The Carolina Hurricanes are once again in familiar territory. They announced Friday, Nov. 15 that goaltender Frederik Andersen is out “way longer” than they thought. “The update I was given is that we were hoping that it was going to be week-to-week. Now I’d say it’s going to be way longer,” head coach Rod Brind’Amour said at Lenovo Center after the team’s practice today. “Let’s just leave it at that, because I don’t have much to go on other than it’s not week-to-week.”
This is not ideal for the team after Andersen started the season with a 3-1-0 record giving up just six goals in four starts. He was carrying a .941 save percentage (second in the NHL) and a 1.48 goals-against average (NHL-best). Now they aren’t sure when he will return and they have already recalled Spencer Martin to replace him after Andersen got hurt against the Seattle Kraken. On the same day, the Hurricanes also recalled Yaniv Perets from the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL) after Pyotr Kochetkov was announced “doubtful” for the weekend with the team having a back-to-back set.
If Andersen is out for a long time again, should the Hurricanes possibly look for reinforcements to help Kochetkov in the net when he gets back to full health? If they do, there are two targets they could trade for. Furthermore, they’re familiar faces to the franchise as well.
Anton Forsberg, Ottawa Senators
One option is Swedish netminder Anton Forsberg who was with the Canes during the 2019-20 season only playing in three games. Currently, he is in the final year of his three-year, $8.25 million deal which will see him become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the season. In seven starts for the Ottawa Senators in 2024-25, he has a 2.72 GAA and a .905 SV%. This is his best start with the Senators since the 2021-22 season where he finished with a 2.82 GAA and a .917 SV% in 46 starts. The 2011 187th overall pick has been clawing his way through his entire career that’s seen him stop in Columbus, Chicago, Raleigh, and for the last few seasons in Ottawa.
While Forsberg has never been given the chance to be a number-one netminder, he has found a way to be a solid tandem goalie and/or a backup in a sense. It is unclear if he will be sticking around the Sens after the season since they extended Linus Ullmark to an four-year deal. Also, the team is waiting for Mads Sogaard in the wings as the goalie of the future.
Related: Senators’ 3 Up, 3 Down: Offence Clicks, Forsberg Shines & More
While discussing with The Hockey Writers’ Ottawa Senators writer Jacob Billington, if the Senators have confidence in Sogaard as the backup to Ullmark, there is a chance that they would entertain a deal to send Forsberg to the Hurricanes. In terms of a trade, we concluded that either a third or fourth-round pick along with a mid-level prospect could be something that can see the 31-year-old netminder return to the triangle once again. That being said, this is what a trade could potentially look like between the Senators and the Hurricanes:
Hurricanes Receive:
G, Anton Forsberg
Senators Receive:
F, Jayden Perron
2025 Third Round Pick (CAR)
Perron has two goals and five points so far in nine games with the University of North Dakota. He could bring some flexibility to the Senators’ top nine and time for them to develop him since he is only 19 years old and still has to sign by Aug. 15, 2027, to his entry-level contract. There is no clear indication that he could crack the Hurricanes lineup in the future with all of the other top-end talent in front of him, however, a chance with Ottawa can be something for him in the future. A 2025 third-round pick could be a solid, right-now option for the Sens to grab another prospect for the pipeline.
While this could be a rental for the Hurricanes, it is a low-risk, bigger reward to snag Forsberg for at least the rest of the season and see what happens in 2025-26. For the Senators, it’s a chance to open a slot for Sogaard to back up Ullmark and be in a tandem with him for the next eight seasons after 2024-25. Furthermore, it gives them two prospects for the pipeline to see what they have for the future in Perron and whomever they pick in this summer’s draft.
Alex Nedeljkovic, Pittsburgh Penguins
The other possible option is former Calder Trophy finalist Alex Nedeljkovic. It would be a sweeter homecoming for the 2014 37th overall pick by the Hurricanes to slide in for the next two seasons and tandem with Kochetkov since both netminders are under the age of 29. Nedeljkovic, 28, has a .884 SV% and a 3.21 GAA in nine games for the Penguins this season. Granted, he’s on a Penguins team that couldn’t stop the District-5 Ducks before they got Adam Banks from the Hawks. During the 2023-24 season, “Ned” had a 2.97 GAA and a .902 SV% in 38 starts. He has shown that with a proper team in front of him, he can be a solid tandem 1B or a bonified backup netminder.
Dating back to his time with the Hurricanes organization, he won a Calder Cup with the Charlotte Checkers during the 2018-19 season after posting a 2.20 GAA and a .916 SV%. While with the Hurricanes, he led the league with a .932 SV% and a 1.90 GAA during the 2020-21 season. Ned even finished third in Calder voting as a netminder, no less. However, the Canes at the time traded him to the Detroit Red Wings after the two sides couldn’t come to a deal. But with where the team is now, there is a possibility of them reuniting and putting Ned behind one of the top three defenses in the NHL.
Related: Penguins Re-Sign Alex Nedeljkovic to 2-Year Contract
If the Canes trade for Ned, he will become a UFA after the 2025-26 season when he is 30 years old. His average annual value (AAV) is only $2.5 million which is only $500,00 more than Kochetkov’s AAV. Kochetkov and Nedeljkovic could be a solid tandem for the Hurricanes until 2026 at least and having the past meet the present with both netminders being Canes products at one time or another.
When discussing a trade with The Hockey Writers‘ Pittsburgh Penguins writer Zach Alvarado, he stated that the Penguins will want prospects and/or draft capital. They’d probably seek a fourth, fifth, and mid-level prospect if they add a player to the deal. If no player is added, maybe a third and fourth. If the Canes can swing a couple of picks for Ned for a season and a half (or more) that could be an ideal move for them. That being said, here is a possible trade between the Penguins and the Hurricanes:
Hurricanes Receive:
G, Alex Nedjelkovic
Penguins Receive:
2025 Third-Round Pick (CAR)
2026 Fourth-Round Pick (CAR)
Just like the Senators deal, the 2025 third is expendable since the Hurricanes have two third-rounders in the 2025 NHL Draft. Adding the 2026 fourth-rounder will give them the flexibility to not trade two picks in the same draft if they are able to do so. If they have to, then it wouldn’t be the end of the world. Either way, if the Hurricanes can bring back Ned by only giving up two draft picks, that’ll be a solid trade for them to get a strong tandem netminder who has played in Carolina before.
Stay the Course or Call In Reinforcements?
It’ll be interesting to see what the Hurricanes do with Andersen out for “way longer” than week-to-week. If they make a trade, there are solid options out there. However, if they think just by waiting for Kochetkov to be back in a couple of days and run it with him and Martin, that is a possibility as well. It’s just not ideal to be back here once again with Andersen out for a long time and figuring it out on the fly. Either way, the Hurricanes always figure something out with their goaltending situation. It will be a situation to keep an eye on as the days and weeks go by.
