Carolina Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky has worked his way up the ranks throughout his hockey career. He is one of the brightest minds in the sport, if not the brightest mind in the sport. Tulsky was the architect for the championship team in 2025-2026. They were one of the best Stanley Cup winning teams in NHL history after going 16-3 in the postseason.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 14: General manager Eric Tulsky lifts the Stanley Cup after Game Six of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Carolina Hurricanes won 3-0. (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
Carolina finished with a 53-22-7 record with 113 points last season. They have the tools to potentially repeat this season. Well, Tulsky has been the general manager for the last two seasons. In January 2021, he was promoted to assistant general manager before becoming the Hurricanes general manager. In 2017, he was named to head of hockey analytics. In 2018, he was promoted to vice president of hockey management and strategy. He has no doubt built a nice hockey career in the front office for himself. The success of this franchise is probably going to continue for the next several seasons.
Carolina Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky Receives Tons of Praise in Latest Front Office Poll by the Athletic
LAS VEGAS, NV – JUNE 14: Carolina Hurricanes General Manager Eric Tulsky celebrates with his family after winning the Stanley Cup in game six of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes on June 14, 2026 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Matthew Bolt/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Dom Luszczyszyn of the Athletic wrote about the front office rankings as the 2026-2027 NHL season approaches. To no surprise, the Hurricanes were ranked as the number one front office in the sport. Carolina fans no doubt trust him and the rest of the decision makers. Luszczyszyn said,
“The Hurricanes front office truly fires on all cylinders. Often you look at a strong team and notice certain blemishes in their operations. You’ll see a head scratcher contract given to a defenseman in his late 30’s for example. With the Canes though they’re really good at avoiding falling into traps and always keep the future in mind.
The management team (Dundon, Tulsky, Brind’Amour) are fully aligned on building a roster that fits Rod’s system. They have a plan and execute it to the hilt. They are able to see ‘hidden’ value in players who may not have fit their previous team, K’Andre Miller being a prime example.
I have learned very quickly to not second guess what Tulsky is doing. I wasn’t sure about trading for K’Andre Miller or giving Jackson Blake 8 years after one year. I’d say both of those look very good a year later.”
With that being said, this is a great system that the team has in place. They always have a next man up mentality in place. If Carolina is going to go back-to-back, they are going to need to be relentless again like they were a season ago. They will not have Seth Jarvis to begin the 2026-2027 NHL season because of an upper-body injury. It will also be interesting to see if Tulsky will trade for Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck or not before the season starts.
They have the draft capital and the prospects to make a trade with them. Will see if Winnipeg wants to make a deal with them. Even if Carolina doesn’t make a trade, they are going to rely on their system to make the playoffs and potentially win it all again with either Brandon Bussi or someone else in net also.
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