Red Wings sign Mrazek to 2-year deal worth a reported $8 million

The Detroit Red Wings and netminder Petr Mrazek have avoided salary arbitration, reportedly signing a new two-year contract worth $8 million, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.

Mrazek will earn $3.85 million this season and $4.15 million in 2017-18 for a tidy $4 million average annual value, or a shade under $1.3 million less than Jimmy Howard.

The 24-year-old had a brilliant start to his first season as the Red Wings' No. 1 netminder after wresting the starter's role from Howard two springs back. But he was derailed after the All-Star Break, sporting a sub-.900 save percentage over the final two months of the season, eventually losing his job.

He briefly regained his form in relief of Howard in the playoffs, stopping pucks at a .945 rate in three games versus the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Despite not maximizing his earning potential with a full season, Mrazek's bump in pay represents a considerable raise from his modest entry-level salary, and puts the Red Wings in a real financial bind.

Detroit's currently estimated to enter the season $4-plus million over the cap with more than $9 million allocated to netminders.