Morning Notes: Larkin, Kuefler, Hurricanes
Dylan Larkin is believed to be entertaining three popular trade destinations after requesting a move from the Detroit Red Wings. Not being on his initial list won’t stop other teams from calling on the top center, though. Always involved in trade buzz, the Dallas Stars are believed to have checked in on Larkin’s trade price per EliteProspects’ Sean Shapiro.
In what would feel like the antithesis to Mike Modano‘s heralded move to Detroit in 2010 in many ways, Dallas could muster a package rich enough to land Detroit’s star forward of the last decade. Larkin has routinely rivaled 70 points, with strong defensive performances, over each of the last five seasons. His consistency – and potential for even more in a strong offense – will make him an expensive asset for the rebuilding Red Wings. Dallas may need to part with promising youngsters like Lian Bichsel, Thomas Harley, or Emil Hemming in the name of bolstering Detroit’s future. In return, they would land a strong successor for the aging Tyler Seguin and Matt Duchene. Larkin is signed to a manageable $8.7MM cap hit through the 2030-31 season, which would align with potential-battery mate Roope Hintz‘s contract.
Larkin would need to approve of any trade but Dallas proved their ability to pull off blockbusters with their acquisiton of Mikko Rantanen. They will be a notable team to follow as the saga around Larkin’s move grows.
Other notes from around the league:
- The New York Islanders have signed AHL forward Daylan Kuefler to a two-year, two-way contract extension per NHL.com’s Stefen Rosner. The deal will carry an $850K salary in the NHL and $105K salary in the AHL in year-one, then grow to a $900K salary in the NHL and $125K salary in the AHL in year-two per Rosner. $290K of that salary will be guaranteed. This deal marks a tidy bit of assurance for the third-year pro. This year marked Kuefler’s first full season with the Bridgeport Islanders. He finished the season with 25 points and 64 penalty minutes in 67 games. He will likely hang onto a depth role in the AHL lineup as he grows into a leading role on the newly-unveiled Hamilton Hammers.
- Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen took the practice sheet and was announced as “available” for Game 5, per ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. Despite that, the Hurricanes seem set to keep Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov as their tandem after a Game 4 win. Bussi has stopped 36 of the 40 shots he has faced since replacing Andersen partway through Game 3. The decision came after Andersen paved over the first three rounds, marked by 13 wins and a .910 save percentage in 16 games. It seems the hot hand will hold favor in the Hurricanes net, though. Until Bussi struggles, Andersen’s action may be limited to the practice sheet.
Hurricanes’ Goaltending Picture Shifts As Bussi Pushes For Game 5 Start
The Carolina Hurricanes’ goaltending situation remains one of the biggest storylines of the 2026 Stanley Cup Final, with the crease decision for Game 5 carrying major implications as the series returns to Raleigh tied at 2-2.
As first reported by Emily Kaplan of ESPN, the Hurricanes made a bold move in Game 4, healthy scratching veteran Frederik Andersen in favor of Brandon Bussi. Bussi delivered in his first playoff start, helping Carolina even the series with a road victory.
Andersen, 36, had been rock-solid through the first three rounds, entering the Final with an incredible 12-1 postseason record while leading the Hurricanes past Ottawa, Philadelphia, and Montreal.
However, the Golden Knights’ heavy forecheck, interior pressure, and ability to force him out of position exposed vulnerabilities in the first three games of the series. His performance dipped noticeably, prompting the coaching staff to make a change. Kaplan’s reporting confirmed the scratch was performance-driven, with no injury concerns.
Bussi, 27, emerged as one of the NHL’s feel-good stories in the regular season, posting a 31-6-2 record in 39 appearances. The goaltender had seen limited postseason action until the Final but made a strong impression in relief during Game 3, stopping 18 of 19 shots. His Game 4 start and solid outing have now pushed him firmly into the conversation as the legitimate starting goaltender the rest of the way.
