NHL Rumors: Insider claims Hurricanes have made a decision on Rod Brind’Amour’s future with the franchise

According to NHL inside Darren Dreger, Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour will stay put.

Brind’Amour’s contract expires at the end of this season, making the 53-year-old the hottest free coach in recent memory.

But now the Hurricanes are likely prepared to keep Brind’Amour from testing the open market.

Per Dreger, Brind’Amour and the Canes have met within the past 24 hours, potentially reaching an agreement.

When approached by the media, Brind’Amour responded, per the Washington Post:

"Yeah, I had a great conversation yesterday with Don, and then again this morning."

Brind’Amour then dropped the biggest hint of all:

"I feel really good that we’ll figure it out quickly."

Per the Post, Canes GM Don Waddell said he was “very confident” that both sides would quickly reach an agreement.

Various coaching vacancies including the Seattle Kraken and San Jose Sharks are available around the league. Brind’Amour’s name would certainly emerge as an option for every position.

"Rod wants to be a Hurricane for life," Waddell concluded, per the Post.

Perhaps now is the best moment to forge an extension as the Hurricanes get some extra rest following their first-round victory over the New York Islanders. Getting an extension ahead of their second-round showdown with the New York Rangers would give the team a shot in the arm.

In the meantime, there doesn’t seem to be anything to stop Rod Brind’Amour from remaining a Hurricane for life.

Rangers know what’s ahead against Rod Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes

One side of the Eastern Conference playoff bracket has done relatively uneventful. The New York Rangers dispatched the Washington Capitals in four games. The series wasn’t close despite a couple of one-goal games.

For the part, the Hurricanes dumped the Isles in five games. The Canes hardly broke a sweat in the series, facing little opposition.

But now, the second round is an entirely different beast for both sides.

"It’s going to be a long, hard-fought series, and that’s what we’re preparing for," Rangers’ captain Jacob Trouba told the media, per NHL.com.

This series could go the distance the way both clubs have played in the playoffs. Thus far, no one expects blowout games. If anything, fans and analysts expect a tough series like the last time these two clubs met.

Two years ago, the Canes and Rangers went the distance, with the Rangers prevailing.

"It went back and forth a lot," Trouba recalled.

There should be plenty of back and forth this around as well. The Rangers were the top team during the regular season, while the Hurricanes finished narrowly behind. If both clubs’ first-round series were any indication, there will be plenty of nail-biting action.