MIGHTY DUCKS : Shtalenkov Agrees to Four-Year Contract

The Mighty Ducks reached agreement with backup goaltender Mikhail Shtalenkov on a four-year contract Thursday, leaving goalie Guy Hebert as the only key player who has not received a new contract, General Manager Jack Ferreira said.

He hopes to reach a new deal with Hebert before an upcoming arbitration date, but Hebert’s agent, Brian Cook said, talks “stalled” after nearly reaching a deal.

Hebert’s salary last season ranked well below the average for starting goalies in the NHL and Cook is seeking a substantial raise. “I think he’s a million-dollar goaltender,” Cook said. “There are 18 in the league and I don’t think he’s in the bottom six.”

Ferreira said he thinks he can reach a deal with Hebert--probably for three or four years--by offering performance-base bonuses that could put Hebert salary over a million.

Shtalenkov, who played in a career-high 18 games last season and had a 4-7-1 record with a goals-against average of 3.63, agreed to a four-year contract that will pay him close to $500,000 a year.