Carolina Hurricanes Negotiating With Petr Mrazek, Jonathan Bernier
The Carolina Hurricanes traded away Alex Nedeljkovic yesterday, meaning they had no NHL goaltenders left under contract for the upcoming season. They do however have the exclusive negotiating rights to three veteran netminders and it looks like two of them could be in Carolina next season. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the Hurricanes are in talks with Jonathan Bernier and Petr Mrazek, hoping to sign both.
Bernier, 32, was part of the return from Detroit yesterday and could very well represent an upgrade over the inexperienced Nedeljkovic. A veteran of nearly 400 regular season games, he posted a .914 save percentage in 24 appearances with Detroit last season, keeping his goals against average below 3.00 even behind one of the worst teams in the league. While those numbers certainly don’t hold up to the performance that Nedeljkovic put up in his short stint as the Carolina starter, Bernier has been rather consistent throughout his long career, never posting a save percentage under .904 in a full season.
Mrazek, on the other hand, has been a little less consistent over his 277-game career, though was excellent when healthy this year. In 12 appearances with the Hurricanes during the regular season, he posted an outstanding .923 save percentage and three shutouts.
The team did decide to go with Nedeljkovic over Mrazek in the playoffs though, which means bringing him back will not help the questions Carolina fans have been screaming since the trade was announced. At the very least, this will be a tandem with plenty of NHL experience, even if it does seem a bit underwhelming.
James Reimer, meanwhile, the other free agent goaltender in Carolina, is expected to go to market according to LeBrun. The 33-year-old had a .906 in 22 games with the Hurricanes this year, and has been a consistent performer–albeit usually in a tandem role–throughout his career.
Tom Dundon Becomes Sole Owner Of Carolina Hurricanes
The NHL’s Board of Governors has unanimously approved Tom Dundon as sole owner of the Carolina Hurricanes after he purchased all remaining minority shares. That includes those owned by the previous majority shareholder Peter Karmanos, and as the press release indicates, makes this the first time that Karmanos has not owned a piece of the franchise since 1994.
Quite simply, Dundon reiterated his desire to see the Stanley Cup return to Raleigh:
We are fortunate to have a passionate fan base that supports what we believe is a team that can compete every year for the Stanley Cup. That is the only option.
Dundon purchased a majority of the team in 2018 and restructured both the business and hockey operations departments. In the time since, the team has reached the playoffs three times, even making it as far as the Eastern Conference Final in 2018-19. The group of players currently on the roster has made an impactful connection with a rejuvenated fan base, while franchise icon Rod Brind’Amour quickly became one of the most beloved head coaches in team history.
Once again, Dundon will be asked to make a financial commitment to the team this summer as they currently have just 12 players under contract for next season. Young star Andrei Svechnikov is a restricted free agent for the first time, while veteran leaders like Jordan Martinook, Dougie Hamilton, and Petr Mrazek are all unrestricted free agents. Though it is unlikely all of those names will be returning, the Hurricanes are in a strong position to take advantage of the free agent market and add some support to their strong foundational pieces.
Free Agent Focus: Carolina Hurricanes
Free agency is now just a little more than a month away and many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up. There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market in late July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well. Coming off a disappointing playoff exit, the Carolina Hurricanes have an extremely eventful summer ahead of them.
Key Restricted Free Agents
F Andrei Svechnikov – Despite taking a small step back this season offensively, Svechnikov was a large part of arguably the most successful regular season in Hurricanes history. While seeing the highest ice time of his career, Svechnikov dipped below the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career and was moved up and down the lineup under coach Rod Brind’Amour. It’s not all bad for the young Russian winger, though, as he still managed a respectable 42 points in 55 contests. It was largely a better effort defensively this season for Svechnikov as well, still boosting his value as he earned those extra minutes. With proven 20-goal ability and 30- and even 40-goal potential, Svechnikov likely sees a huge raise on his entry-level contract in the neighborhood of $6MM. It’s interesting to note that Svechnikov is not eligible for arbitration, meaning that negotiations will have to be resolved purely between the team and his agent.
