The Hurricanes have signed Manny Legace to a one-year, two-way contract to replace Cam Ward. Legace was 13-9-2 with the St. Louis Blues last season until he was replaced by Steve Mason. Legace played the rest of the season in Peoria.

Legace had this to say about the Hurricanes:

“It’s too good of a team to be struggling,” Legace said today after his first practice. "You look at the team, you look at the way they played last year, it’s just bounces. You see some highlights and just weird stuff is happening.

“But if they keep working as hard as they did out there today, it’s going to turn. That’s all it takes is hard work … to make your own luck again.”

Canes Country has this to say about the signing:

While Legace struggled last season in St. Louis (13-9-2, 3.18 GAA, .885 S%) and was eventually demoted to Peoria, he provides a veteran presence in net and won a Stanley Cup with the Red Wings in 2002 as the team's backup.

Legace is a good goaltender who can help this Canes team come out of the Eastern Conference basement.

Canes GM Jim Rutherford is saying today that Cam Ward will be out at least four weeks.

Rutherford said Sunday afternoon that Ward could be out a month but that the injury is not considered season-ending. He did not confirm a report by the Columbus Dispatch that Ward underwent surgery for a laceration of a thigh muscle.

From Canes Now, Cam Ward will stay in the hospital an extra day for observation and to ensure there isn’t an infection.

Canes general manager Jim Rutherford said today that goaltender Cam Ward would remain at a Columbus, Ohio, hospital another day and that the team may look to trade or sign another goaltender.

Ward suffered a laceration of the left leg in the first period of the Canes’ 3-2 loss at Columbus on Saturday and was taken to Riverside Hospital.

“We’ll have to see how it goes,” Rutherford said today of Ward’s injury and recovery time. “It appears it will be a fairly long period of time.”

While this seems to be just another bump in a horrible road for the Canes this season, Greg Wyshynski of Yahoo’s Puck Daddy says all is not lost:

Michael Leighton(notes) is a placeholder at best, so acquiring a veteran if Ward’s out for a lengthy period of time is imperative if this team’s going to contend for a playoff spot this season.

Yeah, we said it: A team 10 points out of the eight seed, mired in a 12-game winless streak, devastated by injuries and that’s looked simply terrible for most of the season can still contend in 2009-10. It’s a team in the seventh ring of hockey hell right now, but it’s also a team that uncorked a 13-1-2 streak back in February under Paul Maurice.

The Hurricanes are reporting that Cam Ward is stable condition after suffering a laceration to the left leg by Rick Nash during the first period of the Carolina/Columbus game on Saturday night.  Hurricanes coach Paul Maurice had this to say about the injury after the game:

Maurice was almost ashen after the 3-2 loss to the Jackets. His voice almost broke when he was asked about Ward possibly being sidelined.

"That's going to be tough to take," he said. "But it's where we're at."

Ward should return to Raleigh on Sunday and Michael Leighton will replace Ward during that time.  This is not the first time Ward has suffered cuts to his legs, then Rangers forward Brad Isbister cut Ward's knee in 2007.  The video of the incident is below.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Cam Ward has been taken to the hospital after being seriously cut on his leg in tonight's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Columbus forward Rick Nash was skating hard to the crease and stumbled, and his skate caught Ward between his knee and leg pad. Ward couldn't put any weight on the leg and was helped off the ice, as he bled onto the ice from the cut.

We'll have more updates as they become available.