Hurricanes Have Reason for Concern After Pyotr Kochetkov’s Preseason Struggles

Through the first three preseason games, the Carolina Hurricanes have one lingering worry: Pyotr Kochetkov. In his two games, he’s given up 10 goals. He allowed five on 33 shots against the Florida Panthers and five on 28 shots against the Nashville Predators in Greensboro. That’s an .836 save percentage. Yes, it’s the preseason, and he hasn’t played a single game behind the six pillars of the Hurricanes defense that will be there when the regular season starts. All of that is true. But that doesn’t suddenly make everything better.

No Plan B Amplifies Worry

With Frederik Andersen moving on to oilier pastures in Edmonton, Kochetkov is suddenly under a ton of pressure to play well and stay healthy. Given the Russian saw action in only nine games last season before hip surgery shut him down until the start of the playoffs, concerns about his availability may be more justified than concerns about his preseason performance.

His consistency issues are the root of concerns about his play. He’ll have games where he makes difficult saves look easy and keeps the score down. He’ll also have games where he does the opposite and offers the opponent a route into a game they have no business being in. We’ve seen both extremes from Kochetkov, and that was fine when there were multiple other options, but the training wheels are gone, and he still isn’t inspiring confidence in fans.

Brandon Bussi remains the probable starter for opening night. His relief appearance in the Stanley Cup Final to get the team over the line buys him more time, and he has looked fine in the preseason. It’s behind Carolina’s bus driver that it gets complicated. The third-stringer on paper is probably Cayden Primeau. In both preseasons he has enjoyed in Carolina, he looked excellent. That doesn’t mean much for regular-season success, but it is worth noting. He played in the NHL last season for the Toronto Maple Leafs and had a winning record. He’s an option if needed, but he shouldn’t be a regular on most teams.

This situation will continue to deteriorate if Kochetkov can’t stem the tide. If he becomes a non-option, Primeau isn’t a permanent solution. The Hurricanes have goalie prospects, but none in contention for an NHL role immediately. They could look externally, but the trade market is never a certainty for long-term goaltending solutions. Sure, the waiver wire might be an option, but Bussi is such a unique story because the waiver wire isn’t full of NHL stars.

Concern Level

That said, given the poor performances and injury issues, what is the real level of concern? Truthfully, it’s low because of one thing: the system. Carolina gave up just over 23 shots against per game in 2025-26. They were the league’s best at stopping pucks from reaching their goaltenders. Kochetkov’s struggling now, but that doesn’t mean he’ll struggle the same when the Hurricanes play meaningful hockey with their best lineup in front of him.

Carolina remains the league’s best team at shot suppression. They regularly go long stretches through games without giving up shots. Last season, a few teams tied for the most games allowing 20 shots or fewer with three games. Carolina accomplished that feat in seven games. About 10% of the Canes’ games saw the opponent take fewer than 20 shots. That’s the kind of solid defensive structure that can protect a goalie who is battling his confidence. That extra protection buys Carolina time before they have to decide what to do.

The flipside of this is Carolina’s high-danger chances against per 60 (HDCA/60), which was 11.46, according to Natural Stat Trick. Still among the lowest in the league, but it shows a disproportionately high number of the shots a Hurricanes goalie will face are high-danger. The difficult saves the Hurricanes need for their system to succeed are harder for a goalie in Kochetkov’s position right now. That’s the biggest reason to worry about the Russian’s preseason performances.

Concern is one thing, but it doesn’t need to be addressed until it becomes an issue. Kochetkov could start the season strongly, and this discussion would go away. A concern like this is best answered on the ice. How much of a problem this becomes for the organization is now in Kochetkov’s hands alone.