NHL notebook: Cam Ward signs 2-year deal with Hurricanes

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed goaltender Cam Ward to a two-year, $6.6 million US contract extension.

The team announced the deal Thursday. Ward will be paid $3.5 million next season and $3.1 million in 2017-18, keeping the 32-year-old netminder with the team that selected him in the first round of the 2002 draft.

His tenure with the team includes the Hurricanes' run to the 2006 Stanley Cup, with Ward earning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the playoffs as a rookie that year.

Ward, the only remaining player from that Cup-winning team, is the team's all-time leader with 269 wins, 23 shutouts and 564 games played by a goaltender. Ward's 269 wins rank 17th in NHL history for most wins with one franchise.

His future with the Hurricanes has been a frequent topic in recent months. He finished the final year of a six-year contract that paid him $6.8 million, going 23-17-10 with a 2.41 goals-against average that was the second-best of an 11-year NHL career.

Ward said in April he was "remaining optimistic that something can happen" to keep him with Carolina. He also said he considered Raleigh home and his priority was "being where I'd like to be."

"Cam has been a major face of the Hurricanes both on the ice and in our community for more than a decade," general manager Ron Francis said in a statement Thursday. "We are happy he has chosen to continue his career in Carolina."

The Hurricanes also agreed a one-year deal with centre Derek Ryan worth $600,000 on the NHL level or $300,000 in the American Hockey League with a guaranteed minimum of $350,000.

Stars trade impending UFA Goligoski

The Arizona Coyotes acquired negotiating rights to pending free-agent defenceman Alex Goligoski from the Dallas Stars on Thursday for a fifth-round draft choice.

The Coyotes can negotiate with Goligoski until July 1. If a contract isn't reached, the 30-year-old defenceman would become an unrestricted free agent.

Goligoski had five goals and 32 assists in 82 games last season with a plus-21 rating. He also had four goals and three assists in 13 playoff games. In 562 NHL games with Pittsburgh and Dallas, the former University of Minnesota star has 55 goals and 222 assists.

Leafs place Cowen on waivers

The Toronto Maple Leafs placed defencemanJared Cowen on waivers for the purpose of buying him out.

Toronto acquired Cowen last season as a part of the trade that sent Dion Phaneuf to the Ottawa Senators.

Once bought out, Cowen, who was scheduled to count $3.1 million against the cap this upcoming season,will instead have a cap hit of $750,000 over the next two years.

Baertschi back in Vancouver

The Vancouver Canucks have signed forward Sven Baertschi to a two-year contract extension.

The contract will carry a value of $1.7 million in the first year and a value of $2 million in the second year for an annual average value of $1.85 million.

The 23-year-old native of Bern, Switzerland, appeared in 69 games for the Canucks last season where he set career-highs in goals (15), assists (13) and points (28).

The five-foot-11, 189-pound forward has appeared in 138 regular season NHL games with Vancouver and Calgary, collecting 58 points (25 goals, 33 assists) and 40 penalty minutes.

Baertschi was originally selected by Calgary in the first round, 13th overall, at the 2011 NHL draft.

He was acquired by Vancouver for the Canucks' second-round pick in the 2015 draft (defenceman Rasmus Andersson) on March 2, 2015.

Sheahan re-signswith Red Wings

The Detroit Red Wings have signed centre Riley Sheahan to a two-year, $4.15 million contract.

The team announced Sheahan signed the deal Thursday.

Sheahan had 14 goals and 25 points in a career-high 81 games last season. The 24-year-old Sheahan has 36 goals and 85 points in his career, which began toward the end of the 2011-12 season. Detroit drafted him in the first round out of Notre Dame in 2010.

Detroit also signed defenceman Brian Lashoff to a two-way contract. He will make $650,000 if he plays in the NHL and $275,000 if he is in the AHL again with the Grand Rapids Griffins. The 24-year-old Lashoff played for the Griffins all of last season after playing in 117 games for the Red Wings the previous three years.

Jaskin staying in St. Louis

The St. Louis Blues have re-signed forward Dmitrij Jaskin to a two-year contract.

The 23-year-old Jaskin had four goals and nine assists in 65 regular season games and in six playoff games had a goal and assist. Born in Russia, he was named to the Czech Republic roster for the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.

Jaskin has 33 points in 139 career regular season games. He was a Blues second-round pick in 2011.