Hurricanes’ Miller & Ehlers Poised to Have an Excellent Second Season in Raleigh

It’s been over a year since the Carolina Hurricanes brought in Nikolaj Ehlers and K’Andre Miller to help them get over the hump, eventually winning the Stanley Cup. For players who come to Raleigh in their first season, it’s a learning process to get used to the Hurricanes’ system. After a great first season, both guys look poised to even have a better second year in Carolina, even after winning the Stanley Cup.

Nikolaj Ehlers

Ehlers joined the Hurricanes on July 3, 2025, after signing a six-year, $51 million deal, with the annual average value (AAV) coming out to $8.5 million per season. He was considered one of the biggest free agent forward signings heading into July 1. After the announcement, there was a massive amount of excitement surrounding the signing of the Danish forward.

Heading into the 2025-26 season, there were hopes that Ehlers would stay healthy in his first year with the Hurricanes after playing in 69 games in 2024-25 for the Winnipeg Jets. As it turned out, Ehlers stayed healthy and played all 82 games for the Hurricanes. Furthermore, he went on to have a career year, tallying 26 goals, 45 assists, and 71 points. He had his first ever 45-assist and 70-or-more-point season.

During the playoffs, Ehlers had eight goals and 18 points in 18 games. He had the first and last goal in the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights, a fitting way to close out his first season in Raleigh. While it took a few games to score his first goal with the Hurricanes, once he did, Ehlers was an instant success. Over the course of the season, Ehlers showed why he was atop of the team’s free agent target board.

Furthermore, even at $8.5 million a season, it’s still considered a steal for a plyer of his caliber. Ehlers could have gone for $9 million or more a season, but now he’s now with the Hurricanes at a reasonable AAV. What’s even better for the Hurricanes is that he has five more seasons in Raleigh with the chance of winning more Stanley Cups.

Heading into his second season, with him more familiar with the system, who says that he cannot have another career year? If he gets off to a roaring start, Ehlers could have a chance for his first-ever 30-goal season and maybe even push for 50 assists as well. Could we see a potential 75-to-80-point season for “Fly”?

K’Andre Miller

Before the Hurricanes brought in Ehlers, they shocked everyone with a sign-and-trade put of nowhere with the New York Rangers to bring in Miller. The trade consisted of Scott Morrow, a conditional first-round pick, and a 2026 second-round pick. On top of that, the Hurricanes signed Miller to an eight-year, $60 million extension, with an AAV of $7.5 million.

While it’s a learning process for forwards to learn the Hurricanes’ system, it’s a learning curve for defensemen. Usually, it’s a tougher change of pace to get used to the man-on-man, high pressure system. But once the player gets to it, they can become a force on the blueline. That was the case for Miller. He scored two goals on opening night on Oct. 9 against the New Jersey Devils to show that he was ready to make his mark in Raleigh.

He followed that up with an eight-goal, 37-point season in 72 games. Despite missing games during the season, Miller showcased why the Hurricanes went for the sign-and-trade for the 25-year-old defenseman. There were some learning moments throughout the season, but once he was rolling, he became an underrated defenseman. During the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs, he had nine assists in 19 games, along with a plus-12. Miller was paired with Sean Walker for most of the season and the whole playoffs, where they combined for a plus-23. That pairing was huge for the Hurricanes and were underrated overall.

Now that he has a full season under his belt, there is a chance Miller can go to another level with the Hurricanes. Furthermore, if he can play to around 80 to 82 games in 2026-27, he has a chance to have 10 or more goals and 40 or more points in year two. If he does reach 10 goals, it would the first-ever double-digit season. While he did have 43 points in 2022-23, who says he cannot set a new career-high for himself?

While both guys had an excellent first season in Raleigh winning a Stanley Cup, there is a great chance Miller and Ehlers can reach another level. They’re both used to the Hurricanes’ system and know their roles. Now that those questions are out of the way and have that taste of winning, they will want to win another Stanley Cup.