The Carolina Hurricanes were prepared to give Brandon Sutter a long-term contract, but the two sides will probably agree on a two- or three-year pact. "We've talked about a long, long-term deal, and the reason we talked about it was to show how important Brandon is to us," GM Jim Rutherford said. "We were willing to give him a long-term contract not out of necessity but respect. Their preference was to keep it shorter, and I totally understand. Brandon is a hard guy to project, so it may be better for both." We'll keep you posted.