We were kind of expecting it for the past few weeks, but any remaining hope that Noah Hanifin might return next year was snuffed out as it was officially announced Hanifin has signed an entry-level contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Hanifin's deal is a three-year, two-way entry level contract worth $832,000 per year at the NHL level and $70,000 at the AHL level. Based on the quotes from Hurricanes GM Ron Francis, it seems as though Hanifin has shown enough to demonstrate he can compete for NHL playing time this year. That seems to have been (obviously) the driving factor for Hanifin in his decision - the ability to play in the NHL right away.