Hurricanes GM says multi-year deal with Jeff Skinner close to being done

The Carolina Hurricanes continue to be one of the most aggressive NHL teams this offseason.

General Manager Jim Rutherford announced Tuesday that the Hurricanes were close to re-signing restricted free agent forward Jeff Skinner.

"It looks like we are going to be able to get Jeff Skinner tied up for a number of years. Exciting news for our franchise," tweeted Rutherford.

Carolina has already traded for forward Jordan Staal and signed unrestricted free agent forward Alex Semin this summer.

The 20-year-old Skinner was the 2011 rookie of the year. He had 20 goals and 24 assists last season.