Hurricanes re-sign Dahlbeck, fill expansion draft requirement

James Guillory—USA TODAY Sports
Hurricanes defensemen Klas Dahlbeck and Islanders forward Anders Lee go after the puck during the April 6 gameat PNC Arena. New York defeated Carolina 3-0.

RALEIGH — The Carolina Hurricanes solved one of their offseason matters Friday, signing restricted free agent Klas Dahlbeck to a one-year, $850,000 deal that will keep him in Carolina — or see him off to Las Vegas if the Golden Knights select him in the June 21 expansion draft.The Dahlbeck signing gives Carolina another defenseman who fills the requirements set by the league (one defenseman with 40 games played last season or a combined 70 games the past two years) for the expansion draft that will fill the incoming Vegas Golden Knights’ roster. If the Hurricanes didn’t add another eligible defenseman, the team would have had to expose Justin Faulk in the expansion draft. Dahlbeck will likely be unprotected in the expansion draft.Dahlbeck, 25, was claimed on waivers by the Hurricanes on Oct. 11 from Arizona and played 43 games with Carolina in 2016-17, scoring two goals and adding four assists while averaging 13:53 a night.The Swedish defenseman was in and out of the lineup throughout the season, playing primarily on Carolina’s third pairing with a mix of Noah Hanifin, Ryan Murphy and Matt Tennyson. Drafted in the third round by Chicago in 2011, Dahlbeck has played 137 NHL games with the Blackhawks, Coyotes and Hurricanes.