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Frederik Andersen

East Notes: Andersen, Zamula, Lightning

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While the Hurricanes didn’t have goaltender Frederik Andersen available to them in last night’s overtime victory, he might not miss much more time.  Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News and Observer notes that the veteran skated today, suggesting he could be available to dress as early as Friday’s contest.  Andersen actually led Carolina in starts this season with 33 while posting a 2.48 GAA and a .903 SV% but it seems likely that he’ll need to wait a little longer to make his playoff debut with the Hurricanes as with Antti Raanta winning both starts so far in their series against the Islanders, it’s safe to say the net will still be his even if Andersen is ready to return.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • The Flyers’ AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley announced that defenseman Yegor Zamula underwent successful shoulder surgery back on April 10th, ending his season. While the 23-year-old won’t be able to play in Lehigh Valley’s playoff run, he will be ready to participate in training camp in September.  Zamula played in 14 games with Philadelphia this season, picking up four assists in 14 games while chipping in with a goal and 18 helpers in 44 contests with the Phantoms.
  • While they weren’t in uniform tonight, the Lightning have recalled defenseman Philippe Myers and winger Alex Barre-Boulet from AHL Syracuse, relays Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times (Twitter link). The pair were listed on the roster report as healthy scratches.  With Syracuse not playing in the first round of the playoffs in the minors, it’s possible that the two players will stay up with Tampa Bay for a few days.  Myers played in 11 games this season with the Lightning while Barre-Boulet suited up just once.

Injury Notes: Vilardi, Andersen, Jeannot, Hartman

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The Los Angeles Kings stole Game 1 away from the Edmonton Oilers with some late-game heroics from Anze Kopitar to tie it up with 17 seconds to play and a power play goal from Alex Iafallo to give the team an overtime victory. They will look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead on Wednesday night, and appear to have some reinforcements that could help them.

Eric Stephens of The Athletic reports Gabriel Vilardi will be ready to return to the Kings lineup in Game 2. The 23-year-old right winger had a breakout season for the Kings, scoring 23 goals and 41 points in 63 games. Vilardi has not played since March 26 with an upper-body injury. His return will certainly give the Kings another offensive boost as they look to match the offensive juggernaut of the Oilers and add to their series lead.

  • Per a team release, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen will not suit up in Game 2 of their series with the New York Islanders. The 33-year-old goaltender, who battled injuries all season and played just 33 games, is out with an illness. In a bit of a surprising move, Antti Raanta was the Game 1 starter anyway, and he will get the call once again for the Hurricanes in Game 2.
  • Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times reports Tanner Jeannot could be back in the Lightning lineup for Game 2. The feisty winger arrived in Tampa Bay at the trade deadline, for a surprisingly large haul of draft picks, and scored four points in 20 regular season games with the team. With Michael Eyssimont leaving Game 1 with injury, it would be perfect timing to have Jeannot return and fill that role in the Lightning’s bottom six. Jeannot last played on April 6 when he fell awkwardly and looked to be seriously injured. Luckily, he appears ready to go just two weeks later.
  • Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman was the hero in Game 1, scoring in double overtime to secure the win and take a 1-0 series lead. Unfortunately, he will not get the same chance in Game 2. Per a team release, Hartman will not play when the Wild meet the Dallas Stars looking to take a two game series lead. The 28-year-old forward had 15 goals and 37 points in 59 games for the Wild in the regular season. He has been dealing with a lower-body injury that he battled through to win Game 1 for the Wild, but it will keep him from suiting up in Game 2.

Carolina Hurricanes Reassign Pyotr Kochetkov

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With all three goaltenders healthy, the Carolina Hurricanes had to make a decision. Since Pyotr Kochetkov is still waiver-exempt, he’s the one on the way out. The young netminder has been reassigned to the minor leagues, despite his strong performance so far this year.