With the series knotted at 2-2, head coach Rod Brind’Amour faces a high-stakes choice between his three goaltenders. With Bussi fresh off a strong relief appearance and a Game 4 win, the younger netminder brings energy, athleticism, and regular-season dominance. Should he turn back to Anderson, the body of work this postseason (despite the series struggles) still commands respect. Then there is Pyotr Kochetkov who served as Bussi’s backup in Game 4 despite his own lengthy absence. His availability adds another layer of fluidity, though he remains the long-shot option.
Brind’Amour has not yet committed to a Game 5 starter, and as reported by Hurricanes beat writer Walt Ruff, all signs are leading toward indicates the call will be made “at some point.”
Hurricanes To Wait Until After Playoffs To Talk New Deal For Frederik Andersen
The Hurricanes find themselves on a long break between rounds. As a result of starting the second round early, sweeping Philadelphia, and seeing Montreal and Buffalo go to seven games, they now find themselves with the longest break between series in modern NHL history, according to The Athletic’s James Mirtle (Twitter link).
But while that leaves ample time for the team to work on some looming contracts for pending unrestricted free agent goaltender Frederik Andersen, that isn’t going to be the case. Speaking with NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti, GM Eric Tulsky indicated that their plan is to wait until after the playoffs before beginning those discussions. By contrast, Carolina re-upped Mark Jankowski, who was a pending UFA himself, to a new two-year deal earlier this week.
It has been an up-and-down year for the 36-year-old. Thanks to a long-term injury to Pyotr Kochetkov, Andersen made 35 starts during the regular season, his highest total since 2021-22, the year he finished fourth in Vezina Trophy voting. But his overall numbers weren’t particularly impressive as he posted a 3.05 GAA with a .874 SV% on a team that finished first in the Eastern Conference. Kochetkov (in limited action) and Brandon Bussi both put up considerably better numbers than he did.
But with Bussi faltering a bit down the stretch and Kochetkov only getting into some brief AHL action on a conditioning stint before the regular season ended, Andersen got the nod to start the playoffs. It’s fair to say that decision has worked out tremendously for both Andersen and the Hurricanes. He has won all eight of Carolina’s postseason games thus far, allowing just 10 goals on 201 shots in the process.
If he can even come close to continuing that type of play in the next round (or two, should they advance to the Stanley Cup Final), that would certainly be a huge boost to his stock heading to free agency. But on the flip side, if the long layoff results in him reverting to his regular-season form, it could be one of the other two netminders getting a shot at some point in their next series.
Accordingly, it makes sense for Tulsky and the Hurricanes to wait to see how the rest of the postseason goes before starting talks on a new contract. After all, Bussi begins a new three-year contract next season while Kochetkov is signed through 2026-27 as well. Technically, they have their goalie tandem in place already, at a combined cost of just $3.9MM.
But Carolina has been one of the few teams that has been unafraid to carry three netminders on a regular basis which could create an opening for Andersen to return, albeit at a price tag likely below his current $2.75MM plus bonuses ($250K of which has been met with another $250K likely). Tulsky indicated that they “would love to have him back.” We’ll have to wait a little while yet to see if that will ultimately happen.
Carolina Hurricanes Lineup Updates For Game 4
The roster for the Carolina Hurricanes won’t look much different for Game 4. Earlier today, the team (via Walt Ruff) shared that defenseman Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker remain out with undisclosed injuries, meaning Alexander Nikishin and Scott Morrow will maintain their spots in the lineup.
Unfortunately, neither defenseman has filled in well for the flailing Hurricanes. Morrow, who’s only postseason experience came through the first three contests of the Eastern Conference Final, has gone scoreless with a -5 rating, averaging 12:04 of ice time per night. Meanwhile, who’s only two games into his NHL career, has also gone scoreless with a -4 rating.
That’s not to say Carolina’s current predicament rests solely on their shoulders. The Hurricanes have struggled through the series’ first three games, having been outscored by 12. There is an argument that some bounces haven’t gone Carolina’s way, but it doesn’t account for that deficit. Carolina has nearly half the penalty minutes of the Panthers, has won 56.3% of the faceoffs, and is scoring at a 27.3% clip on the power play.
