Hurricanes don’t panic after losing key players early in free agency

Defenseman Brett Pesce and utility forward Stefan Noesen both left for the New Jersey Devils. Forward Teuvo Teravainen, who was third for Carolina with 53 points (25 goals, 28 assists) in 76 games last season, left for the Chicago Blackhawks and defenseman Brady Skjei ended up with the Nashville Predators.

They’re departures that impact every aspect of the Hurricanes’ game: offense, defense and special teams.

“It’s tough to see players leave,” Tulsky said. “These are players who have been important to us on the ice and who we care about off the ice. I hate to say goodbye to people who have been a huge part of our organization.

“At the same time, if they have other situations that are better for them, I’m happy for them. I think every player that has left, we’ve made offers and tried to make deals. It’s our job to figure out how to respond to that and how to take steps to keep moving forward.”

Progress for the Hurricanes will be slow and methodical. It is unlikely that there will be knee-jerk reactions.

Tulsky has been with Carolina for 10 seasons and has been a key adviser to Jim Rutherford, Ron Francis and Waddell, the three other men who have held the GM chair since Tulsky’s arrival in 2014.

He has seen the benefits of a conservative approach. He believes in it.

The Hurricanes have reached the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the past six seasons, including two trips to the Eastern Conference Final, without many risky acquisitions.

“We’ve built what we believe is a sustainable path to success by avoiding the temptation to take shortcuts,” Tulsky said. “The urge to splash out on July 1 is always very strong and you often regret it.

“There are a lot of teams right now trying to figure out how to get out of contracts that are very similar to the ones that are being signed today. We want to keep getting better. We have to do that, we just have to do it in a sustainable way.”

The Hurricanes began replenishing their roster with moves around the perimeter on Monday, but they haven’t signed a big name.

Carolina re-signed forward Jordan Martinook and brought in forwards William Carrier, Tyson Jost and Eric Robinson, none of whom has a 20-goal NHL season. The Hurricanes also added defensemen Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker.

“Our priority was players that really fit,” Tulsky said. “We’re looking for players that can come in, play in (coach) Rod’s (Brind’Amour) up-tempo system, forecheck, make plays on the cycle and really make sure we have the responsible, two-way, high-pressure game that the Hurricanes have become known for under Rod.”

Tulsky also mentioned the prospects in the Hurricanes system, which he called an “absolutely fantastic pipeline of talent.” He said there are young NHL players who are ready for bigger roles and players who are on the cusp of entering the NHL and are ready for more responsibility.

“It’s a balancing act,” he said. “It’s not a rebuild. We’re not completely handing things over to the kids, but we have to leave room for them to continue to grow and take on bigger and bigger roles.”

With most of the big names and high-ticket players already signed, Carolina will look for some lower-risk options on the free agent market and work on its restricted free agents. They could even make a trade or two.

“We’re looking for other ways to get through this,” Tulsky said. “We have to find ways to get better without holding ourselves back or shackled in the long run.”