What a story Brandon Bussey has become, and what an honor it is for the Carolina Hurricanes to be the paper on which that story is written. After an incredible start to his NHL career, the 27-year-old has inked a deal to stay in Carolina for the coming years. ...but how does it stack up to other goaltender contracts in the NHL?
On Monday, the Hurricanes signed Bussey to a three-year extension worth $5.7 million, with an average annual value of $1.9 million, including a 10-team no-trade clause for the final year.
In addition to the contract, the Carolina Hurricanes Foundation also donated $10K to the Autism Society of North Carolina. Busey, who has been a supporter of autism in sports since before the beginning of his professional career, has worn the goalie mask specifically to pay tribute to his younger brother, Dylan, who has non-verbal autism. This season's mask features puzzle pieces and rainbow butterflies as well as Dylan's initials.
Brandon Bussey vs. the World
Considering Bussey's play, ranking second in high-danger save percentage (.869) and posting a 23-3-1 record this season, $1.9 million per year is remarkably low.
To draw comparisons with Ilya Sorokin, the league's top dog in high-danger save percentage this season – who had similar numbers to Bussey in his early years – signed a three-year contract in September 2021. The annual price tag came in at $2M, which was a bit high cost. However, this was before the salary cap increased, which began in the 2022–23 season and increased rapidly in 2024–25. In 2023, the New York Islanders star goaltender signed an eight-year extension worth $8.25M.
Meanwhile, the current price tags for both of Busey's Hurricanes teammates – Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen – are $2M and $2.75M annually, respectively.
Other notable comparisons are the San Jose Sharks tandem, which Bussey faced in his NHL debut. Yaroslav Askarov, who signed his first extension in 2024 (before the cap increase), is on a two-year contract worth $2M annually. Additionally, Alex Nedeljkovic, who signed a two-year deal through 2024, makes $2.5M per year.
While Bussey's sample size is quite small, having only played 27 games in his career, if he continues to have similar results, he could go down as one of the greatest signings of the decade.