Head coach Rod Brind’Amour hopes that another goaltending switch will reignite the team. Passing along a note from Brind’Amour, Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer reports that Frederik Andersen will reprise his role as the team’s starter tonight.
Many will credit Andersen for the Hurricanes’ run to the Eastern Conference Final. The veteran netminder had managed a .937 SV% against the New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals through his first nine games of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Still, Carolina didn’t get that same netminder through the first two games of the Eastern Conference Final. The Panthers were calculated in their offense against Andersen, limiting the netminder to only 27 saves on 36 shots for a .750 SV%. No matter the case, there’s no more room for the Hurricanes, as they enter tonight’s contest one loss away from elimination.
Hurricanes Sign Frederik Andersen To Contract Extension
3:30 PM: The team confirmed that they’ve signed Andersen to a one-year extension. The deal carries a $2.75MM guaranteed salary plus $250K for 35 games played, $250K for 40 games played, and $250K if Carolina reaches the Eastern Conference Final with him playing in at least half of the playoff games. That brings the potential value of the deal to $3.5MM. GM Eric Tulsky released the following statement:
Frederik has played extremely well for us and ranks in the top 10 all-time for winning percentage by an NHL goalie. We’re excited that he will be staying with the team for next season.
2:03 PM: An already-thin UFA market for goaltenders could be getting weakened even further. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports (Twitter link) that the Hurricanes are closing in on finalizing a one-year extension with pending free agent Frederik Andersen.
Over four seasons with the Hurricanes, the 35-year-old has largely done well when healthy. However, the challenge has simply been staying healthy. Andersen has only played in 38 games over the past two seasons due to various injuries plus a blood-clotting condition. Last year, he put up a stellar 1.82 GAA with a .932 SV% in 16 games while this season, he posted marks of 2.50 and .899, respectively.
Despite the limited action, Andersen was Carolina’s starting goalie for their first-round series against Carolina. He played quite well in the first four games before suffering an undisclosed injury that caused him to come out early in that fourth game and miss Game 5. However, team reporter Walt Ruff relayed today that Andersen was a full participant in practice for the second straight day, suggesting he should be good to go for the start of the second round against Washington.
Andersen’s soon-to-expire contract carries a $3.4MM AAV. Given how much time he has missed the last couple of years, it would be surprising to see this next deal have that much in guaranteed money. However, since he’s now 35 and apparently signing only a one-year deal, he is eligible to have performance bonuses in that contract. Speculatively, that would lower the guaranteed cost while having some games played incentives that could push the potential value around what he has made over the last two seasons.
Andersen will once again form a tandem with Pyotr Kochetkov who still has two years left on his contract at a club-friendly $2MM charge. That duo has been a cost-effective one (again, when healthy) for the last couple of years and that should continue now for at least one more year.
Carolina is shaping up to have plenty of cap space available this summer. Following the re-signing of Taylor Hall earlier this week, the Hurricanes have around $32MM in room this summer, per PuckPedia. Notably, they only have a handful of roster spots to use that money on. While a new deal for Andersen will cut into that a bit, GM Eric Tulsky will certainly have lots of flexibility to try to add to his roster this summer.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images.
Hurricanes’ Frederik Andersen Out For Game 5
10:33 a.m.: Andersen is confirmed as out tonight but hasn’t been ruled out for the series if New Jersey manages to extend it, head coach Rod Brind’Amour said (via Ruff).
9:49 a.m.: The Hurricanes are unlikely to have starting goaltender Frederik Andersen available for Game 5 of their first-round series against the Devils tonight, per the team’s Walt Ruff. He isn’t practicing today after sustaining an undisclosed injury in Game 4, and Pyotr Kochetkov is in the starter’s crease in his place. The team announced they recalled netminder Spencer Martin from AHL Chicago to serve as Kochetkov’s backup tonight.
