2 Potential Signing Destinations For UFA Goalie Petr Mrazek

The Carolina Hurricanes have found themselves with an excess of quality goaltending after the emergence of Alex Nedeljkovic this season, who took over a spot that originally belonged to Petr Mrazek. Nedeljkovic's stellar play has put the Canes in a tough spot, given all three of their netminders need new contracts this summer. Nedeljkoivic is an RFA, and James Reimer has consistently been their reliable backup. That leaves Mrazek out in the cold, and given that he will also command the most salary of the three, it's likely the Hurricanes don't bring him back. With Mrazek once again hitting the market, here are 2 teams that might pick him up.

Vancouver Canucks

The Canucks are going to lose Braden Holtby to Seattle, that is almost assured. While they have Michael DiPietro putting up respectable numbers in Utica, his two quick stints in the NHL left much to be desired. The Canucks can afford to bide their time with the 22-year old, especially with the recent play of Thatcher Demko turning heads, but that means they need a reliable backup netminder to play the 40 games that Demko doesn't. Mrazek is exactly that kind of guy: if overworked he tends to suffer injuries but played at the 40-50 game rate of a 1A/1B he's as steady as they come. Coming off a $3.125 million contract, the 29-year old Mrazek will want something closer to the 2-year, $4 million deal he signed in Detroit in 2016. That's $300k cheaper than what the Canucks were paying Holtby, and GM Jim Benning probably has time for that.

Pittsburgh Penguins

There are questions in Pittsburgh about whether Tristan Jarry is the starting goaltender the team envisioned him to be when signing him to $3.5 million for three seasons last summer. Jarry had a solid regular season with the Pens, but his numbers weren't exactly stunning, and he struggled mightily in the playoffs. The debate goes on about which goaltender Pittsburgh should expose to Seattle on July 21st, and if it ends up being Jarry, or if the team ends up trading him first, Mrazek would be an affordable replacement that would provide a solid tandem piece alongside Casey DeSmith, who also won't get overwhelmed once the high intensity of the post-season kicks in. Mrazek won't be a permanent solution for the Penguins, which makes his consistent 2-3 year contract signings all the more appropriate for GM Ron Hextall, who likes his goalies with a few notches on their belts.

Where do you think Mrazek will end up this summer?

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