This certainly won’t make many Hurricanes fans happy, as of the three – Kochetkov, Antti Raanta, and Frederik Andersen – there has been only one consistent presence. Andersen has a .903 save percentage in just ten appearances, while Raanta has an .894 despite having one of the strongest defensive teams in the league playing ahead of him.

Kochetkov, 23, has a .913 through 19 games, losing just four of them in regulation. That earned him a four-year extension a few months ago, one that locks him into a roster spot in the future.

Not yet, though, as he now heads back to the Chicago Wolves for the time being. The club will go with an Andersen-Raanta tandem.

If there’s a silver lining for Kochetkov fans, it’s that those veteran goaltenders have never really shown the ability to stay healthy for long. Their combined history suggests that the young netminder will be back up before long, and could very well be the starting goaltender again by the time the playoffs roll around.

Carolina Hurricanes Activate Frederik Andersen

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The Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes have gotten even stronger. Per a team announcement, goaltender Frederik Andersen has been activated off of injured reserve.

The team added star forward Max Pacioretty back from injury a week ago, and will now get two-time Jennings trophy winner back into their crease as they look to snap a four-game losing skid.

Andersen has been out since early November when he suffered an injury against the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s played just eight games this season and has a .891 save percentage. Despite that less-than-ideal save percentage, though, Andersen did manage to post a 5-3 record in that eight-game span.

Arriving in Carolina in the summer of 2021, Andersen had a bounce-back season for the ages last year. After ceding his starting role in Toronto to Jack Campbell and posting a .895 save percentage in his final year as a Maple Leaf, Andersen signed a two-year, $4.5MM AAV deal to be the starter in Carolina.

Carolina turned to Andersen, a now-33-year-old veteran, picking him over Alex Nedeljkovic, who at the time was a Calder Trophy finalist who had posted a .932 save percentage and 1.90 goals-against-average in 23 games for the team.

Andersen rewarded them massively for that choice, playing in 52 games and posting a 35-14-3 record, a 2.17 goals-against-average, and a .922 save percentage. His performance alongside backup Antti Raanta earned the tandem a Jennings trophy, which became the second of Andersen’s career.

Unfortunately, an injury derailed the end of Andersen’s season, and he wasn’t able to take the ice in the Hurricanes’ playoff run, which lasted until a game-seven loss to the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Now back on the Hurricanes roster, the expectation will be for Andersen to resume his status as the team’s number-one netminder. He won’t be without challengers for that role, though. The team’s backup, Raanta, has played in 16 games, and while his .894 save percentage isn’t anything to write home about, he’s gone 10-2-3 with a 2.63 goals-against-average.

Additionally, the Hurricanes have received quality goaltending from Pyotr Kochetkov, the team’s presumed “goalie of the future.” The 36th overall pick at the 2019 draft, Kochetkov, 23, has played in 18 games for the Hurricanes this year and posted a .914 save percentage.

His strong form this season adds to the interesting situation the Hurricanes now face. With Andersen back, they could opt to keep a three-goalie rotation and roster all three netminders on their active roster. Or, they could make the difficult choice to send Kochetkov back to their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, despite his impressive performance.

Kochetkov has faded a bit in recent starts, with an .842 save percentage in his last three games, which may make that decision a bit easier, but it’ll nonetheless be difficult for the team to feel comfortable sending down the netminder with the highest save percentage on their team.

In November, Kochetkov earned a $2MM AAV contract extension that will last through 2026-2027, meaning his future is undoubtedly in Raleigh long-term. But in the short-term, he may need to spend a bit more time developing in Chicago.

Metropolitan Notes: Backstrom, Andersen, Robidas

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Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom took another important step back towards returning as NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti reports (Twitter link) that the veteran was in a regular sweater at their morning skate today which means that he has been cleared for contact.  Backstrom has yet to play this season after undergoing hip surgery back in June, one that had his availability to play in 2022-23 in question.  However, the fact he’s participating in full in team skates suggests that the 35-year-old should be able to return in the somewhat near future.  With the holiday break coming next week, it’s likely that Washington will wait to activate him until after that time but it appears that the Caps will have a key player back in the second half of the season.

