Confirmed with Link: Petr Mrazek signed 1 year, 1.5M

tarheelhockey

Offside Review Specialist
Feb 12, 2010
84,977
137,333
Bojangles Parking Lot
Calvin de Haan says hello....sorry, THH, couldn't resist :naughty:

Yes, I know it doesn't fix the goalie situation which gives me heartburn. But I'm in the camp that I'm not sure we had a ton of other options. This gives us a legitimate Top 4 set of defenders. I suspect we'll see another move or two in the coming days as well. Yup, whomever said we're only 14 days into the Summer had the right of things.

Well, the CDH signing at least temporarily alleviates that feeling of cheapness. Now the spotlight really shines on the next move, which is presumably to move Faulk. Everything rests on that trade. If we deal for low-cost futures (go back to financial square-one and more-or-less the same place as a hockey team), that’s one thing. If we add a good roster forward or (please Hockey Jesus) a decent goalie, that’s something else entirely.

In regard to the decision to sign Mrazek, Waddell’s words in the DeCock article we’re pretty telling:

"When you looked at the free-agent list of goaltenders, they were all kind of the same at that point," Waddell said. "Darling would be the most talented guy in that group. But we needed a commitment from Scott. Anything he gets at this point he has to earn. He understands that."

Waddell is, effectively, still looking at Darling as the starting goalie here. He gave Mrazek a contract identical to Lehner’s, apparently seeing them both as backup material and banking on Darling’s purported “better than the field” level of talent.

Meanwhile, he’s got the Faulk card to play as a means to solving this mess. It comes down to what he does with that opportunity. Finds a legit goalie option... great, we’re probably a playoff team. Picks up a 1st and a prospect... none of the rest matters much unless we get a miracle in net.
 

Drivebytrucker

Registered User
Jan 8, 2011
1,226
4,315
After awful year, Scott Darling tries to rise again. Can he save his career – and the Canes?

"His general manager got fired and his coach left before he could get fired. The Hurricanes' new management team did have one opportunity to trade Darling's contract this summer but decided his history as a backup with the Blackhawks offered enough reason to gamble that Darling, properly supported and motivated and still only 29, could recapture his previous form"


It must have been Scott Darling for Bobby Ryan straight up for the Canes to not trade Darling.

Seriously though, I can't believe they didn't trade him / sign Mrazek/ Ward to one year deals until you can develop a goalie or get a better Free Agent.

WOW!
 

tarheelhockey

Offside Review Specialist
Feb 12, 2010
84,977
137,333
Bojangles Parking Lot
After awful year, Scott Darling tries to rise again. Can he save his career – and the Canes?

"His general manager got fired and his coach left before he could get fired. The Hurricanes' new management team did have one opportunity to trade Darling's contract this summer but decided his history as a backup with the Blackhawks offered enough reason to gamble that Darling, properly supported and motivated and still only 29, could recapture his previous form"


It must have been Scott Darling for Bobby Ryan straight up for the Canes to not trade Darling.

Seriously though, I can't believe they didn't trade him / sign Mrazek/ Ward to one year deals until you can develop a goalie or get a better Free Agent.

WOW!

Based on Waddell’s comment in that same article, he sincerely felt that if he traded Darling for pucks and signed any 2 free agents, he’d have downgraded.
 

Sens1Canes2

Registered User
May 13, 2007
10,664
8,284
I'm pretty sure most successful investors lie about how successful they really are.
There was a guy I vaguely knew up in North Raleigh. He always talked about his great stocks and how much money he had in them.

Fast forward a few years....he’s thrown in federal prison for mortgage fraud. He’d gotten mortgages on the same property in 7 or 8 different names.
 

geehaad

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Aug 24, 2006
7,508
18,851
Something that’s stuck in my mind lately in regard to Mrazek and the article written about his trials in DET (posted in this thread a couple/few weeks ago...I’ll locate it if need be). In that, supposedly he wasn’t able to achieve his potential because he was never recognized for the starter status he’d supposedly earned. His play languished because — in spite of outplaying the other DET goalies — the crease wasn’t given to him as he had so earned it. I don’t know if this is an accurate depiction of the situation there, but for the sake of my point, let’s assume it was a valid problem for him.

So...how are things any better in CAR? Darling is being talked about as the starter, and Mrazek is being put into the same situation as in DET. Because of the financial investment in Darling, even if Mrazek is slightly better, will he earn the crease? Ward was better last year, yet Darling got the nod more often than his play warranted. And Ward was royalty here.

I don’t feel good about the goaltending situation at all, if you’ve noticed.
 

Joe McGrath

Registered User
Oct 29, 2009
18,055
37,805
Something that’s stuck in my mind lately in regard to Mrazek and the article written about his trials in DET (posted in this thread a couple/few weeks ago...I’ll locate it if need be). In that, supposedly he wasn’t able to achieve his potential because he was never recognized for the starter status he’d supposedly earned. His play languished because — in spite of outplaying the other DET goalies — the crease wasn’t given to him as he had so earned it. I don’t know if this is an accurate depiction of the situation there, but for the sake of my point, let’s assume it was a valid problem for him.