Andersen was injured when he collided with Devils forward Timo Meier midway through the second period of Sunday’s Game 4 win to take a 3-1 series lead. Andersen had been spectacular through the first three and a half games of the series, posting a .936 SV% and league-leading 1.59 GAA, including a 34-save performance in Game 3’s double-overtime loss.
Kochetkov, who started the majority of Carolina’s regular-season games with Andersen missing time due to knee surgery, allowed one goal on 15 shots in relief for a .933 SV%. He posted a .897 SV% and 2.60 GAA with a career-high 27 wins in 47 regular-season starts. The 25-year-old has made seven playoff appearances over the last four years, but mostly in relief. Tonight will be his third career playoff start. He’s struggled when called upon in the playoffs thus far in his career, logging a .870 SV% and 3.73 GAA.
Of course, Andersen got them far enough to need just one more win to knock out the Devils and secure a playoff series win for the fifth straight year. Until their current streak, the Hurricanes/Whalers franchise had never recorded a series win in consecutive campaigns.
The team is still waiting to finish Andersen’s evaluation to determine when he’ll be ready to rejoin the lineup. If it’s another long-term injury, he may have played his last game in Carolina. He’s a pending unrestricted free agent after signing a two-year, $6.8MM deal to extend his stay in Raleigh-Durham in 2023.
As for Martin, Carolina’s veteran No. 3 option recorded a 3-4-1 record, .846 SV%, 3.89 GAA, and one shutout in seven starts and two relief appearances earlier this season while Andersen was on the shelf. The brother-in-law of Panthers winger Jonah Gadjovich was quite good in the minors this year, posting a .909 SV% and three shutouts in 31 regular-season contests for the Wolves with a 20-8-2 record.
Hurricanes’ Frederik Andersen To Be Evaluated For Injury
Despite securing a commanding 3-1 lead in their Round One series against the New Jersey Devils, the Carolina Hurricanes could have a different look between the pipes for their remaining games. After colliding with Devils’ forward Timo Meier in front of the net only 24 minutes into the game, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman passed along a note from Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour indicating the team would evaluate netminder Frederik Andersen for an injury when the team returns to Raleigh.
It’s difficult to speculate on the specificity of the injury. Still, video footage appeared to show Meier making contact with Andersen’s head, and Andersen’s right leg becoming contorted once he falls backwards into the net. There was no penalty called on the play, and Brind’Amour expressed his frustration clearly, telling Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal, “If it goes in, it’s 100% goalie interference, right?”
In the postgame press scramble, Meier claims there was no ill intent on the play, telling team reporter Amanda Stein, “I’m trying to get behind Svechnikov and get open for the passing lane. And Svechnikov pushed me in, obviously no intent there, and hope he’s not injured too bad. But nothing on my side that I could have done differently.”
Despite any possible disciplinary actions against Meier, the Hurricanes face familiar challenges with their goaltending. Andersen failed to appear in more than 40 games for the fourth time in five years during the 2024-25 campaign, largely due to a knee injury that kept him on the injured reserve for three months.
Still, he provided quality goaltending when healthy, managing a 13-8-1 record in 22 games with a .899 SV% and 2.50 GAA. It’s not quite the efficiency Carolina has been used to from Andersen over the last several years, but it’s more than enough considering the team playing in front of him.
Due to Andersen’s various injuries over the last several years, the Hurricanes have allowed netminder Pyotr Kochetkov to receive many of the starts. Kochetkov had an up-and-down year during the regular season, finishing with a 27-16-3 record in 47 games, a .897 SV%, and 2.60 GAA. He filled in nicely for Andersen today, posting a .933 SV% in approximately 36 minutes of gameplay.
It’ll be interesting to see how the Hurricanes manage if Andersen should miss any time. They’ve averaged 3.5 GF/G through four games against the Devils, indicating they may not be able to win on their offense alone. Kochetkov hasn’t proven a valuable goaltender in the past come postseason play, but that will have to change this spring if Carolina has any hopes of continuing without Andersen.
