ATLANTA - Negotiations are ongoing with 2007 first-round draft pick Brandon Sutter, Carolina Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford said Wednesday, but with the understanding that Sutter's contract will start next fall -- which means the 19-year-old center would not be able to play in the NHL this spring.

"He's played a lot of hockey, and he's still developing his strength," Rutherford said. "It wouldn't make a lot of sense to bring him right in here at this point."

Sutter's junior season ended Saturday, and the Canes would like to assign him to Albany (AHL) as soon as he is signed.

As the 11th overall pick, Sutter will get a three-year entry-level contract at the maximum combined salary and signing bonus of $875,000 per season. The two sides are bargaining over Sutter's performance bonuses, where the NHL's labor agreement offers more flexibility.

Among 2007 picks who have signed, the two closest comparisons are Edmonton Oilers forward Sam Gagner (sixth overall), who is eligible for $750,000 per season in bonuses, and St. Louis Blues forward David Perron (26th overall), who is eligible for an average of $43,000 in bonuses per season.

"We're just going through the process with different ideas," Rutherford said.

Either way, Sutter's contract will start with the 2008-09 season, giving the Canes the flexibility to send Sutter back to his junior team next fall if he plays fewer than 10 NHL games. In that case, his contract would "slide" a year and run through 2012.

In any event, the Canes expect him to play in the NHL next season and will give him every chance to make the team out of camp.

MORE MISSING CANES: One Hurricanes player who made the trip didn't play Wednesday against the Atlanta Thrashers, and another didn't make the trip at all.

Defenseman Dennis Seidenberg did not travel with the team to Atlanta because his fiancee is having a baby. He is expected to rejoin the team today in Florida.

Forward Wade Brookbank missed his fifth straight game with a charley horse. In his place, Jeff Hamilton played in his first NHL game in more than a month. The Canes sent him to Albany on Feb. 26; he was last in the lineup on Feb. 18.

DISASTER RECOVERY: The Hurricanes saw first-hand the destruction to the Atlanta skyline caused by the tornado that swept through downtown Friday night, causing severe damage to the CNN Center and to the Georgia Dome, which are adjacent to Philips Arena. Boarded-up holes were left in many high-rise buildings.

"We saw it as we came in on the bus," Hurricanes defenseman Niclas Wallin said. "You could see the broken windows and the curtains flapping."

Though the team's hotel was undamaged, nearby streets remained littered with broken glass, and smashed cars were still being towed from parking lots around the arena.

Atlanta police closed more downtown streets Wednesday, including one in front of the Canes' hotel, worried that strong winds from afternoon storms could dislodge more glass and debris. Inside the CNN Center atrium, rain fell more than 200 feet from the damaged ceiling in an impromptu waterfall.

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