F Warren Foegele – It was another solid season for the 25-year-old forward, who’s settling nicely into a third-line scoring role with Carolina. After being drafted 67th overall in 2014, Foegele crossed the 200-game threshold with his final game of the 2020-21 season. Even through shortened seasons, Foegele’s now scored between 10 and 15 goals in three straight campaigns with his ice time creeping up year by year. He’s trusted in both zones by the coaching staff, and a longer-term, lower-dollar deal could end up benefitting both sides down the road.
G Alex Nedeljkovic – One of the two Calder Trophy finalists who’s up for a new deal next season, Nedeljkovic was a pleasant surprise this season that helped stabilize the Carolina crease. Nedeljkovic sported a sparkling .932 save percentage to lead the league in that category, paired with a 15-5-3 record. Nedeljkovic continued his strong play into the playoffs, as his .920 mark was more than enough to keep the team competitive. He’ll indisputably be given the inside track on the starters’ job next season in Carolina, and will likely earn a short-term, Jordan Binnington-esque contract this offseason.
Other RFAs: F Yegor Korshkov, F Morgan Geekie, F Spencer Smallman, D Jake Bean, D Maxime Lajoie, G Jeremy Helvig
Key Unrestricted Free Agents
D Dougie Hamilton – While he didn’t have the ideal contract year, Hamilton will be a huge commodity this offseason. A respectable offensive force on the blueline, Hamilton finished 2020-21 with his seventh straight 10-goal campaign. His ability in transition is huge in ensuring that his team is the one with the puck on their sticks, and his 6′ 6″ frame isn’t exactly something to mess with. With a 62-point pace this season over 82 games, he continues to be one of the highest-scoring defenders in the league. The demand for UFA defensemen this season is high, and rumors of a sign-and-trade have swirled surrounding Hamilton. While it’s seeming unlikely he’ll return to Raleigh, there’s always a chance.
G Petr Mrazek – Injuries largely forced Mrazek into a backup role this season. However, it didn’t impact his play when he was in the net – he had arguably one of the best seasons of his career. His .923 save percentage was his highest as a Hurricane, and while his 12-game sample size is certainly a prohibiting factor, it only reinforces Mrazek’s reputation as one of the best tandem netminders in the league. With Nedeljkovic assuming the starting role, it’s unlikely Mrazek will be content to return as a backup. Another team can promise more games and more dollars, which will likely be deserved for the 29-year-old Czech native.
F Brock McGinn – The proposition of McGinn returning to the Canes is, at this point, anybody’s guess. While he showed flashes of strong potential with a 30-point season in 2017-18, McGinn, now 27, has cooled off since then. He’s still been a solid depth contributor, and he even saw some ice time with Sebastian Aho on the first line this season. But with the strength of Carolina’s prospect pool, it may not make much sense to re-sign an aging, declining depth winger. With nearly 350 games of NHL experience, he’ll find a home next season, whether it’s in Carolina or not.
Other UFAs: F Cedric Paquette, F Jordan Martinook, F Max McCormick, F Sheldon Rempal, F David Gust, D Jani Hakanpaa, D Roland McKeown, G James Reimer, G Antoine Bibeau
Projected Cap Space
The Hurricanes have been smart in building a contender, signing players to affordable longer-team deals. It puts Carolina in a position to add big this offseason with nearly $30MM in cap space. They can’t be too playful with their cash, however. After all, they have both goalie spots to fill in addition to big contracts due on both offense and defense. With Nino Niederreiter, Vincent Trocheck, and Martin Necas all in need of extensions after 2021-22, this offseason could be crucial in maintaining long-term success in Carolina.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.
Carolina Signs Goaltenders Pyotr Kochetkov, Eetu Makiniemi
Saturday: The Hurricanes have now confirmed the signings, adding that each young keeper has inked a two-year entry-level contract. The two contracts are financially identical except for one detail: Kochetkov’s deal will carry and $842.5K NHL salary in both seasons, as well as an $185K signing bonus and a $70K AHL salary, while Makiniemi’s is structured the same but includes a raise to $892.5K in the second year. This makes the AAV on Makiniemi’s contract $867.5K.
Perhaps the more important update comes from the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod, who have announced a one-year extension with Kochetkov. This presumably means that the young keeper will spend the first season of his entry-level deal on loan to the KHL. Makiniemi is still expected to make the jump to North America for next season, which could give him an edge in the competition to determine which prospect keeper is the first in line for NHL starts.