Hurricanes Activate Frederik Andersen From Injured Reserve
The Hurricanes activated starting goaltender Frederik Andersen from injured reserve Friday, Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reports. Carolina returned third-string netminder Dustin Tokarski to AHL Chicago in a corresponding transaction to keep their active roster at the 23-player limit.
Whether Andersen makes his first start in nearly three months tonight against the Golden Knights remains to be seen, but he’s been cleared to resume game action after missing almost all of the regular season to date with a knee injury. The 35-year-old last played in a 4-1 win over the Kraken on Oct. 26 before landing on the shelf and undergoing surgery nearly one month later after non-surgical options for his recovery failed.
When Andersen underwent knee surgery in late November, the team issued an eight-to-12-week timeline. His activation comes exactly eight weeks after the Nov. 22 procedure.
Andersen has been gearing up for about a week and a half, returning to the ice on his own early this month. For now, his return should quiet talks of the Hurricanes aggressively pursuing a netminder, although that could change in an instant with Andersen missing the vast majority of the past three seasons due to various injuries and a blood-clotting issue.
The Danish netminder told reporters today, including the team’s Walt Ruff, that he didn’t have any “real setbacks” during his recovery. Andersen missed nearly half of the shortened 2020-21 season with a knee injury while he was a member of the Maple Leafs, and he was also held out of the 2022 postseason with Carolina due to a lower-body injury.
If he can remain healthy, which is a huge caveat at this stage of his career, Andersen is far and away the team’s best option between the pipes. Since signing with the Canes in 2021, he’s had a .919 SV% and 2.19 GAA in 106 appearances, including a .933 SV% in his 20 appearances since the beginning of the 2023-24 season.
In four appearances to begin the year, Andersen sparkled with a 3-1-0 record, .941 SV%, and 1.48 GAA. He saved 2.9 goals above expected at even strength and stopped all 14 of the high-danger chances he faced.
When iced, he’s still an elite netminder, a higher-ceiling option than the far younger but more consistent Pyotr Kochetkov. The 25-year-old has been serviceable as Carolina’s de facto starter this season with Andersen on the shelf, guiding them to a 16-9-2 record in his 28 appearances. His SV% is .901 and his GAA is 2.54. Considering Carolina’s staunch defense has allowed the fewest 5-on-5 shot attempts of any team in the league, those league-average numbers aren’t particularly impressive.
Andersen’s return ends the veteran Tokarki’s first stint on an NHL roster that involved game action since February 2023. The 35-year-old farmhand played well in temporary backup duty behind Kochetkov, posting a 4-2-0 record, a .902 SV% and a 2.18 GAA in six appearances.
It concludes a nice story for Tokarski, who started the season at home after failing to land a contract from a camp tryout with the Senators. He eventually landed an AHL deal with the Hurricanes’ affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, before Andersen’s injury and Kochetkov’s brief absence led Carolina to tear it up and replace it with an NHL pact. Tokarski posted a sparkling .933 SV% in five AHL contests earlier this year and will continue backstopping the Hurricanes’ minor-league prospects.
Hurricanes Place Frederik Andersen On IR, Recall Ty Smith
The Hurricanes have kept goaltender Frederik Andersen on the active roster since he sustained a knee injury in late October. Today, the team announced they’d finally moved him to injured reserve. His roster spot goes to defenseman Ty Smith, who they recalled from AHL Chicago just two days after he cleared waivers and headed to the minors.
Andersen’s IR placement is inconsequential aside from opening a roster spot for Smith. He hasn’t played since Oct. 26, missing 37 games with knee issues that eventually required surgery in November.
The team gave Andersen an eight-to-12-week return timeline from his procedure, a window he’ll enter this weekend. He skated on his own last week, according to the team’s Walt Ruff, indicating that while a return isn’t imminent, he’s still on pace to get back into game action during his previously issued timeline.
