The Carolina Hurricanes have signed goaltender Anton Khudobin to a two-year extension worth $4.5 million ($2.25 million AAV).
“We are pleased to be able to keep Anton with the Hurricanes,” general manager Jim Rutherford said. “He has played well this season and signing him helps solidify our team’s goaltending situation.”
The 27-year-old Khudobin was signed as a free agent last summer, on a one-year deal worth $800,000. He was previously with the Boston Bruins. Khudobin, is 13-8-0 with a 2.17 goals-against average and .927 save percentage in 22 games this season. In recent weeks he has been getting more and more playing time and may have passed Cam Ward as the incumbent starter for the Hurricanes.
He was also named the NHL’s First Star for the month of January. He won 10 games (matching a team record for wins in a month) while putting up a 2.19 GAA and .927 save percentage in 14 games.
Khudobin was originally drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the seventh round (206th overall) in 2004.
In his career, Khudobin is 27-13-1 with a 2.11 GAA and .930 save percentage in 43 NHL games with the Wild, Bruins, and Hurricanes.
The move likely means that Justin Peters, an unrestricted free agent on July 1st, will not be re-signed by the Hurricanes. It also leaves the status of Cam Ward, who has this year plus two more remaining on his current contract at a salary cap hit of $6.3 million per season, very much up in the air. Earlier rumors have had the Hurricanes shopping Ward to Edmonton, but those have calmed in recent weeks.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on Twitter – @lastwordBkerr. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter –@LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
Interested in writing for LWOS? We are looking for enthusiastic, talented writers to join our Hockey writing team. Visit our “Write for Us” page for very easy details in how you can get started today!