Friday: There is about to be a total overhaul in the Carolina net. With Hurricanes goaltenders Petr Mrazek, James Reimer, and Antoine Bibeau all slated for unrestricted free agency this summer, the team is set to sign two talented prospects to join Alex Nedeljkovic in goal. Salary resources CapFriendly and PuckPedia are each reporting that young goalies Pyotr Kochetkov and Eetu Makiniemi have agreed to terms on entry-level contracts with Carolina. The duo are likely slated for the AHL for a season or two, but could challenge for NHL opportunities before too long.
Kochetkov, 21, was a highly-touted overage netminder in the 2019 NHL Draft, selected early in the second round by the ‘Canes. After years of dominating the junior and minor league ranks in Russia, as well impressing on the international stage at the 2019 World Juniors, Kochetkov finally found some success at the top level in the KHL this season. Splitting his season between Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod and Vityaz Podolsk, Kochetkov was a serviceable backup with a sub-2.70 GAA for both teams and a .931 save percentage in the regular season and postseason for Torpedo. Looking to take the next step in his development, Kochetkov appears ready for the AHL and hopes that he can follow a recent influx of elite young Russian netminders and find success in his move to North America.
Makiniemi, 22, was a fourth-round puck by Carolina back in 2017. After years spent in the junior ranks in Finland, Makiniemi finally found a starting role in the Liiiga late last season. He was stellar in seven games down the stretch for Ilves, recording a .936 save percentage and 1.53 GAA. That was enough to earn him the top job for the team this year and while his numbers regressed somewhat, they did so in 34 games plus a playoff run. Having finally honed his ability at the pro level, Makiniemi also seems ready for the AHL. He may begin next season as the backup to Kochetkov, but is a legitimate threat to outplay his counterpart.
Snapshots: Mrazek, Fabbri, Gudbranson, Hinostroza, Bowness
The Hurricanes got a key part of their lineup back tonight with the announcement that Petr Mrazek was getting the start tonight against Dallas. The veteran had missed the last 31 games due to a right thumb injury after entering the season as the expected starting goaltender. Carolina more than held their own with James Reimer and Alex Nedeljkovic splitting time in Mrazek’s absence and with the latter now once again being waiver-eligible, they will be forced to carry three goalies the rest of the way as it’s highly doubtful he’d go unclaimed again. Last month, GM Don Waddell indicated that he’s open to moving one of his three netminders and a good showing from Mrazek over these next couple of appearances may go a long way towards determining whether or not that happens.
Elsewhere around the NHL:
- Red Wings winger Robby Fabbri missed today’s game due to an undisclosed injury. Following the contest, head coach Jeff Blashill told reporters, including MLive’s Ansar Khan (Twitter link), that the 25-year-old is listed as day-to-day and they expect to know more about the extent of the injury on Tuesday. Fabbri sits third on Detroit in scoring with ten goals and eight assists in 30 games.
- Senators defenseman Erik Gudbranson did not accompany the team on their trip to Winnipeg, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch. The veteran returned to Ottawa to be with his wife who is expected to give birth to their first child in the next few days. Gudbranson has played in 34 games this season, picking up a goal and two assists.
- Blackhawks center Vinnie Hinostroza opted to make the 20-hour drive from Florida to Chicago to reduce his required quarantine tine, notes Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times. The 27-year-old was acquired from the Panthers this week after having a limited role in Florida where he played in just nine games. Hinostroza isn’t on the CPRA list yet but should be on there once he makes it to his hotel room in Chicago to begin serving his quarantine period.
- Stars head coach Rick Bowness was pulled from their game against Carolina after the second period due to COVID-19 protocols, the team announced (Twitter link). Assistant coach John Stevens served as acting head coach for the rest of the game.
Hurricanes Open To Moving A Goaltender
With Alex Nedeljkovic thriving in recent weeks and Petr Mrazek set to return soon from his thumb injury, Carolina is nearing a goalie logjam on their hands with James Reimer also in the mix. Speaking with Sara Civian of The Athletic (subscription link), GM Don Waddell indicated that they’re comfortable carrying three goalies on the active roster for the rest of the season but also suggested that he’d be open to moving one by April 12th as well:
If we’re gonna do something at the trade deadline, maybe one of the chips is one of our goalies. I can’t say which one. It depends.
