The Carolina Hurricanes announced on Sunday, Oct. 5, that they claimed netminder Brandon Bussi off waivers from the Florida Panthers. The 27-year-old Sound Beach, NY native was placed on waivers for the purposes of being assigned to the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL). Despite signing a one-year, two-way deal on July 1, Bussi will likely be heading to the Chicago Wolves instead after the waiver claim. What does it mean for Bussi, who has been added to bolster the goalie depth for the Hurricanes?
Bussi Adds to Goalie Depth
Bussi played in 33 games for the Providence Bruins during the 2024-25 season, where he finished with a record of 15-14-4, a 2.77 goals-against average (GAA), and a .907 save percentage (SV%). Another impressive feat was that he managed to add five shutouts for the P-Bruins throughout the course of the season. Over four seasons in Providence, Bussi finished with a record of 63-31-13 with a 2.61 GAA, a .915 SV%, and eight shutouts in 111 AHL games. He was even voted into the AHL All-Star Classic and was named to the AHL All-Rookie Team in 2022-23. In three separate Calder Cup Playoffs, he had a 2.28 GAA and .926 SV% in 2022-23, a 2.14 GAA and .922 SV% in 2023-24, plus a 2.42 GAA and .918 SV% in 2024-25. He was the epitome of a goalie who did all he could to win, but had an okay team in front of him.
Related: Carolina Hurricanes Assign 13 More Players to the Chicago Wolves
Bussi went undrafted after putting up a resume of 46-25-5 with a 2.61 GAA and .910 SV% with Western Michigan University in the NCAA ranks. He got signed by the Boston Bruins in 2021-22, where he spent the next few seasons playing most of his career with the P-Bruins, but not the parent club throughout his time in the organization. Bussi never played a single NHL game since joining the organization, but held his own in the AHL since his signing.
Bussi decided to make the decision following the 2024-25 season to try to get a fresh start and signed with the Panthers on a two-way deal paying him $775,000 in the NHL or $400,000 in the AHL. While the Panthers do have Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov, getting a chance with the Checkers was a change of pace for Bussi, who would still play against the same teams in the Atlantic Division of the AHL. However, he will now be heading to the Central Division, where he could play for Cam Abbott and his staff with the Wolves, adding Bussi to an already great potential goalie room.
In a subsequent move, the Hurricanes placed Cayden Primeau on waivers for the purpose of being assigned to Chicago. Another note, the Hurricanes would also have to put Bussi back through waivers since he never made it to the Checkers per the complicated waiver rule system, per the collective bargaining agreement (CBA).
The two-fold approach to claiming Bussi was in case Primeau is claimed off waivers. If, however, he is not claimed, the Wolves could now have a dynamic 1A/1B tandem with Primeau and Bussi for the 2025-26 season. Furthermore, if they keep Ruslan Khazheyev, that’s a trio that could give the Wolves some flexibility throughout the season. Plus, if Pyotr Kochetkov or Frederik Andersen gets injured, and the Hurricanes call up a goalie, the Wolves will still have amazing depth on the backend in the crease.
Related: Carolina Hurricanes’ Goalie Depth Entering 2025-26 Season
Either way, it’s a smart move for the Hurricanes to claim Bussi off waivers to shore up the goaltending depth. If they lose Primeau on waivers, at least they still have a capable third goalie in Bussi with tons of AHL experience. If not, their goalie depth got better with those two jockeying for 1A/1B in Chicago while being the third and fourth goalie in the system.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Hurricanes can keep Primeau because the waiver claim deadline is 2 p.m. Eastern on Monday, Oct. 6. No matter how it plays out, the Hurricanes got a great addition in Bussi, who has what it takes to be a solid goalie; he just needs to be allowed to prove himself out of the AHL landscape. Either way, this shores up the team’s goalie depth, and it’s a security blanket in case the player they traded and signed is claimed before 2 p.m. If Primeau and Bussi both pass through waivers, the Wolves could have a sneaky good tandem this upcoming season.
