Hurricanes sign Gardiner to 4-year deal with $4.05M AAV

The Carolina Hurricanes signed defenseman Jake Gardiner to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $4.05 million, the team announced Friday.

Gardiner, formerly of the Toronto Maple Leafs, was arguably the top player available at his position this summer.

The $4.05-million cap hit is the same amount Gardiner received in each of the last five seasons with Toronto. He'll join a Hurricanes team that already boasts a loaded defensive corps featuring the likes of Jaccob Slavin, Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce, and Justin Faulk.

However, Carolina may need to move a player out to become cap compliant. With Gardiner entering the fold, the Hurricanes have a projected cap hit of just over $83 million, according to Cap Friendly.

Gardiner had spent his entire eight-year career with the Maple Leafs after being selected by the Anaheim Ducks in the first round of the 2008 draft. The 29-year-old missed 20 games due to a back injury last season but registered 30 points while logging over 21 minutes per contest.