Goaltender Carter Hutton signed a two-year, $1.45 million contract with the Nashville Predators on Monday, general manager David Poile announced. Hutton will make $700,000 in 2014-15 and $750,000 in 2015-16. He could have become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
In 2013-14, Hutton's first full NHL season, he finished as the sixth 20-game winner in Predators history, going 20-11-4 with a 2.62 goals-against average, a .910 save percentage and one shutout. The Thunder Bay, Ontario, native went 13-4-2 in his final 20 games, which included a personal five-game winning streak to end the season; he had a 1.77 GAA, .940 save percentage and one shutout in that stretch. Hutton also was 6-0-1 when facing at least 35 shots.
Undrafted, Hutton spent time with Adirondack, Worcester and Rockford of the American Hockey League and Toledo of the ECHL from 2010-13 before making his NHL debut April 27, 2013, with the Chicago Blackhawks. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound goalie played four seasons at UMass-Lowell (2006-10) and ended his collegiate career as the school's all-time leader in goals-against average (2.33), save percentage (.913) and shutouts (10).