Carolina Hurricanes Morning News: Marcus Kruger Rumors, Calgary Flames, and Detroit Red Wings

Among the remaining unsigned restricted free agents, Chicago Blackhawks center Marcus Kruger is among the most talented and interesting. When will he get signed, and which team will do it?

More From Cardiac Cane – Canes Players with the Most to Prove

Also, the Calgary Flames are set to build a brand new stadium and start a new chapter, and the Detroit Red Wings have an interesting conundrum in net as they enter training camp.

Let’s take a look at today’s news.

Hurricanes Links

• Will Patrick Brown make the jump to the Carolina Hurricanes this season? We previewed his 2015-2016 season and discussed what to expect from him. (Cardiac Cane)
• What are the expectations for Carolina Hurricanes top prospect Noah Hanifin? Matt Karash discusses why patience is key with this young star. (Canes and Coffee)
• What does the new jersey agreement between the NHL and adidas mean for the Carolina Hurricanes and the rest of the league? (Cardiac Cane)

Marcus Kruger to Stay in Chicago? – ESPN.com

Marcus Kruger is the best restricted free agent still on the market here as we enter the late stages of August, but he is still confident that he will get a deal done with the Blackhawks.

"“I want to have it done. I think that’s for everyone,” said Kruger. “But I don’t feel too stressed out about it, yet at least. We have another month until training camp."

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Kruger emerged as a reliable bottom-six center for the Hawks last season, and he was an important piece of their playoff run. The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup for the 3rd time in 6 seasons back in June.

After losing Brandon Saad, Patrick Sharp, and Johnny Oduya this summer via trade and free agency, the club surely doesn’t want to lose yet another member of the cup winning team.

Money is the big issue, and money was the reason that all of the three aforementioned players go shipped out this summer. The Blackhawks are currently $400,000 over the cap ceiling, and that needs to come down. A team can be up to 10% above the cap ceiling ($7.14 million) in the offseason, but it can’t stay that way during the season.

Kruger, 25, reportedly wants more than a one-year deal, but he may have to settle based on Chicago’s very rough salary cap situation.

Between now and the end of August, the Blackhawks will likely continue to look for ways to move money around and get Kruger signed, but it won’t be an easy task for the reigning Stanley Cup Champions.

Calgary Flames to Build New Arena – Calgary NEXT

On Tuesday, Calgary Flames CEO Ken King unveiled his plans to build a brand new hockey/football arena that would replace the 32-year-old Scotiabank Saddledown, the current home of the Calgary Flames.

The project has been named “Calgary NEXT”. The complex is reportedly going to cost $890 million to build and will have several sources of funding.

The arena will seat 19,000-20,000 fans for hockey, lacrosse, and and other special events, and 30,000 for football.

No date was given as to when this project will be completed or started.

Detroit’s Goalie Situation – M Live

Last season, Red Wings goalie Petr Mrazek came on to the scene and stole the #1 goalie job from veteran Jimmy Howard, and Howard will have to earn his job back if he wants to stick around in Hockey Town.

The Wings decided not to ship out Howard this offseason because they want to be certain that they young Mrazek can carry the load in net for a whole season, but if he can do that this season, Jimmy Howard is almost certainly going to be traded next offseason.

Mrazek, 23, posted a 16-9-2 record for Detroit a season ago with a .918 save percentage and 2.38 goals against average. He also carried the load in the playoffs, depite his club getting knocked out by the eventual Eastern Conference champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Mrazek went 3-3-1 in the playoffs with a .925 save percentage and 2.11 goals against average with 2 shutouts. Not bad at all for a player making his playoff debut against one of the league’s best offensive teams.

This will also be a contract season for Petr Mrazek. He is set to be a restircted free agent next summer, so it makes very little sense to keep Jimmy Howard around as a $5+ million backup. His contract does not expire until the summer of 2019.

Next: Is Ryan Murphy Ready to be a Full-Time NHL Defenseman?