RALEIGH, N.C. — With two moves, the Carolina Hurricanes became the NHL’s biggest spender since July 1.

On the opening day of free agency, Carolina swung a sign-and-trade for Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller, sending first- and second-round picks and defensive prospect Scott Morrow to New York while inking Miller to an eight-year, $60 million contract.

Two days later, the biggest fish on the free agent market, Nikolaj Ehlers, picked the Hurricanes, agreeing to a six-year, $51 million contract to give coach Rod Brind’Amour a talented forward to play alongside Sebastian Aho.

Carolina has much of its core locked in, but the two big additions — and a few subtractions — mean the Hurricanes will have a new look next season. Here’s a guess at how they could line up on opening night.

Forward lines

Nikolaj Ehlers – Sebastian Aho – Andrei Svechnikov

Ehlers and Aho are a natural fit together. A creative, talented winger such as Ehlers could turn Aho into a 40-goal scorer, and Ehlers is good for 20 to 25 goals and 60 points on his own. Svechnikov can bring size and physicality to the line. If he can replicate his play from the first two rounds of the playoffs, Carolina will have a hard-to-handle top line.

Taylor Hall – Seth Jarvis – Jackson Blake

The first thing that probably came to mind when looking at the first line was: Where is Seth Jarvis? Well, he’s here … at center. Jack Roslovic is gone after one year in Raleigh, and with the free agent market devoid of centers and no one willing to make trades, Carolina will have to look inward to solve its never-ending 2C problem. Enter Jarvis, whose 200-foot play earned him a spot on Team Canada at the 4 Nations Face-Off. Hall would bring size and experience to the line, while Blake should take a step forward in his second season despite having a difficult postseason.

Jordan Martinook – Jordan Staal – Logan Stankoven

Staal and Martinook are a suffocating tandem, taking on top forwards every night and almost always winning the battle. Stankoven spent some time on their right wing last year, and the results were encouraging. His feisty determination meshes well with the veterans’ tenacity at both ends of the rink, and he brings a quick-trigger scoring punch to a line that struggles to score consistently.

William Carrier – Jesperi Kotkaniemi – Eric Robinson

If Jarvis does move to the No. 2 hole at center (don’t rule out Stankoven getting a look there as well), Kotkaniemi is relegated to the fourth line. His 12 goals and 33 points were underwhelming, but he was third on the team in five-on-five points. Carrier doesn’t provide much offense but plays a heavy game, while Robinson uses his speed to be an effective depth contributor.

Extras

Mark Jankowski proved to be a good fit with the Hurricanes last season and is a good utility player — he can play down the middle or on the wing, and he can also be an effective penalty killer. Tyson Jost re-signed and will be available for call-up should injuries strike.

Bradly Nadeau had a fantastic first pro season, scoring 32 goals in 64 games as a 19-year-old with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. The wings are already pretty full, but if Carolina suffers a top-six injury up front or struggles to score, the team may look to Nadeau to provide some instant offense.

Defense

K’Andre Miller – Jaccob Slavin

This is the tough one to predict. The Hurricanes have had a balance of three left-handed and three right-handed defensemen for much of Brind’Amour’s tenure as coach. But with one of each — Brent Burns and Dmitry Orlov — allowed to leave via free agency, and two young lefties in Miller and Alexander Nikishin coming in, someone will have to play their off side. Slavin’s a good bet, especially if it means putting Miller in the best place to succeed. All of Slavin’s previous partners thrived playing with him, and it’s unlikely he would be fazed by having to play on the right.

Alexander Nikishin – Jalen Chatfield

Chatfield exchanges one Russian partner for another. He moved into the top four last year alongside Orlov and didn’t skip a beat, using his speed to erase chances while scoring the occasional goal. He also became a reliable cog in the league’s best penalty kill. Pairing him with Nikishin would make sense: It would give the rookie a stable partner who focuses primarily on defense, allowing him to learn on the fly and take chances offensively. Nikishin is a thunderous hitter and should make wingers think twice before skating by with their heads down.

Shayne Gostisbehere — Sean Walker

Don’t rule out Walker for a spot alongside Slavin. The two veterans played together some in shutdown situations in the playoffs, and Walker would probably benefit from the freedom to take more offensive chances that playing with Slavin provides. But we’re keeping Carolina’s highly effective third pairing together for this exercise. Walker is a good foil to the offensive-minded Gostisbehere, and the tandem won its battles most nights last season by feasting on lesser competition.

Extra

Mike Reilly is a sneaky depth addition for the Hurricanes. His underlying numbers and skillset match what Carolina looks for on defense.

Goalies

Frederik Andersen re-signed for one year and will return for a sixth season in Raleigh. When he’s healthy, he’s good — the trouble is, he’s often not. Pyotr Kochetkov, who will split duties with him, has also faced some injury woes, but his biggest issue is consistency. When Kochetkov is on a roll, he looks like one of the league’s best goalies, but his ups and downs are still too frequent to count on him as a No. 1. The addition of Cayden Primeau gives the Hurricanes a nice insurance policy, and Amir Miftakhov is a good gamble after a standout year in the KHL.

Power play

The power play should look about the same, though Ehlers will certainly step onto the top unit. Gostisbehere will start as the PPQB, but keep an eye on Nikishin, who owns a booming shot. Aho, Jarvis and Ehlers are locks, while Svechnikov, Blake and Stankoven will jockey for the final spot.

Two of those final three will make their way to the second unit, and they should be joined by Hall and Kotkaniemi. Walker is the safe bet on the point, but Carolina will also want to utilize Nikishin. Even if the young Russian doesn’t start the year on the PP, chances are he’ll be there by season’s end — maybe even on the top unit.

Penalty kill

Staal, Martinook, Aho and Jarvis are Carolina’s PK horses up front, but other forwards can pitch in. Carrier and Robinson were frequent contributors last season, and Jankowski, if he’s in the lineup, is valuable with his wingspan and smarts.

Who will kill among the defense is a bigger question mark. Burns and Orlov, both regulars, are gone. Miller led the Rangers in PK time and will take one of the slots, while Walker saw time last year and could see more in the coming season. Nikishin killed penalties in the KHL, but the Hurricanes will want to be careful about how much they put on the rookie’s plate.

Biggest surprises to watch for

  • Carolina is still flush with cap space, so don’t be surprised if the Hurricanes target a second-line center as other teams realize they’re not the playoff contenders they thought they were.
  • The Hurricanes will try to ease Nikishin in, but there’s a chance he’ll eventually get a shot on the top pairing with Slavin should the shutdown defender move to the right side.
  • Don’t rule out Primeau making a push to force his way into the goalie rotation. He had a great AHL season with Laval last year, and Carolina’s system tends to make goalies look good. Primeau’s size is an asset, and he could benefit if he gets a chance in Raleigh.
  • Outside of Nadeau, I wouldn’t expect any prospects to compete for a roster spot in training camp. It is worth keeping an eye on big defenseman Charles-Alexis Legault, whose size, mobility and toughness could make him a call-up option in a pinch.

(Photo of K’Andre Miller: Sarah Stier / Getty Images)