Dalpe Signs New Deal

Zac Dalpe has re-signed with Carolina as the Checkers’ NHL affiliate continues to whittle down its restricted free agent list.

On Friday, Dalpe, 23, signed a one-year, two-way contract, one that he hopes will allow him to make his breakthrough as a full-time NHL player. He’s come close in the past, having totaled 41 games with Carolina over the course of his now-expired, three-year, entry-level deal, and is one of the prime candidates to fill out some vacant forward positions on the Hurricanes’ upcoming roster.

"He’s made our team out of camp three years in a row, so we certainly expect he would be in that mix this year," said Hurricanes General Manager Jim Rutherford. "His development is good – we changed his position from where he was drafted from so he’s learning that, but he’s got what NHL teams look for. He can skate, he can shoot and he should be able to score at this level, so I would expect him to be right in the mix for getting a job here.

"In fairness to him, I think we put him in positions that made it more difficult for him, said Rutherford, pointing that Dalpe's placement on the team's third and fourth lines earlier in his career, particularly in his rookie campaign. "Ideally we’d like to get him in the right position where he can do what he does best and then it just becomes a confidence factor."

With Dalpe following in the footsteps of Riley Nash, Michal Jordan, Mike Murphy and Jared Staal, all of whom re-upped with the Hurricanes in the last few weeks, Zach Boychuk is now the only restricted free agent who has yet to sign a new deal. According to Rutherford, negotiations with Boychuk do not appear close to a conclusion.

With the exception of Nash, who returns for two more seasons, every member the now-signed class agreed to one-year, two-way contracts.

The Hurricanes’ second-round pick in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft (45th overall), Dalpe ranked fourth on the Checkers in scoring with 42 points (21g, 21a) despite missing 22 games due to NHL recalls and injuries. The third-year pro was enjoying his most productive offensive stretch as a professional with 19 points (11g, 8a) in 13 AHL games prior to suffering a knee injury on March 1 that caused him to miss a month of game action.

In 10 games with Carolina last season, Dalpe recorded three points, including his fifth career NHL goal against the New York Rangers on April 6. The one-time center, who Carolina now views primarily as a winger, spent time on a line with Jordan Staal and Jeff Skinner while with the Hurricanes.

Having now concluded three professional seasons, Dalpe, who ranks third on Charlotte’s all-time goals (62), assists (69) and points (131) lists, would require waivers in order to play for the Checkers next season.

A full breakdown of the organization’s offseason activity to this point can be found here.