Waddell says Canes, Aho not 'crazy' far apart on money in contract talks

The Carolina Hurricanes and burgeoning superstar Sebastian Aho appear to be on the same page when it comes to his future with the franchise.

Aho's currently playing out the final year of his entry-level contract and is in line for a major raise. Negotiations on a long-term pact began in the offseason, and Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell is optimistic a deal will be signed before the end of this season.

"We've had lots of discussions and everything has been positive," Waddell told Chip Alexander of The News & Observer on Monday. "We both have the same goal, and that is we want to sign him to a long-term deal and he wants to be here long term. That's always the starting point, which is always good."

Waddell added that the two sides aren't too far apart when it comes to finances.

"The amount of money we're talking, there's not a crazy difference," he said.

Last month, Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon called Aho's next contract one of the organization's top priorities, and for good reason. Since being drafted 35th overall in 2015, the forward's managed 131 points in 172 contests.

So far this season, his game looks to have reached another level. In 12 contests, Aho's already notched 17 points and matched an NHL record set by Wayne Gretzky and Ken Linseman by recording an assist in 12 consecutive games to start a season.