Hurricanes’ Jack Drury Proving He Belongs in Raleighwood

In his first season with the Wolves, they won the 2022 Calder Cup. In the 18 playoff games, he tallied nine goals and 24 points. In the 2021-22 regular season, he scored 20 goals and 52 points in 68 games.

While playing in his first season in Chicago, he played in two games with the Hurricanes. In those two games, he scored a goal in back-to-back games with his NHL debut being on Dec. 17, 2021.

His father, Ted, was in attendance for his first goal. Ted Drury played for the Hartford Whalers from 1993-94 to 1994-95. The Hurricanes’ Mailbag reported that Ted said, “it was very exciting. We flew down that morning. Two of my other sons and I had some real travel issues, so we wound up having to fly into Charlotte and then drive to get there. We missed the start of the game, and I think we had been in our seats for about two minutes before he scored. It was such a whirlwind and it was something I’m sure none of us will ever forget.”

In the season after the Wolves won the Calder Cup, Drury had 11 goals and 24 points in 37 games. This was the last time he saw the AHL, finishing the season in Carolina where he tallied three assists in 13 playoff games.

At 24 years old, Drury has had to prove himself every step of the way, bouncing between the Wolves and Hurricanes. The Harvard product now wants to prove he belongs in the NHL and is doing so in a season where he is averaging 12 minutes of ice time and winning 54.3% of his faceoffs. Given the season he is having, he should expect to sign an extension with the Hurricanes this summer.

Drury’s Contract Extension

Drury will be a restricted free agent (RFA) with arbitration rights this offseason. He currently makes $925,000 annually on his entry-level contract (ELC), worth only 1.14% of the Hurricanes’ cap space. While players like Seth Jarvis, Brett Pesce, and Teuvo Teravainen all need extensions, management should make sure Drury stays in Carolina as well.

The cap is expected to go up next season, and Drury has earned a two or three-year bridge deal to prove himself even more.

A deal that would make sense for both sides is a three-year, $6 million deal, with a $2 million annual average value. It’s a low-risk contract that won’t take up much space and keeps Drury in Carolina until he is 26. That will give him more time to grow and give the Hurricanes a player who can manage the bottom six and perhaps earn a bigger role in the future. He has shown that he fits with head coach Rod Brind’Amour’s system, so management should make every effort to keep him.

Drury has had an underrated season and should get more attention than he does. There is a good chance he finishes the season with over 30 points in a season worth remembering for the New York native navigating his way in Raleigh, North Carolina.