When looking at the history of the Carolina Hurricanes, it is clear that after 26 seasons, there are still records to be made and legacies to be etched into the halls of history. Just looking into the rafters of PNC Arena, names like Ron Francis, Glen Wesley, and Rod Brind’Amour have already left their mark on the franchise. Even players Cam Ward and Justin Williams are named to the Hurricanes Hall of Fame after being introduced two seasons ago. Legacies are made over time; sometimes, if we are lucky, we get to see them in real-time. Regarding the current team going into the 2024-25 season, there is one player on the roster who, day in and day out, season in and season out, is etching his name more and more into the Hurricanes lore. Ever since making his debut with the Hurricanes in the 2015-16 season as a 21-year-old, Jaccob Slavin keeps making the case that when it is all said and done, he will be the greatest defenseman in Carolina Hurricanes history.
Good Guy That Jaccob Slavin
The 120th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft from day one since joining the league, has been a model of consistency. While Slavin won’t set the world on fire with scoring points, he will play a clean hockey game and let his defense talk for him. In nine full NHL seasons, he has only tallied 86 penalty minutes (PIMs). The most he had in one season was 18 during the 2018-19 season. Other than that, he has been 10 PIMs or less in seven of the nine seasons of his career. When he won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy for the first time back in the 2020-21 season, he had two PIMs. That lone penalty came from a delay of game – puck over the glass call—no stick infraction or a vicious hit, just a random delay of game penalty. Slavin has made himself known as one of the cleanest players in the NHL. That is why he won the Lady Byng for the second time during the 2023-24 season, joining Red Kelly as the only defenseman to win the award multiple times.
Related: Hurricanes’ Jaccob Slavin Earns Well-Deserved Second Lady Byng Trophy
Even when asked about playing the way he does, Slavin stated, “The game’s a hard game. I think you can still play the game hard, but you do it in the right way and treat people with respect out there.” He shows why the trophy is given to the most gentlemanly player while being the best shutdown defenseman in the NHL. Slavin has proven why he is an elite defensive defenseman in the NHL while still putting up over 20 minutes of ice time on average every season. Furthermore, to be able to shut down superstars like Connor McDavid, David Pasternak, Nathan MacKinnon, etc., goes a long way to show why the Hurricanes extended him to a long-term deal this offseason, even with a year remaining on his current contract.
Give Him the Bag
On the first day of free agency, the Hurricanes signed Slavin to an eight-year, $51.69 million extension that kicks in after the 2024-25 season. Slavin’s extension will run through the 2032-33 season, where he will become an unrestricted free agent at 39. Over the eight-year deal, his annual average value (AAV) will be $6.461 million per season. Props to Slavin for taking on an AAV like that as a hometown discount to give the Hurricanes a chance to sign other players to keep the team competitive. General manager Eric Tulsky, when asked about the extension of Slavin, stated, “Jaccob might be the best defender in the NHL, and he has already cemented himself as one of the best players to ever put on a Hurricanes uniform. He is a crucial leader for our team, both on and off the ice, and keeping him in Carolina long term was a top priority.”
It shows that a team that does not give a long-term contract to a player at that age range proves that Slavin is otherworldly regarding the game’s defensive side. The Hurricanes show that they believe in Slavin to keep producing well into his late 30s and playing his entire career in Carolina.
Not many players can say they have played their whole career in one place, but Slavin can definitively say he will be a Hurricanes player for life. While he has nine more years left, he has already shown that he is one of the best defensemen to wear the jersey. However, is it too early to say he will become the greatest defenseman in team history? Or is it fair to say that he is already the greatest defenseman in Hurricanes history?
Greatest Hurricanes Blueliner Ever
Even with Wesley’s No. 2 in the rafters at PNC Arena, Slavin has cemented himself as the greatest defenseman in Hurricanes history. Currently, he is second on the team in goals (49), and first in assists (223) along with points (272) as a defenseman. He is only behind Justin Faulk in goals for a blueliner (85). He had managed to do this before he turned 30 years old and has nine more seasons to pad these stats before calling it quits. When looking at his playoff performance, Slavin has added 36 points – seven goals and 29 assists – in 71 career playoff contests. Furthermore, he even holds the franchise records for postseason games played, assists, and points among defensemen. He has done all that while ranking tied for the lead in playoff goals.
Related: Jaccob Slavin Breaks Hurricanes’ Points Record for Defenseman
Slavin also leads in plus/minus for defensemen in team history with a plus-151 in 665 games played. The next best is now former teammate Brett Pesce, who had a plus-92 over his 627 games with the Hurricanes. For context, Wesley, in 729 games, finished with a plus-38, which is sixth best for the franchise. Compared to Slavin, Wesley is eighth in goals (35), fourth in assists (120), and fifth in points (155). Nothing against the 2006 Stanley Cup Champion, but in the context of someone who has etched their name in the record books for the defense, Slavin has firmly planted himself stats-wise in that aspect of Hurricanes history. All while being primarily known for being a defensive defenseman who has finished at best fifth in the Norris Trophy votes (2019-20).
Slavin, being the crazy stat leader that he is, leads the franchise in shorthanded goals (four), and that’s after getting two early into the 2023-24 season. He is even tied with three overtime goals with Anton Babchuk, Dougie Hamilton, and Pesce. He is doing all this while averaging 22:33 minutes of ice time for his career (ninth in team history). He has nine more seasons to bolster his case for being the greatest defenseman ever. However, it already seems like he is there, even without the Stanley Cup ring. When, not if he wins one with the Hurricanes sometime over the next nine seasons, it will cement into stone the legacy that Slavin will leave.
Hang It in the Rafters
When he decides to hang up the skates after he finishes out the next nine years in Carolina, Slavin will be known as the greatest defenseman of all time for the franchise. Furthermore, there will be no doubt that his No. 74 will go into the rafters alongside Wesley, Francis, and his head coach Brind’Amour. While he has a long way to go before he calls it a career, Slavin has made an impact since day one during the down times of the franchise to where it is now after six straight playoff appearances, three division titles, and two Eastern Conference Final appearances. He has the ability to keep adding to his legacy that’ll see him accumulate more than 50+ goals, 250+ assists, and 300+ points when he calls it a career. No matter how it shakes out, Slavin will, or is already, be the greatest defenseman in franchise history, and fans are witnessing greatness right now.
Here is to nine more seasons of Slavin being the greatest defensive defenseman in the NHL and more importantly, the Hurricanes.
