Hurricanes' Ward likely to become UFA, says his agent

After 13 seasons in the blue paint in Carolina, Cam Ward's time as a Hurricane appears to be nearing its end. The netminder is likely to hit the open market come July 1, Ward's agent told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News and Observer, although he'd prefer to stay on.

The 34-year-old Ward is set to become an unrestricted free agent. He stole the crease back from supposed No.1 Scott Darling last season, registering a 23-14-4 record to go along with a 2.73 goals-against average and .906 save percentage.

According to Ward's agent, some teams have already expressed interest in the goaltender's services.

Ward was drafted 25th overall by Carolina in 2002, and he's the franchise leader in games played (668), wins (318), and shutouts (27). He won a Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes in 2006, and also took home the Conn Smythe Trophy for that postseason performance.