Red Wings sign goaltender Petr Mrazek to new two-year contract

By @MichaelCaples –

The Red Wings have locked up the goaltender of their future – at least for the time being.

Per Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada, Detroit and Petr Mrazek have settled on a new two-year contract.

Mrazek has signed a two year deal. $3.85 and $4.15

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) July 27, 2016

UPDATE (11:45 a.m.): The Red Wings have confirmed the news of the Mrazek signing.

The team and the budding star goaltender had a hearing scheduled with an arbitrator this morning to decide on a new contract, as Mrazek was a restricted free agent. Per the Wings, the two sides avoided an arbitration hearing just before the deadline.

It was a team-opted salary arbitration hearing. It was originally reported that the Red Wings were offering $2.7 million and $3.15 million (two-year deal), while Mrazek’s camp was asking for $5 million in each of the two years.

Having finalized a deal with Mrazek, the Wings have secured their No. 1 goaltender for the upcoming season. The 24-year-old Mrazek took over the starting spot from Jimmy Howard in the 2014-15 postseason, and last year marked his first full campaign as the leader between the pipes for Detroit.

In 2015-16, Mrazek – a fifth-round draft pick of the Wings in 2010 – posted a 27-16-6 record with a .921 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against average. He also logged four shutouts.

Despite a below-500 record in the postseason, Mrazek has been stellar in the playoffs for the Red Wings, posting a 1.88 goals-against average and .931 save percentage over 10 games. In those 10 games, he faced 259 total shots – an average of 25.9 per outing.

Mrazek began his professional career in 2012-13, playing in 42 games with the Grand Rapids Griffins, three with the Toledo Walleye, and two with the Red Wings (he posted a 1-1-0 record). In Grand Rapids, he recorded a 23-16-2 record with a .916 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against average – leading the Griffins all the way to the first Calder Cup title in franchise history.

In 2013-14, he worked his way into nine games with the Wings and 32 with the Griffins – the latter of which saw him post a 22-9-1 record with a .924 save percentage and 2.10 goals-against average.

The following year – the 2014-15 campaign – was the first year Mrazek spent more time in Detroit than Grand Rapids. He logged 29 games with the Wings, recording a 16-9-2 record with a .918 save percentage and 2.38 goals-against average, and he took over between the pipes for Detroit’s seven-game playoff series with Tampa Bay.

Last season, he was the No. 1 goaltender in Detroit for the majority of the season before an illness sidetracked him in March. From there, it was a tag-team effort between he and Jimmy Howard – with Howard winning crucial games as the Wings fought to keep their playoff streak alive. Howard also played in two of the Wings’ playoff games with the Lightning, before the Wings turned back to Mrazek.