The Capitals will need to create salary cap space to activate Backstrom once he’s ready but it’s worth noting that Tom Wilson, who has yet to play this year after undergoing knee surgery, is not currently on LTIR.  Once Backstrom is ready to return, Washington will move Wilson to LTIR, freeing up a good chunk of the room needed to bring the center back while other roster tweaks will get them into cap compliance.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • While Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen participated in practice yesterday, head coach Rod Brind’Amour told reporters including Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal that the netminder won’t dress for either game this weekend. The veteran has been out for the last six weeks but with Pyotr Kochetkov thriving right now as their interim starter, the team can afford to be patient with Andersen.  However, it’s a contract year for the 33-year-old though so he’s going to want to get back in the lineup sooner than later.  He has a 2.72 GAA with a .891 SV% in eight starts so far this season.
  • Still with the Hurricanes, prospect Justin Robidas is expected to be traded in the QMJHL from Val-d’Or to Quebec when the trade window opens up tomorrow, notes Carl Tardif of Le Soleil. The 19-year-old was a fifth-round pick back in 2021 (147th overall) in 2021 and is tied for 13th in league scoring with 14 goals and 26 assists in 26 games so far.  Carolina has until June 1st of next year to sign him so these next few months with the Remparts will be crucial for Robidas.

Injury Notes: Teravainen, Bruins, Lindgren

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Carolina Hurricanes forward Teuvo Teravainen is getting closer to returning, according to NHL.com’s Kurt Dusterburg. Teravainen practiced with the team today and could return during the team’s upcoming six-game road trip.

Teravainen has yet to score this season, but he’s been limited to just 14 games with an upper-body injury. The Hurricanes haven’t been great without him, though, and they’ve won just one game out of their past six. They’re hoping Teravainen’s return can jumpstart the depth scoring that’s been a significant issue in 2022-23. Dusterburg also noted that goalie Frederik Andersen, who is on injured reserve and has missed the past ten games, will not travel.

  • Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery says goalie Linus Ullmark is healthy enough for backup duty tomorrow night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. After leaving Friday’s come-from-behind win against the Hurricanes with an upper-body injury, Ullmark was back with the team today at practice. His 13 wins, .935 save percentage, and 2.00 goals-against average all lead the NHL. Forward Trent Frederic was also back at practice today after missing two games, while Craig Smith will miss tomorrow’s game with an upper-body injury suffered against the Hurricanes and is day-to-day.
  • Defenseman Ryan Lindgren took warmups for the New York Rangers tonight and could return from an upper-body injury against the New Jersey Devils, per NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. Lindgren left Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers and was day-to-day but may avoid missing any time if he plays tonight.

Goalie Notes: Forsberg, Andersen, Hellberg

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When Ottawa was forced to recall Kevin Mandolese yesterday in the wake of Anton Forsberg’s injury, there were concerns about whether this was the next of a long list of significant injuries the Senators have dealt with this season.  Fortunately for them, it doesn’t appear that this is the case.  Head coach D.J. Smith told reporters, including Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch, that while Forsberg won’t play tomorrow in Los Angeles, he isn’t expected to be out much longer with the team classifying him as out day-to-day.  It has been a bit of a tough start to the season for Forsberg as he has a 3.43 GAA and a .904 SV% in his first 13 games which is part of the reason that the Sens enter play today at the bottom of the Atlantic Division.

