Wings, Mrazek Agree To Two-Year Deal
By: Will Burchfield
@burchie_kid
The Red Wings' starting goalie is back in the fold.
Just prior to entering arbitration on Wednesday morning, Petr Mrazek and the Wings agreed to a two-year, $8-million contract. The news was first reported by Elliotte Friedman.
The agreement represents a compromise for both sides. Mrazek's camp was seeking $10 million over two seasons, while the Wings were offering $2.7 million the first season and $3.15 million the second. At $4 million per year over two years, the two parties met just about in the middle.
It stands to reason that Mrazek could have been awarded more through arbitration. 26-year-old Frederik Andersen, who has similar career numbers to Mrazek, reeled in a five-year, $25-million contract earlier this offseason and it's likely Mrazek's representatives would have used that as negotiating leverage.
Still, $4 million per season is good money for a goalie with a limited track record. The benefit for the Wings is that Mrazek will still be a restricted free agent at the end of the deal, making it easier for the team to retain him moving forward. And both sides avoid a potentially acrimonious arbitration process.
Mrazek, the Wings' fifth-round pick in 2010, is coming off his best season in Detroit. The 24-year-old posted a 27-17-6 record over 54 games (49 starts) with a 2.33 goals against average and .921 save percentage. With Jimmy Howard in decline, Mrazek looks to be the Wings' netminder of the future.
Mrazek's deal comes on the heels of Danny DeKeyser's new six-year, $30-million contract, one that put the Wings in a serious salary cap crunch. Factor in Mrazek's $4-million cap hit next season, and Detroit is now well over the $73-million cap ceiling.
To shed salary, GM Ken Holland can look to trade a player or execute a buy-out, options for which Howard (with his $5.29 million cap hit) figures to be a prime candidate. The Wings can also lessen their cap strain by placing Johan Franzen and Joe Vitale on long-term IR at the start of the season.