The Carolina Hurricanes are once again at a crossroads. On Thursday afternoon (Nov. 21), they announced that goaltender Frederik Andersen will be out eight to 12 weeks after successful knee surgery. In the best-case scenario, he will be back by the end of January or early February around the time of the 4 Nations Face-Off that will take place in Boston and Montreal. In the worst-case scenario, Andersen won’t be back until the end of February or early March, just a few days before the 2025 NHL Trade Deadline. The Hurricanes have been down this road before as Andersen missed 4–plus games last season due to blood clotting issues before coming back on March 7, the night before the deadline. As the team and fanbase sit here on Nov. 22, what is the plan for the Hurricanes moving forward?
Do they stand pat or do they make a trade knowing they might need goaltender depth for the next few months? If there is a trade, is it for a tandem goalie to pair with Pyotr Kochetkov or a fringe third goalie on the depth chart? No one knows for sure what is going to happen over the coming weeks but one thing is for sure — never discount general manager Eric Tulsky and the Hurricanes’ front office for doing their homework and due diligence.
Stand Pat or Make a Move?
This is a huge blow for the Hurricanes as the 35-year-old Danish netminder was off to a great start to the 2024-25 season with a 3-1-0 record. Andersen, before the injury, had the league lead in goals-against average (GAA) at 1.48 and a .941 save percentage (SV%). Now it seems like the team has to once again figure out what their plan will be in the net. In the time since the injury, the Hurricanes recalled Spencer Martin from the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL). Furthermore, the team has had a 9-3-0 record after the Andersen injury with their most recent loss coming on Thursday, Nov. 21 versus the New Jersey Devils. Of course, the team has Kochetkov who has a 10-2-0 record with a 2.30 GAA and a .907 SV%. Martin has been struggling more the most part outside of achieving his first career shutout against the Ottawa Senators on Nov. 16. In four games played, including three starts, he has a 1-2-0 record with a 3.25 GAA and a .868 SV%. It is not an ideal stat line for someone who might need to be the backup for the next few weeks.
Related: Frederik Andersen to Undergo Knee Surgery; Out 8-12 Weeks
That does play into what the Hurricanes might need to do if Andersen is out the minimum of eight weeks and possibly closer to the 12-week mark. If that is the case, can the team survive that type of stretch that includes some tough matchups? When asked about possibly looking out in the trade market for some help, Tulsky said, “Of course we are running through a lot of scenarios on what might happen over the next eight to 12 weeks and we want to be prepared for whatever may happen. But we want to preserve flexibility to make sure we have the ability to address our most important needs. The way our goalies are playing right now buys us time to assess the situation and make sure we use our assets where they are needed most.”
When it comes to the “flexibility,” the Hurricanes aren’t a knee-jerk-reaction type of team that needs to make a trade for a short-term solution. If they do go and make a trade, what happens when Andersen comes back? Do they run three goalies and move a skater down to the AHL? Will the team be cap compliant? A lot is going on behind the scenes the team needs to figure out.
There has been the notion of moving Andersen to the Long-Term Injured Reserve (LTIR) but even then that still gives the Hurricanes a hard time figuring out what to do with the cap space upon return. Plus, the front office will not want to lose the opportunity to bank the LTIR money that they could use for the trade deadline.
Andersen carries a $3.4 million cap and is in the final year of his two-year contract. It’ll be hard for the Hurricane to maneuver around the cap space when they make him active if they decide to put him on LTIR.
Related: Hurricanes Goalie Trade Targets Following Frederik Andersen Injury News
For the sake of the argument and they do make a move, who is worth getting that makes less than $3.4 million and is a dependable backup or a 1B to Kochetkov’s 1A? Are there capable netminders in the NHL teams are willing to trade? One could look at Alex Lyon from the Detroit Red Wings or Alex Nedjelkovic from the Pittsburgh Penguins.
One name that has been floated around is St. Louis Blues’ netminder Jordan Binnington. However, with Binnington, the Blues would have to eat 50% of his $6 million cap to maybe make that work. The 31-year-old is in his fourth year of a six-year deal he made with the Blues back in 2021. Even then, does he want to be in a tandem with Kochetkov since he is a Stanley Cup champion and has been used to being a number-one guy for the last few seasons? It’s a tough sell from that standpoint.
Either way, it’ll be tough to see the Hurricanes making a move for a goaltender before the trade deadline. Plus, they could also be seeking a forward by then, so their priorities could be elsewhere. More than likely, they will probably address their goaltending situation on July 1, 2025 and begin a search for someone to play in a tandem or back up Kochetkov.
In the end, we could see the Canes standing pat until Andersen is back before the trade deadline.
Time Will Tell How Hurricanes Address Goaltending Situation
As the next eight to 12 weeks go by, the Hurricanes decision whether to trade for a goaltender or not will be scrutinized more and more. Could they claim one off of waivers like they did to Martin last season? Maybe. But, only time will tell over the next two to three months as the team is tied for the lead in the Metropolitan Division with 28 points and a 14-5-0 record.
What do you think the Hurricanes should do? Stand pat with Kotchetkov and Martin, or find that goaltender depth to help Kochetkov? There are certainly decisions for Tulsky and the Hurricanes to make.
