Carolina Hurricanes sign defenseman Joel Nystrom to entry-level contract
The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defense prospect Joel Nystrom to a two-year, entry-level contract, the club announced Tuesday afternoon.
Nystrom, 21, collected eight goals and 26 points in 51 Swedish Hockey League games with Färjestad BK during the 2023–24 regular season. His entry-level deal with the Hurricanes will take effect in the 2024–25 season.
“Joel is a right-shot defenseman with offensive upside,” Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell said Tuesday. “He has continued to improve year over year in the SHL, and we’re thrilled for him to take the next steps in his development.”
Nystrom’s deal will see him paid $832,500 per year in the NHL and $80,000 in the AHL, per the team release. It also includes a signing bonus of $185,000.
Another one! We've inked defenseman Joel Nystrom to a two-year, entry-level contract 🖊️
Details » https://t.co/mF3gF9OcFs pic.twitter.com/vPwMNVsJ49
The Hurricanes originally selected Nystrom in the seventh round (No. 219 overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft. The Karlstad, Sweden product stands 5’11” and weighs in at 170 pounds.
In addition to his 51 games with Färjestad during the 2023–24 regular season, Nystrom added one assist in four games with the club during the 2024 playoffs. He has also skated in 18 career Champions Hockey League games with Färjestad, racking up three goals and 13 points.
Through 170 career SHL games over parts of four seasons with Färjestad, Nystrom has amassed 19 goals and 59 points. He’s added two goals and nine points in 36 career SHL playoff contests, winning a league championship with Färjestad in 2022.
The Hurricanes have been extremely active over the last few weeks in signing some of their recent draft picks to NHL contracts. Since the beginning of April, the club has agreed to terms with Nystrom, Charles-Alexis Legault, Ruslan Khazeyev, Jackson Blake, Bradly Nadeau, Gleb Trikozov, and Scott Morrow.
Carolina has now signed six of its 13 picks from the 2021 NHL Draft. Nystrom was the final player the Hurricanes drafted that year; he joins Morrow, Blake, Aleksi Heimosalmi, Ville Koivunen, and Jackson Robidas in agreeing to terms with the Hurricanes, although Koivunen was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in March.
With the Hurricanes evidently back on good terms with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, having signed a new affiliation agreement with the team earlier this month, Nystrom could make his North American pro debut as soon as the 2024–25 season.