Nedeljkovic has been on quite the run in March, posting a .939 SV% in seven starts and has once again become waiver-eligible in the process. While he cleared back in January, it’s safe to say that he won’t pass through unclaimed if they were to try it again, especially with the frequency that goaltenders have been getting claimed since the start of the regular season.
As for Reimer, he is having a decent season with a 2.68 GAA and a .909 SV% in 17 appearances, numbers that are right around his career averages. He isn’t a starting goalie at this stage of his career but he’d represent an upgrade for several teams at the backup position.
It would be difficult to envision Mrazek being moved at this point. He has been limited to just four games this season due to the thumb injury and went into the year as their presumptive starter (or 1A to Reimer’s 1B, at least). While Nedeljkovic is on a nice run right now, it probably hasn’t been enough to make their most proven goaltender expendable at this point.
It’s worth noting that Carolina has a bit of cap flexibility with the ability to add more than $6MM in full-season salary, per CapFriendly. While none of their goalies makes much (Reimer leads the way at $3.4MM, Mrazek is at $3.15MM, and Nedeljkovic is at just under $738K), the Hurricanes certainly aren’t in a situation where the cap is going to dictate what happens; they can easily afford to carry all three the rest of the way. Both Reimer and Mrazek are pending unrestricted free agents as well.
As for what Waddell would like to add, be it with one of his goalies or something else? He told Civian that a right-shot defender would be ideal as they only have two on the roster in Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce so adding another one to balance out their third pairing would make some sense. Depth defenders are pieces that often move around this time but it shouldn’t take one of their goaltenders to move one unless they’re setting their sights a bit higher. We’ll see what direction Waddell ultimately goes in the coming weeks.
Snapshots: Sorensen, Mrazek, St. Lawrence
The San Jose Sharks might be moving on from forward Marcus Sorensen, especially considering he will be hitting unrestricted free agency at the end of the season. In fact, Sorensen could find himself in the North Division soon as Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported that several Canadian teams have interest in the rental forward.
“Marcus Sorensen in San Jose is more of a traditional rental,” said Johnston during the “Headlines” segment on Hockey Night in Canada. “[Sorensen] only makes $1.5 million, he’s a UFA at the end of the year and I know he’s drawn some interest from the Canadian teams.”
Sorensen’s numbers aren’t overwhelming, however, with just a goal and three points in 17 games, while averaging 11:58 of ATOI. However, the experienced veteran would provide some bottom-six depth at a cheap salary and cost.
- The Carolina Hurricanes saw a familiar face on the ice as injured goaltender Petr Mrazek, who has been out since Jan. 30 after undergoing thumb surgery, practiced with the team on Sunday. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour said that Mrazek’s return will depend on how the netminder feels. “He’s got to feel like he can play and contribute at the level he needs to,” said Brind’Amour (via NHL.com’s Michael Smith). “It’s a good sign we got him back out there. … I think we’re moving in the right direction.” Mrazek’s return would be a big boost to the Hurricanes. In four games this year, he has a 2-1 record and a .955 save percentage.
- A tough day for St. Lawrence University. One day after capturing the ECAC Conference Championship and an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament, College Hockey News reports that the collegiate team has withdrawn its automatic bid to the tourney due to a positive COVID-19 test. In fact, head coach Brent Brekke announced that he was the one who tested positive. “I’m extremely sorry that this group has lost the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Tournament,” Brekke said. “It was my own test that came back positive today. The roller coaster of emotions in the last 24 hours for everyone is unimaginable. Last night we are holding the trophy above our heads and today we are shaking our heads in disbelief that the season is over. This hurts. But the one thing that can’t be taken away from this team — they are champions.”
Central Notes: Cirelli, Cernak, Mrazek, Gudas, Forsling
Tampa Bay will have one of their top forwards back in the lineup tonight as Anthony Cirelli is expected to play against Dallas, relays Joe Smith of The Athletic (Twitter link). The 23-year-old has missed the last six games due to an upper-body injury and was off to a big start before it occurred, notching four goals and six assists in his first dozen games. With the Lightning carrying a minimum-sized roster, they won’t have to make a corresponding roster move to get him activated.
Meanwhile, despite leaving Thursday’s victory over Carolina early with his lower-body injury, the Lightning will also have defenseman Erik Cernak in their lineup. He’s logging more than 18 minutes per game on their back end so far this season and his availability means that they can hold Luke Schenn down on their taxi squad, extending his waiver exemption in the process.
