Brett Pesce has been a mainstay on the Carolina Hurricanes for the past nine seasons, but signals indicate his time in Raleigh may be over.
The 29-year-old defenseman is set to become an unrestricted free agent when the window opens next Monday afternoon. Reports indicate the Canes front office offered a new contract, and Pesce turned it down.
With the odds leaning that Pesce will now head elsewhere, BetCarolina.com has surveyed the free agent market and set odds for where he may land. A reminder that these odds are for infotainment purposes only. You wonāt find them at any licensed North Carolina sports betting app, like BetMGM or Caesars Sportsbook.
Christopher Boan contributed to an earlier version of this article.
Landing Spots for Brett Pesce
These odds are exclusive to BetCarolina.com and may not be available on North Carolina sports betting apps. Here are the next team odds for Brett Pesce.
Team | Odds | Percent Chance |
|---|---|---|
Toronto Maple Leafs | +200 | 33.3% |
Nashville Predators | +300 | 25% |
Ottawa Senators | +850 | 10.5% |
New Jersey Devils | +1050 | 8.7% |
Utah HC | +1200 | 7.7% |
Dallas Stars | +4250 | 2.3% |
The Field/Stay with Carolina Hurricanes | +700 | 12.5% |
Pesce will not fill up a stat sheet. He registered just 13 points in 70 games in 2023-24. While that was a career low, heās also never tallied more than 30 points in a season. While some defensemen are more offensive-minded, Pesce is more about keeping the other team off the scoreboard. He blocked 113 shots this past year and recorded a plus/minus rating of plus-10.
His season ended early after Pesce suffered a leg fracture during Carolinaās Stanley Cup first-round series against the New York Islanders. He played in just two games in that series and missed the entire second-round matchup against the New York Rangers.
Part of what may affect Carolinaās pursuit of their vet is the fact they have several key players becoming unrestricted free agents this offseason. Fellow defenseman Brady Skjei, who led the Canes blueliners with 47 points (13G, 34A), is a UFA, as are forwards Teuvo Teravainen (25G, 28A, 53) and Jake Guentzel. Guentzel, a late-season trade acquisition from the Pittsburgh Penguins, tallied 25 points (8G, 17A) in 17 regular season games. Even with $23.9 million available in the 2024-25 salary cap, itās an impossible task for new Carolina GM Eric Tulsky to sign them all.
Even with all the potential roster turnover, North Carolina sports betting apps remain bullish on the Hurricanes chances to win it all next season. At bet365 North Carolina sportsbook, the Canes have odds of +900 to hoist the Stanley Cup next year. Thatās the same price as both the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers, and only the Edmonton Oilers (+800) have shorter odds.
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Where Brett Pesce May Land
Last month, Canadian media outlet Sportsnet ranked Pesce as the eighth-best UFA available this offseason. The report pointed out that his stability as a āright-shot, penalty-killing, shutdown defensemanā will attract many teams. Pesceās contract value could reach or exceed $6 million, according to the site. If thatās the case, heās in line for roughly a 50% pay raise from the six-year, $24.15 million deal that started in 2018.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have long been considered a landing spot for Pesce, either as a free agent or even in a trade. Pesce could be a replacement for Ilya Lyubushkin, whom Toronto acquired at the deadline. However, signing Pesce could also require the Maple Leafs to make other moves too.
DraftKings North Carolina sportsbook offers the Leafs at +1600 on next seasonās Stanley Cup champion futures board.
Nashville could also be a prime destination. Predators General Manager Barry Trotz loves defense-first players, a style that definitely fits Pesce, and the Predators could lose either Tyson Barrie or Alexandre Carrier or both in free agency. It also helps that the Preds have more than $26 million available in cap space.
Fanatics Sportsbook, which is the North Carolina sports betting app partnering with the Hurricanes, currently lists the Predators at +3500 to win it all next season.
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USA Today photo by Bob DeChiara.
