The Carolina Hurricanes added to their defensive depth recently, signing former Montreal Canadiens forward Tom Kostopoulos and former Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Andrew Alberts. 

Kostopoulos' new deal, signed on July 14th, was for three years, $2.75 million, or $916K per season. Alberts contract, signed July 15th, is a two year, $2.1 million deal, worth $1.05 million per season against their cap.

Following the Kostopoulos signing there was some concern this mean talks weren't going well with restricted free agent Tuomo Ruutu but Kostopoulos is not coming in as a potential replacement for Ruutu. The former Hab is a checking line right winger who'll likely see fourth line duty.

Alberts signing however creates an interesting situation on the Hurricanes blueline. He's a physical shutdown defenseman who should be a solid addition to Carolina's defense corps. His addition could mean the possible buyout of veteran Frantisek Kaberle. The Hurricanes also hope to add another defenseman, possibly bringing back Dennis Seidenberg but it's not looking good for the return of Anton Babchuk.