So...how are things any better in CAR? Darling is being talked about as the starter, and Mrazek is being put into the same situation as in DET. Because of the financial investment in Darling, even if Mrazek is slightly better, will he earn the crease? Ward was better last year, yet Darling got the nod more often than his play warranted. And Ward was royalty here.

I don’t feel good about the goaltending situation at all, if you’ve noticed.

If that was an issue in Detroit, it would be because he had earned the starters job. He took a 1 year $1.5 million deal here as a prove it deal so I’m guessing he doesn’t think he’s earned anything. If he plays well and Darling doesn’t and he still doesn’t get the crease then that’s on Brind’amour.
 

MinJaBen

Canes Sharks Boy
Sponsor
Dec 14, 2015
20,669
79,605
Durm
I think that's a feeling shared by all. I just hope they approach it differently than last season, and if Waddell says Scott will have to earn it, he means that.

My hope in a different approach from last year is not so much centered on the fact that one has to earn it over the other, is that if neither is earning it, that the team is more proactive early to try and find someone who can (Ned, Booth, trade, waivers...)
 

GoldiFox

Registered User
Apr 21, 2014
13,287
32,030
Best for Darling to flame out immediately in camp or Preseason and leave no room for hope. I trust that he has it in him. Last article said Darling was finally having fun again at the World Championships. He shouldn’t have been having much fun (on the ice anyway) as he put up a 0.870 sv% against Norway and South Korea. I remember a Bobcast closer the the WC where McKenzie was just thrashing Darling for how terrible he was and Bob rarely goes that hard at a guy.
 

DaveG

Noted Jerk
Apr 7, 2003
51,016
47,853
Winston-Salem NC
Best for Darling to flame out immediately in camp or Preseason and leave no room for hope. I trust that he has it in him. Last article said Darling was finally having fun again at the World Championships. He shouldn’t have been having much fun (on the ice anyway) as he put up a 0.870 sv% against Norway and South Korea. I remember a Bobcast closer the the WC where McKenzie was just thrashing Darling for how terrible he was and Bob rarely goes that hard at a guy.
It would be second best case for us, to see if he does flame out that it's in the pre-season. There will be more then enough solid options that hit waivers after training camp that we'll be able to pluck one for nothing in that case. Honestly I still think we should look at doing just that in case stuff doesn't work out.
 

Svechhammer

THIS is hockey?
Jun 8, 2017
23,420
85,899
One thing is for sure, if Darling does regain his form, I don't want to hear a f***ing thing from this forum about how we all knew he was good all along. If you're going to hitch your ride to the "burn the witch" wagon before training camp even starts, you ride that one all the way out.

Personally, I'm not ready to completely bail on Darling. If we are 100% convinced he can be fixed, and we actually did go out of our way to keep him here because of this belief, that's good enough for me. Every other personnel decision that Waddell has made this offseason has made us better, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt here.
 

DaveG

Noted Jerk
Apr 7, 2003
51,016
47,853
Winston-Salem NC
One thing is for sure, if Darling does regain his form, I don't want to hear a ****ing thing from this forum about how we all knew he was good all along. If you're going to hitch your ride to the "burn the witch" wagon before training camp even starts, you ride that one all the way out.

Personally, I'm not ready to completely bail on Darling. If we are 100% convinced he can be fixed, and we actually did go out of our way to keep him here because of this belief, that's good enough for me. Every other personnel decision that Waddell has made this offseason has made us better, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt here.
Guarantee from me it'll be "seriously where the f*** was this last year?"
 

emptyNedder

Not seeking rents
Sponsor
Jan 17, 2018
3,805
8,568
One thing is for sure, if Darling does regain his form, I don't want to hear a ****ing thing from this forum about how we all knew he was good all along. If you're going to hitch your ride to the "burn the witch" wagon before training camp even starts, you ride that one all the way out.

Personally, I'm not ready to completely bail on Darling. If we are 100% convinced he can be fixed, and we actually did go out of our way to keep him here because of this belief, that's good enough for me. Every other personnel decision that Waddell has made this offseason has made us better, I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt here.

I agree about Darling--he has overcome more important obstacles than bad mechanics and loss of confidence.

I disagree about Waddell's moves. We honestly don't know if they have made the team better. It was nearly unanimous that last offseason was all positive: adding Darling, Williams, Kruger, Jooris, van Riemsdky, and not losing Stempniak in the expansion draft were all going the help the Canes to the playoffs. The benefit of the doubt still means there is doubt.
 

CandyCanes

Caniac turned Jerkiac
Jan 8, 2015
7,158
24,564
Honestly, I'd be ok with it for no other reason than it kept us in the draft lottery which ended up netting us Svechnikov.

You’re right. We are honestly taking Darling for granted now, he was an integral part of bringing Svechnikov to Carolina. We should be thankful for his performance last year guys & girls... I mean Jack Hughes is nice and all, but I think Darling can go back to playing good hockey now.
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad

-->