Carolina Hurricanes sign Ondrej Kase to one-year contract

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed forward Ondrej Kase to a one-year deal worth $1.5 million, according to a report by The Athletic‘s Pierre LeBrun.

Kase, 26, scored 14 goals and 27 points in 50 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the 2021–22 regular season. He added three assists in seven games as the Maple Leafs fell to the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The 2021–22 season marked a return to form for Kase after he missed all but three games to injury while with the Boston Bruins in 2020–21. During his tenure with the Anaheim Ducks earlier in his career, Kase racked up 43 goals and 96 points in 198 games over four seasons — including 20 goals in 2017–18.

Kase joins a Hurricanes forward group that also includes Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Jordan Staal, Teuvo Teravainen, Max Pacioretty, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Jesper Fast, Jordan Martinook, Seth Jarvis, and RFA Martin Necas. The Hurricanes acquired Pacioretty from the Vegas Golden Knights earlier on Wednesday.

In 257 career games with the Ducks, Bruins, and Maple Leafs, Kase has scored 57 goals and 124 assists. The Ducks originally selected the 6’0″ Czech right wing in the seventh round (No. 205 overall) in the 2014 NHL Draft.

The Hurricanes’ other big move of 2022 free agency day was to acquire defenseman Brent Burns from the San Jose Sharks. The ‘Canes acquired Burns (with the Sharks retaining 33% of his contract) and forward Lane Pederson from San Jose in exchange for Steven Lorentz, Eetu Makiniemi, and a conditional 2023 third-round pick.