Ward was not protected by the Hurricanes in advance of the 2017 NHL Expansion Draft, theScore reports.
Carolina decided not to protect Ward or Eddie Lack, which is hardly a surprise after seeing Scott Darling acquired from the Blackhawks in late April and subsequently signed to a four-year, $16.6 million deal. In a figurative sense, the Hurricanes may forever be indebted to Ward after the netminder guided the franchise to its first and only Stanley Cup in 2006, not to mention that he's stuck with them for 12 seasons. Ward is somewhat affordable at $3.3 million and one year remaining on his contract, but he's far past his prime with a 2.69 GAA and .905 save percentage unlikely to have led many fantasy owners to a title this year.