Canes lock up Eaves

Team banks on forward's potential

RALEIGH -- While there are still plenty of decisions to be made when the Carolina Hurricanes continue their organizational meetings today, they decided Wednesday to commit to forward Patrick Eaves for another three years.

The Canes signed Eaves to a three-year deal worth $4.2 million. He'll make $1.1 million this season, $1.4 million in 2009-10 and $1.7 million in 2010-11.

It's a sign of the Canes' faith in Eaves, 24, who showed up hurt when he arrived from the Ottawa Senators with Joe Corvo on Feb. 11 and whose season ended early with shoulder surgery on March 28.

He played in only 11 games for the Hurricanes, recording five points, but the Canes remain high on his potential, based in part on his 20-goal rookie season in 2005-06.

"He is capable of playing and will play in our top nine [forwards]," Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said. "He already had a good year, scoring 20 goals. We have to hope he stays healthy and gets back to the level we expect of him."

Even with Eaves signed, the Canes still have a handful of restricted free agents to re-sign: Tim Gleason, Tuomo Ruutu, Chad LaRose and Dennis Seidenberg foremost among them.

Eaves had been considered a potential bargaining chip in a trade as the Canes attempt to retool their defense, a subject which will top the agenda in today's all-hands meeting at the RBC Center, and his new contract could make him more marketable if the Canes decide to go that direction.

That debate and others are on the agenda today, although the Canes are still waiting for decisions from Glen Wesley and Bret Hedican on whether they plan to continue playing.

Wesley has an open invitation to return, and Rutherford said Wednesday it's not out of the question that Hedican could be back -- at a reduction from the $2.4 million he made last season, presumably -- depending on the other moves the Hurricanes make on defense.

Rutherford said that Hedican has met with assistant general manager Ron Francis, but without offering any indication of his future plans. Hedican and his wife, figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi, have said they intend to move to northern California.