Carolina Hurricanes add 2018 draft pick to roster on a three-year deal
The Carolina Hurricanes added a promising young forward to their payroll Wednesday, agreeing to terms with Jack Drury on a three-year, entry-level contract.
A former top collegiate player at Harvard who played in Sweden last season, the 21-year-old Drury will earn $832,500 each season while on the Canes’ roster at the NHL and $70,000 with in the minors in the American Hockey League. He’ll receive $277,500 in signing bonuses as part of the deal, the team announced.
“Jack is an outstanding two-way forward who perfectly fits our system and plays the right way,” Canes GM Don Waddell said in a statement. “We expect him to be an important piece for the Hurricanes in the very near future.”
Drury was a highly touted recruit at Harvard given his familial lineage, and he didn’t disappoint. He was third on the Crimson in goals as a freshman with nine, often playing on the top power play unit with young NHL defensive star Adam Fox. He led the team as a sophomore with 20 goals, and was second in points with 39.
As a first-year pro with Växjö Lakers of the Swedish Hockey League last season, the 5-11, 174-pound Drury tallied 30 points in 41 games, scoring 10 goals. He was among three finalists for the league’s rookie of the year.
Carolina originally selected Drury in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft with the 42nd overall pick. He would add a measure of scoring depth to the Canes’ young forward group, though he isn’t known as a grinder the likes of Warren Foegele or Jordan Martinook, key depth players for the Hurricanes still questionable to return to the team next season.
In international play, the New York City native played on the U.S. team in 2019 and 2020 World Junior Championships, winning silver at the 2019 tournament in Canada.
His father, Ted, and uncle, Chris, are both former NHL players with Ted Drury having played in 50 games for the Hartford Whalers from 1994-95 prior to the team’s relocation to North Carolina. Chris Drury is currently the New York Rangers president/general manager.