Hurricanes defenseman fires his agent, now represented by the same agent as Auston Matthews
Players changing agents before a big contract negotiation is not exactly uncommon, but sometimes who they leave and who they wind up with as representation can really make you wonder. To that effect, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce has changed his representation with one year remaining on his 6-year deal that he signed back in the summer of 2017. Pesce is by far one of the most criminally underrated defensemen in the game today and could be entering unrestricted free agency next summer coming off a $4.025 million cap hit since 2018-19.
Pesce, a Tarrytown, New York native is now being represented by Judd Moldaver, Executive Vice President of Wasserman Hockey. Moldaver represents some big name clients like Zach Werenski, Roman Josi, Carter Hart, and of course, Leafs superstar Auston Matthews.
The soon-to-be 29-year-old defensman has played all 8 of his NHL seasons with the Hurricanes, dating back to the 2015-16 season. He scored 4 goals and 16 points in 69 games, while averaging 18:46 as a rookie. In total, he has scored 36 goals and 185 points across 557 games, while averaging 21:11 TOI, including a career-high 30 points this past season. He was well on pace to break those numbers in previous years when he scored 25 points in 55 games in 2020-21 and 28 points in 70 games in 2021-22.
He is a minute-munching defensive defenseman, blocks a ton of shots, and is extremely responsible and reliable in his own zone. The Hurricanes might run into problems with several prominent members of their club having expiring contracts this summer or the following year.
Damon Severson's newly-minted 8-year deal worth $6.25 million per season is probably a good comparable for both him and Brady Skjei and it could be interesting to see how Carolina decides to handle the upcoming contract negotiations of several marquee players. For reference, Jaccob Slavin, Brent Burns, Andrei Svechnikov, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, and Pyotr Kochetkov are the only players signed through the 2024-25 season.
The Maple Leafs have been linked to Pesce in the past with both teams looking for fresh faces and changes amidst their unlucky playoff fortunes. Being represented by the same agent as Matthews could come in handy if Pesce decides to play the season out and enter unrestricted free agency. However, the Hurricanes will look to prioritize the veteran defenseman above some other names, so only time will tell.
I'll be interested to see whether Brad Treliving makes a call on Pesce in Carolina, as we know that Treliving covets these types of blueliners. Also, with Pesce changing agents just before the draft, I wonder if we might see a trade request coming in the not-too-distant future.
| POLL | ||
9 JUIN | 249 ANSWERS Hurricanes defenseman fires his agent, now represented by the same agent as Auston Matthews Do you think we might finally end up seeing Brett Pesce in a Leafs sweater after all these years of speculation? | ||
| Yes | 89 | 35.7 % |
| No | 160 | 64.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