Andersen, 35, had a sparkling .941 SV% and 1.48 GAA through four starts before being shelved. The pending unrestricted free agent has a 72-28-4 record with a .919 SV% since arriving in Raleigh-Durham in 2021 but has missed an incredible 129 regular-season games during that time due to injury or illness, outpacing his 104 starts and two relief appearances.
His replacement in the starter’s crease, 25-year-old Pyotr Kochetkov, has been adequate with a .901 SV% and 2.54 GAA in 28 starts. Those numbers are down from his career averages of .907 and 2.42, but he’s still managed to stop 5.6 goals above expected, per MoneyPuck, placing him 21st in the league among netminders with at least nine games played.
Removing Andersen from the active roster until he’s ready to return allows the Canes to carry an extra defenseman again. He was the only accessible option to open a roster spot quickly. Forward call-up Juha Jaaska‘s services remain required with William Carrier and Tyson Jost sidelined with lower-body injuries on a day-to-day basis.
Smith has held the role of Carolina’s extra defender for most of the season, routinely alternating days on the roster with Riley Stillman for much of the early going. The 24-year-old got an extended run in the lineup over the past few weeks while Shayne Gostisbehere was injured, posting a goal and assist in eight games while playing minimal even-strength minutes but seeing top-unit power-play usage.
There were no takers for Smith, who the Devils selected 17th overall in the 2018 draft, on waivers over the weekend, so he remains as Carolina’s next man up on the blue line for now. He has 10 points and a +11 rating in 13 AHL games this season, his first full one in the Hurricanes organization after they acquired him from the Penguins in last year’s Jake Guentzel blockbuster.
Frederik Andersen To Undergo Knee Surgery, Out 8-12 More Weeks
11:22 a.m.: Andersen will undergo knee surgery as reported on Friday, the team confirmed. They issued a slightly less optimistic return timeline of eight to 12 weeks.
10:11 a.m.: Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen will undergo a minor knee procedure that will keep him sidelined for an additional eight weeks, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports Thursday.
Andersen, 35, has not played since Oct. 26 with what the team initially termed as a lower-body injury. He was subsequently ruled out week-to-week before being downgraded to indefinite last Friday.
Over the weekend, Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal confirmed that Andersen’s injury was unrelated to the deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism that kept him out for most of the 2023-24 campaign. Lavalette also said that the team was still determining whether surgery would be required, a decision they’ve now made considering today’s report.
Andersen is still on the Canes’ active roster, but he can be flexed to injured reserve or long-term injured reserve if necessary. The first goaltender in NHL history to hail from Denmark was excellent to start the season, posting a 3-1-0 record, 1.48 GAA and .941 SV% in four appearances.
LeBrun called the procedure a “clean-up” surgery, potentially stemming from the knee injury that kept him out for half of the shortened 2020-21 campaign while with the Maple Leafs. It will mark the fifth straight season in which Andersen has been sidelined for over a month due to an injury.
Despite the health issues, Andersen, a two-time Jennings Trophy winner, is still one of the league’s premier netminders. Since arriving in Carolina as a free agent in 2021, his .919 SV% is tied with the Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin for third in the league among goaltenders with at least 100 starts. His 2.19 GAA is the lowest by a wide margin, ahead of Linus Ullmark‘s 2.33.
An eight-week return timeline makes Andersen available in late January, weeks ahead of the trade deadline. Where he is in his recovery around New Year’s will likely influence Hurricanes general manager Eric Tulsky‘s aggressiveness in adding goaltending help on the trade market.
For now, though, it will remain a Pyotr Kochetkov–Spencer Martin tandem in Carolina. The former has been stellar lately, posting a .930 SV% or higher in four of his last five starts. He has a 10-2-0 record, .907 SV%, 2.30 GAA, and 1.8 GSAA in 12 starts this year, while his 5.0 goals saved above expected rank 16th in the league, per MoneyPuck.
Andersen will be an unrestricted free agent next summer after completing the two-year, $6.8MM deal he signed to return to the Canes in 2023.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.