Hurricanes sign Aho to 8-year, $78M extension

The Carolina Hurricanes celebrated Sebastian Aho's 26th birthday Wednesday by signing the star center to an eight-year extension with a cap hit of $9.75 million.

Aho has one year remaining on his current deal with an average annual value of $8.46 million and was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.

The talented Finn paced the Hurricanes with 36 goals this past season while ranking second on the team with 67 points in 75 contests. He has eclipsed the 30-goal mark four times in his career.

"Sebastian has developed into one of the best two-way centers in hockey," general manager Don Waddell wrote in a statement. "He's a tremendous leader on and off the ice who sets a great example for our younger players. We're grateful that he's decided to stay in Carolina for the foreseeable future."

The Hurricanes selected Aho in the second round of the 2015 NHL Draft. Though he's only entering his eighth NHL season, Aho already ranks fifth in franchise history in both goals (218) and points (468) while skating in 520 career games.

Aho's latest extension comes with a lot less drama and excitement than his last contract. In July 2019, the Montreal Canadiens tendered a five-year, $42.27-million offer sheet to the then-restricted free agent. Aho signed it, and the Hurricanes matched it less than a week later to keep him in Raleigh.

A strong overall player, Aho added a team-leading three shorthanded tallies and nine game-winners in 2022-23.

Aho has also racked up 58 points (23 goals, 35 assists) in 63 playoff games.