Jackson Blake’s rise from a fourth-round pick to an important part of the Carolina Hurricanes’ future has been steady. Just one full NHL season into his career, the winger signed an eight-year $45 million contract extension. It begins in the 2026-27 season and carries a $5.625 million annual cap hit. The deal shows how much the team values his potential.The Hurricanes reached the Eastern Conference final twice in the last three seasons. However, they’re focused on building a team that can the next step. With Sebastian Aho, Nikolaj Ehlers, Jaccob Slavin, Seth Jarvis, K’Andre Miller and Logan Stankoven signed long term, they’ve put together a fast, skilled core. Blake fits in well with this group.Last season, Blake played all 80 regular season games. He recorded 34 points, including 17 goals and 17 assists. In the playoffs, he added six points in 14 games. Blake also scored a key goal in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference final. His role increased throughout the season, and he earned praise from hockey analyst Thomas Heikey.“He's got another year on an entry‑level contract," Heikey said on Wednesday, via "NHL Tonight." "Look, I'll be honest with you, this isn't a guy I really knew or understood heading into last season."Blake's been one of their best players. He's a unique player. He can hunt down pucks. It just sort of goes right into the way the Carolina Hurricanes play. Congratulations. Not many guys get that eight-year deal after less than 82 games played, but the Hurricanes might be onto something here.”Stu Grimson, who once played with Jackson's father, Jason Blake, echoed Heikey's statement."This Apple did not fall far from the tree," Grimson said. "He's a great skater, he's a great puck Hunter, like he's a he's got really dynamic, even game-breaking speed, but he uses that on both sides of the puck. He can be a real pest and a bear to play against, just like his father was."Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky also acquired Jets' Nikolaj EhlersCarolina Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky signed forward Nikolaj Ehlers on July 3. He said Ehlers was the top free agent on July 1, and there were several teams that wanted to sign him and offered more money."We are proud that he's chosen to make Carolina his home," Tulsky said, via NHL.com. "He’s a highly skilled winger and will fit very well with our forward group. He had a lot of teams interested in him. He could have gotten more for sure. "Ehlers is a player with a track record of averaging around 25 points per season. He could be a consistent producer in the mid-six role for Carolina, if not the top line. This is going to help the Hurricanes, who suffered due to lack of depth in their lineup against the Florida Panthers in the 2025 playoffs.