Ehlers hopes move to Canes will make him better player

Nikolaj Ehlers' decision to leave the Winnipeg Jets after 10 seasons wasn't one he took lightly, but he's hopeful joining the Carolina Hurricanes will help him reach a new level.

"I think every player always has a little more and I'm hoping that maybe a different culture, a different playing style will make me a better player," Ehlers said Saturday, per Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News.

"I think I definitely could have done that in Winnipeg as well in some way, but this was more the overall feeling of, 'Okay, I need to go out and see what's out there and challenge myself.' I think there's still a lot of ways I can improve as a player and as a person. I'm excited to see how that works out."

Ehlers was the top free agent available July 1, and signed a six-year, $51-million contract with the Hurricanes on Thursday. He registered 63 points in 69 games last season for the Presidents' Trophy winners despite averaging only 15:48 per contest.

He hasn't been above 16 minutes per contest since 2021-22.

Ehlers joins a strong forward corps in Carolina that features Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov, Seth Jarvis, and Logan Stankoven. The Hurricanes have reached the Eastern Conference Final three times since 2019, but haven't been able to advance past Round 3.

The Jets drafted Ehlers ninth overall in 2014, and he amassed 520 points in 674 games for the franchise.

"I told (the Jets) why I made the decision that I made and they obviously respected it and were happy for me," Ehlers said. "At the same time, I'd been there for 10 years. So it was very emotional. I loved the organization and I'll always hold the city of Winnipeg very close to my heart. It's the place I lived the longest in my whole life. So it was some very good conversations and a lot of people I won't ever forget."