Rod Brind'Amour has enjoyed immense success as head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes, but as his team prepares for its Round 2 matchup against the New York Rangers, questions swirl around his future with the franchise.
A contract extension for Brind'Amour, the 2021 Jack Adams Award winner, has yet to be finalized as he completes the final year of his existing deal.
"Confidants say he has become unsure about his future in Carolina, according to sources familiar with those conversations," reports The News & Observer's Luke DeCock.
An extension once seemed close, but it's believed the offer has been pulled, reports TSN's Darren Dreger, adding that Brind'Amour wants to stay in Carolina.
However, team owner Tom Dundon said an extension is nearing the finish line.
"I think it's all but done," Dundon told DeCock. "(General manager) Don (Waddell) and him are working on it. I don't think there's anything there. We're in the playoffs, and they haven't focused on it. They're doing it together. I said OK to almost everything they've asked me for. They're just getting through the last little stuff."
Waddell declined to comment to DeCock, while Brind'Amour told the reporter via text message that it's "in Tom's hands."
Waddell later added that he's "very confident" a deal will get done. "Rod wants to be a Hurricane for life," the GM said, per Chip Alexander of The News & Observer. "There will be a solution here quickly, I feel."
Brind'Amour would be highly sought-after if he decided to test the open market this offseason. He's led the Hurricanes to at least one playoff series victory in each of his six seasons at the helm, making the conference finals in 2019 and 2023.
The 53-year-old has spent the last 24 seasons with the Hurricanes organization. He played in Carolina for 10 years from 2000-10, captaining the franchise to its lone Stanley Cup in 2006. Immediately after retiring, he became the director of player development before moving to an assistant coach role in 2011 and taking the head coach job in 2018.
There are currently seven NHL teams without a permanent head coach: the St. Louis Blues, Ottawa Senators, Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, and Seattle Kraken. Brind'Amour has ties of varying degrees to three of those clubs. He notably started his playing career with the Blues, was born in Ottawa, and was teammates and colleagues with Kraken GM Ron Francis.
Whenever Carolina's offseason gets underway, it stands to be busy. The team has several notable pending unrestricted free agents, including Teuvo Teravainen, Jake Guentzel, Jordan Martinook, Brady Skjei, and Brett Pesce.
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