Photo: Howlin’ Hockey

After forward Michael Ferland left Raleigh to sign a four-year contract, $14 million contract ($3.5 million AAV) with the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday, the Carolina Hurricanes announced on Friday morning that they have signed center Ryan Dzingel to a two-year contract worth $6.75 million ($3.375 million AAV) to replace him. Dzingel, 27, became an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The #Canes and Ryan Dzingel have agreed to a two-year contract!

More Info » https://t.co/LtS4j7zlry pic.twitter.com/XEcrmguz7v

— Carolina Hurricanes (@NHLCanes) July 12, 2019

The forward posted 26 goals, 56 points, and a -9 rating in 78 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ottawa Senators last season. The Senators sent him to Columbus prior to the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline in exchange for second-round picks in 2020 and 2021, a 2019 seventh-round pick, and forward Anthony Duclair.

Dzingel has recorded at least 14 goals and 30 points in each of his three full NHL seasons and has hit the 20-goal mark and 40-point plateau in each of the last two. He was limited to one goal in nine Stanley Cup Playoff games with the Blue Jackets and was a healthy scratch for one of their playoff games last season.

Now that Dzingel is officially gone, the Blue Jackets have lost all five of their key unrestricted free agents this offseason. Sergei Bobrovsky, their No. 1 goaltender, signed a seven-year contract worth $70 million ($10 million AAV) with the Florida Panthers on July 1. Forward Artemi Panarin, who led the Blue Jackets with 87 points during the regular season, also signed a seven-year contract with an annual average value of $11.642 million with the New York Rangers. Center Matt Duchene, who tied Panarin for the team lead with 10 points during the postseason, signed a seven-year, $56 million ($8 million AAV) with the Nashville Predators. Goaltender Keith Kinkaid also left after signing a one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens.

The Blue Jackets have not done a lot to replace what they have lost this offseason as they have only signed forward Gustav Nyquist, who posted 22 goals and 60 points in 81 games with the San Jose Sharks and Detroit Red Wings last season, to a four-year, $22.5 million ($5.5 million AAV) contract on July 1.

The Hurricanes bolster their center depth with the addition of Dzingel. He will likely slot on the second- or third-line. Dzingel may also see a fair amount of ice-time on the wing after they acquired center Erik Haula from the Vegas Golden Knights on June 27. The acquisition improves an offense that averaged 2.96 goals-per-game last season (16th in the NHL).

Carolina has $7,019,334 left in cap space to re-sign restricted free agent forward Brock McGinn, forward Clark Bishop, and defenseman Gustav Forsling, who was acquired in a trade from the Chicago Blackhawks last month.

By Harrison Brown