The Carolina Hurricanes got a crushing injury update on one of their top netminders on Monday.
Canes head coach Rod Brind’Amour revealed that Pyotr Kochetkov is pretty much done for the year.
The stomach-churning revelation is a major blow to the Hurricanes’ playoff chances this season. The club had been counting on Kochetkov to take over the starting role. However, a nagging injury has kept him off the ice.
That situation prompted Brind’Amour to reveal:
The word is that Kochetkov has been dealing with a lower-body issue. While the precise nature of the injury is unclear, it could be a knee or hip ailment. That’s hearsay at this point. But judging from what other NHL goalies go through, those may be the issues afflicting the Hurricanes’ netminder.
The 26-year-old Russian goalie has appeared in nine games this season. He’s won six of his appearances, sporting a 2.33 GAA and an .899 SV%. The early prognosis is that Kochetkov will be ready for the Hurricanes’ training camp next fall.
Hurricanes Now Riding the Bus and Andersen Moving Forward
So, what does Kochetkov’s injury mean for the Carolina Hurricanes? The initial reaction is that the club will be riding the bus, the Brandon Bussi bus, that is.
Bussi has been a sensational waiver claim for the Hurricanes. Bussi was originally an undrafted prospect of the Boston Bruins. However, he never got an opportunity to play in Boston. So, he signed this past offseason as a free agent with the Florida Panthers.
The 27-year-old was unlikely to make the Panthers behind Sergei Bobrovsky and Daniil Tarasov. So, the Panthers tried to sneak him through the waivers. The move failed miserably with the Hurricanes plucking him off the waiver.
Bussi was pressed into service quickly as injuries mounted in the crease. However, Bussi has been phenomenal. He’s appeared in 14 games this season, winning 12. He notched his first NHL shutout in a stellar 1-0 win over the Calgary Flames on November 30.
The Club will also roll with veteran Frederik Andersen. The 36-year-old has appeared in 15 games this season. Unfortunately, his numbers have been unimpressive. Andersen has posted a 3.27 GAA and an .869 SV% thus far.
The Danish netminder signed a one-year deal worth $2.75 million this offseason.
Carolina Banking Andersen Will Stay Healthy
With Kochetkov on the shelf, the Hurricanes will be banking on Frederik Andersen staying healthy. Andersen has had numerous injury issues since joining the Hurricanes in 2021.
Andersen was a reliable goalie during his tenure with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He topped 60 games three seasons in a row, starting 52 during the pandemic-shortened 2019-20 season.
He made 52 starts for the Hurricanes in his first season in 2021-22. Since then, it has been downhill for Andersen. He appeared in 34 games the following season. Andersen missed most of the 2023-24 season. He made just 16 appearances, though he was fantastic in those games. He made just 22 appearances last season, while showing some signs of decline.
This past offseason, the Hurricanes brought Andersen back for one more year. Unless he can stay healthy for the remainder of the season, the Hurricanes might need to move on from the veteran netminder.
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