contract negotiations next summer.