Hurricanes add Kase on 1-year deal

The Carolina Hurricanes added forward Ondrej Kase on a one-year contract worth $1.5 million, the team announced Wednesday.

Kase, 26, put up 14 goals and 13 assists in 50 games as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs this past season.

"Ondrej is an exciting young player, and we're happy to add another goal-scoring winger to our forward group," Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said. "He can play in all situations, and we expect him to contribute offensively."

He became an unrestricted free agent earlier this week after the Maple Leafs opted not to tender him a qualifying offer.

Kase has flashed stretches of potential, but injuries have hampered him. He only played three contests with the Boston Bruins in 2020-21.

The Czech native spent the majority of the first four seasons of his career with the Anaheim Ducks.

Selected by the Ducks in the seventh round of the 2014 draft, Kase has 124 career points in 257 career games.