The Carolina Hurricanes did a remarkable job retaining nearly the entirety of their Stanley Cup-winning roster from last season. But with another year set to go by, it seems almost certain that the club will lose at least some players from their championship roster. One player that could depart is pending UFA defenseman Jalen Chatfield. David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reported yesterday that the Hurricanes and Chatfield’s agent, Darren Ferris of Quartexx, attempted to negotiate an extension, but those talks did not result in pen hitting paper. Pagnotta noted that there “have been no talks since” between Ferris and the Hurricanes, and added that the “inkling right now is that [Chatfield] is headed to free agency.”

Chatfield, could be set to cash in on the open market after becoming a steady contributor to the Hurricanes’ defense over the last half-decade. A fleet-footed undrafted blueliner, Chatfield was plucked from the Canucks organization as a free agent and broke into the NHL after one season spent developing with Carolina’s AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. After winning a Calder Cup in Chicago, Chatfield established himself at the NHL level. He was a seamless fit for the way head coach Rod Brind’Amour wants his defensemen to play, and his ability to leverage his above-average skating to close out on pucks quickly and play aggressively has made him a valuable secondary defensive piece for the club. Now 30 years old, Chatfield’s upcoming free agency represents his best chance at earning a life-changing contract. Based on Pagnotta’s reporting, it seems Chatfield might end up receiving that contract, just maybe not from the Hurricanes.

Other notes from the Eastern Conference:

• The NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Ottawa Senators forward Nick Cousins has been fined $4,091.49, the maximum allowable under the CBA, “for unsportsmanlike conduct towards an opponent while on Ottawa’s bench” during last night’s win over the Florida Panthers. Yesterday’s game was a physical, emotionally-charged affair that resulted in nearly 30 penalties shared between the two sides. Cousins himself is no stranger to supplementary discipline, having earned multiple fines over the course of his 733-game NHL career.
• Cousins was not the only player to receive supplemental discipline for actions taken in last night’s games. Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk was given a $5,000 fine, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for roughing Ottawa’s Dylan Cozens. Tkachuk took a total of three penalties during last night’s game, one where his brother, Brady Tkachuk, was the subject of near-constant chanting by a hostile Ottawa crowd. Tkachuk is among the Panthers’ very best players and has already totaled 15 points in just 10 games this season.