The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed goaltender Cam Ward to a two-year, $6.6 million contract. Ward was eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1.
Carolina Hurricanes re-sign goalie Cam Ward.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ward’s new deal is worth $3.1 million next season and $3.5 million in 2017-18. His annual cap hit is $3.3 million. The new deal also comes with a modified no-trade clause. While that’s a considerable cut from his six-year, $37.8 million contract ($6.3 million annual cap hit), it’s still a surprising move by the Hurricanes.
Ward, 31, is the franchise leader in wins (269), shutouts (23) and games played by a goalie (564). He also won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2006 backstopping the Hurricanes to their only Stanley Cup title. He played 52 games last season, sporting a 2.41 goals-against average and .909 save percentage.
It was assumed the Hurricanes would part ways with Ward this summer. Evidently, GM Ron Francis decided it best to stick with a starter he knew than one he didn’t. To be fair, the options weren’t the best in this summer’s free-agent market, where Ward ranked as the best of the bunch.
However, the possibility of league expansion next June could force some clubs to shop a goalie. There’s speculation notables such as Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury and Tampa Bay’s Ben Bishop might be available. Is so, re-signing Ward takes the Canes out of this summer’s goalie trade market.
Maybe Francis felt the asking price for those goalies was too high, or he knew the Hurricanes weren’t on their lists of preferred destinations. Perhaps some of the trade chatter claiming those goalies on the move is overblown. Or maybe Francis values Ward higher than most.
Whatever the reason, Francis opted to stick with Ward. At least the new deal is a reasonable one.
Gross overpayment. Some stats (I believe even strength save %?) have him as one of the bottom few goalies in the NHL over the past few years.
I can see them paying him a little above market to stay with them, but I feel like they could have found a comparable goalie for $1.5M. And with no NTC.
More money than brains in that organization!
And they don’t have much money!!
it’s a fair deal. And I might suspect it’s part of bigger movement where they bring in a young guy who takes over next year. I expect them to make more moves, this at least gives time one competent goalie.
Maybe they got Craig Mctavishes opinion on Wards worth…
Unreal
He signed him for 2 years so he can expose him in the expansion draft. That’s also why his salary is higher next year so he can save some money (but not cap space) this year if he is taken. You have to expose at least one goalie in the expansion draft.
This is a precursor to trading Lack and one of the many picks Francis as amassed for a younger, and better keeper who will assume the starter’s role under Ward’s tutelage (a 1A/1B scenario). Ward will then be exposed in the expansion draft next year. Francis rarely makes dumb moves, but he almost always sets himself up very well to make the deals he really wants to make. And, he doesn’t telegraph (the Ward signing was totally telegraphed).