More from the Central Division:
- It appears that Carolina’s wait to get their starting goalie back is almost over. GM Don Waddell told Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News and Observer (Twitter link) that the Hurricanes are targeting next Sunday’s game against Florida for Petr Mrazek to make his return from a thumb injury sustained late last month that required surgery. Carolina has actually done relatively well without Mrazek in the lineup, winning nine of 15 games since he was injured (including the game it occurred) but having their number one back in the fold will give them a nice boost as they look to work their way up the division.
- Florida will have defenseman Radko Gudas back in their lineup tonight versus Carolina, notes Jameson Olive of the Panthers’ team website (Twitter link). He was a late scratch on Thursday night due to an upper-body injury. Gudas is fifth on the team in ATOI by a defender, logging just over 17 minutes per game in his first season in Florida. Meanwhile, they’ll be without Gustav Forsling due to a lower-body issue. The early-season waiver claim has been held off the scoresheet in eight games so far this season.
Petr Mrazek Undergoes Thumb Surgery
The Carolina Hurricanes will be without their starting goaltender for the next while after Petr Mrazek underwent surgery on his right thumb. His exact recovery timeline is still to be determined.
Mrazek, who turns 29 later this month, was off to an outstanding start this season with a league-leading .955 save percentage and 0.99 goals-against average in his first four games. While numbers like that would be almost impossible to maintain, he was the obvious choice to take on the majority of work in Carolina, especially after the strong performance he put on in last summer’s playoffs. Mrazek has always been a streaky netminder, but with unrestricted free agency coming up again after this season, playing well was more important than ever.
Now he’ll hand the net over to James Reimer, who has been a much more consistent, if still underwhelming option throughout his career. His .915 save percentage this season sits almost exactly where his career numbers lie, while he too played well in last year’s postseason. Having a goaltender with 367 career starts as a backup plan is better than nothing, though obviously, the team would rather have a healthy Mrazek competing for the net.
For now, Alex Nedeljkovic will serve as the backup, though he has still not seen the ice this season and the Hurricanes have always appeared hesitant to really give him some runway at the NHL level. The 2019 AHL Goaltender of the Year has just six NHL appearances and cleared waivers earlier this season when exposed to the rest of the league. Nedeljkovic doesn’t have the prototypical size for an NHL netminder, standing just 6’0″, but has stopped the puck at every level so far. Given he is a potential Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer as well, this chance could be a showcase for his future.
Injury Notes: Mrazek, Letang, Thornton
The Carolina Hurricanes are going to be without starting goaltender Petr Mrazek for longer than initially thought. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour said today that the injury suffered against the Dallas Stars on Saturday is “more serious” than they originally believed and Mrazek may even require surgery. That’s terrible news for a goaltender who was leading the league with a .955 save percentage and 0.99 goals-against average through his first four appearances. Mrazek had already recorded two shutouts on the year and looked to be playing at an entirely different level in the early going.
For the Hurricanes, it means James Reimer will take most of the load, while minor league netminder Alex Nedeljkovic will get a chance to serve as the primary backup. The 25-year-old Nedeljkovic was placed on waivers earlier this season but the Hurricanes managed to hold onto him. He has just six appearances at the NHL level but won the AHL Goaltender of the Year award in 2019, leading the Charlotte Checkers to a Calder Cup.
- The Pittsburgh Penguins won’t have Kris Letang in the lineup tonight as the star defenseman continues to be evaluated for an injury he suffered on Saturday night. The Penguins have lost almost all of their defensive depth to injury this season, but at least one silver lining continues to grow. Pierre-Olivier Joseph has been a shining light for the team in the early going and logged nearly 26 minutes against the New York Rangers on Saturday in just his fifth NHL game. He’ll be asked to carry a heavy load if Letang is out long-term, given the lack of offensive upside many of the other options possess.
- Joe Thornton and Nicholas Robertson were both on the ice for the Toronto Maple Leafs today as they continue to work their way back from injury. Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Kristen Shilton of TSN that nothing has changed in the recovery timelines originally given, which were a minimum of four weeks. The Maple Leafs have a few days off before resuming the grind of the condensed season on Thursday in the first of three straight games against the Vancouver Canucks.