In return to Hurricanes, forward Ryan Dzingel ‘excited’ for another chance in Carolina

Barely two weeks after signing with the Carolina Hurricanes, Ryan Dzingel learned the startling news about Max Pacioretty.

Pacioretty, traded to the Canes in July, tore his Achilles tendon and may miss up to six months. With the newcomer sidelined, there’s a big hole to be filled on the Canes’ roster heading into the 2022-23 season.

The Canes have signed free agent Ondrej Kase. Jack Drury and Stefan Noesen will be looking to make the jump from the Chicago Wolves of the AHL. Veteran Derek Stepan will come to preseason training camp on a professional tryout contract (PTO), looking to be on the team again.

Dzingel? He has a one-year, two-way contract. He has played 61 NHL games in the past two seasons. He has had a string of injuries the past few years — forearm, wrist, broken toe, high ankle sprain — that he calls “freaky, unlucky things.”

He also previously had a shot with the Hurricanes that didn’t work out. But Dzingel believes it can now.

“Different things in life happen,” Dzingel said Thursday. “You never want to see anyone injured, especially someone who has been around the league so long as (Pacioretty). It does create a spot for guys to show up and compete and look to make a difference. I’ve grown in my game and I know I can make a difference, whatever line I’m on.

“I’m just excited. It’s a great surprise to be able to come back to Carolina. It’s a real good chance for me to prove myself again. I’m just focusing on coming back in the best shape of my life. I’ve had a lot of injuries the last two or three years and any GM would be reluctant to sign somebody who can’t stay on the ice. He needs guys who will be playing and durable.”

Don Waddell, the Canes’ president and general manager, called Dzingel a “skilled player who can provide an offensive boost to our forward group” when the signing was announced.

The Canes expected that boost from Dzingel when they signed him to a two-year, $7 million free-agent contract in July 2018. Dzingel had scored 23 goals for the Ottawa Senators in 2017-18 and then a combined 26 with Ottawa and the Columbus Blue Jackets the next season.

Waddell then said he could be an “impact player” whose speed, skill and vision should make him a good fit for the Canes’ fast-paced style of play under coach Rod Brind’Amour.

But it never clicked for Dzingel and the Canes on the ice. He had eight goals in 64 games in the 2019-20 season, then played 11 games for Carolina in 2021 before being traded to Ottawa for forwards Cedric Paquette and Alex Galchenyuk.

“I just think I didn’t play as well as I should’ve or could’ve,” Dzingel said. “I’m a better player than what i showed. I hate to talk about injuries but I’ve played through five or six that nobody knows about or talks about. But I flat-out needed to be better. It was on me, and still on me now.”

Last season, Dzingel was with Arizona before being traded in February to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Picked up off waivers by the San Jose Sharks, he was teammates with defenseman Brent Burns, now with the Canes after the July trade with the Sharks.

Dzingel and his wife, Elise, live in Scottsdale, Arizona, where the two often can be found on the golf course. They recently appeared on “Playing Around with Rob Riggle,” the video of the Dzingels and the comedian laughing it up between golf swings at Scottsdale National available on YouTube.

Dzingel, 30, said he soon would be headed to Raleigh for some early work before camp. He once trained in the offseason with Bill Burniston, the Hurricanes’ head strength and conditioning coach, and said he has been back in touch with Burniston to talk conditioning since his signing.

Dzingel’s contract with the Canes pays $750,000 at the NHL level and $150,000 at the AHL level, although he received a $200,000 guarantee.

There’s no guarantee he will be on the Canes’ roster on opening night. He could well be with the Wolves, the Canes’ AHL affiliate, playing not far from his hometown of Wheaton, Illinois.

Dzingel would prefer to be in Raleigh, though, all season.

“A lot of things have to happen from here on in to make the team, but I’ll be prepared to work my tail off to try and do it,” he said.