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The Carolina Hurricanes did not extend a qualifying offer to Phil Di Giuseppe by Monday’s 5:00 deadline, but the forward will be returning to the club all the same.
The Hurricanes have signed Di Giuseppe to a one-year, $750,000 contract. Di Giuseppe would have been due a qualifying offer of just over $760,000, so this doesn’t really save much money from simply accepting a qualifying offer. Di Giuseppe’s new contract will be a one-way deal that pays him the same amount no matter where he plays.
Di Giuseppe completed his third season with the Hurricanes, tallying five goals and 13 points in 49 games while playing ten and a half minutes per game. A second-round pick in the 2012 NHL Draft from the University of Michigan, Di Giuseppe occasionally found success on a line with Jeff Skinner but more frequently served as a lineup filler under Bill Peters.
Di Giuseppe’s signing leaves the Hurricanes with 14 NHL players under contract and over $25 million in cap space heading into the start of free agency on Sunday. The release from the team is below.
CANES SIGN DI GIUSEPPE TO ONE-YEAR DEAL
Forward has recorded 37 points in 126 career NHL games
Don Waddell, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has signed forward Phil Di Giuseppe to a one-year, $750,000 contract.
“Phil is a versatile player who has shown he can contribute in a number of ways on the NHL level,” said Waddell.
Di Giuseppe, 24, skated in a career-high 49 games with the Hurricanes in 2017-18, recording 13 points (5g, 8a). The Toronto native registered nine points (3g, 6a) in the final nine games of the season and ranked sixth on the team in hits (88). Di Giuseppe began the 2017-18 season with the Charlotte Checkers (AHL), earning 12 points (4g, 8a) in 14 games.
Originally selected by the Hurricanes in the second round, 38th overall, in the 2012 NHL Draft, Di Giuseppe has registered 37 points (13g, 24a) in 126 career NHL games. The 6’0”, 200-pound forward has played in 158 AHL games with the Checkers, recording 89 points (35g, 54a). Prior to turning professional, Di Giuseppe played 115 games over three seasons with Michigan (Big Ten/CCHA), posting 78 points (33g, 45a).