Other goalie news from around the NHL:

  • Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen has yet to start skating as he continues to work his way back from an undisclosed injury that has kept him out for the last couple of weeks, relays Cory Lavalette of the North State Journal. However, head coach Rod Brind’Amour indicated that while Andersen has been out longer than expected, he’s at least improving a little bit.  It’s hardly the start to the season that the pending UFA was looking for as he has a save percentage of just .891 through his first eight games and for a goalie that has often been injured throughout his career, recovering from this issue slower than expected doesn’t help.
  • When the Red Wings claimed Magnus Hellberg off waivers from Seattle earlier this week, the move raised some eyebrows considering that both Ville Husso and Alex Nedeljkovic are healthy. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press indicates that GM Steve Yzerman’s idea for the claim was to simply give them some insurance knowing that their schedule starts to get a bit more compressed in the coming weeks (they have 28 games over the next two months even with the holiday break).  If something happens, they’re more comfortable with Hellberg over pulling someone up from AHL Grand Rapids.  While Hellberg will get to stick on an NHL roster for a little longer now, it appears as if he’ll still be waiting a while to have a shot at making his second appearance of the season.

Carolina Hurricanes Emergency Recall Pyotr Kochetkov

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Nov 11: Andersen has now been moved to injured reserve, retroactive to November 6. Kochetkov will remain with the team for the time being after his strong performance last night.

Nov 8: The Carolina Hurricanes have recalled goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves on an emergency basis, according to the team Tuesday evening. The team also placed forward Ondrej Kase on injured reserve.

Kochetkov’s call-up comes after starting goalie Frederik Andersen left the team’s practice earlier today. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour noted to reporters this morning that he “didn’t know what happened there, [but] he did something.”

The team’s top goaltending prospect, Kochetkov is off to a 2-2-1 start in the AHL with a 3.00 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. He appeared in three regular-season games and four playoff games last season for Carolina when injuries struck both Andersen and backup Antti Raanta.

Kochetkov will likely back up Raanta tomorrow when the Hurricanes take on the Florida Panthers. Despite a hurricane warning issued for the area surrounding FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, the Hurricanes team charter left Raleigh tonight in anticipation of the game still occurring tomorrow.

Unfortunately, Kase lands on injured reserve with the sixth reported concussion of his NHL career. The 27-year-old Czech forward logged 11:02 in the team’s season opener against Columbus and has not played since.

East Notes: McAvoy, Hart, Andersen

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The Boston Bruins are rolling to start the year despite a predicted slow start due to injuries to key players. Their 11-2-0 record is good enough for 22 points and first place in the Eastern Conference, and as if things haven’t been good enough, they’re about to get the final key piece of the puzzle back in their lineup. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy is set to make his season debut tomorrow against the Calgary Flames, marking his return from offseason shoulder surgery.

McAvoy, 24, has finished top 10 in Norris Trophy voting each of the past three seasons but has yet to receive his first nomination for the trophy. He’s coming off a 2021-22 campaign when he set career highs in goals (10), assists (46), points (56), plus-minus (+31), and average time on ice (24:38). The New York-born All-Star is set to resume his top-pairing role alongside Hampus Lindholm, who’s taken the reigns in McAvoy’s absence with 13 points in 13 games. The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter reported last week that McAvoy was ahead of schedule in his recovery, and was set to return earlier than his rough projection of December 1.

  • Philadelphia Flyers youngster Carter Hart is ready to return to action in the crease tomorrow against the Columbus Blue Jackets after a one-game absence due to illness, notes Philly Hockey Now’s Sam Carchidi. Head coach John Tortorella didn’t go so far as to name Hart as the starter for tomorrow night, but it wouldn’t shock anyone if the netminder took the crease. The 24-year-old has yet to lose in regulation through eight starts in 2022-23.
  • Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour today offered an update on goaltender Frederik Andersen, saying that “he tweaked something.” Brind’Amour added that he didn’t think Andersen’s undisclosed injury was serious but didn’t want to put Andersen in the net without full health. His injury necessitated the emergency recall of Pyotr Kochetkov yesterday.

Salary Cap Could Increase More Than Expected In 2023

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Speaking with the media today, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said there’s a “good probability” that the remaining COVID-related escrow balance could be paid by the players this season, and remains optimistic about revenues. If the escrow balance gets paid off, the salary cap could jump more than the predicted $1MM incremental increase, two years sooner than originally expected coming out of the pandemic.

Bettman did note that it would be a close call, but if the revenue numbers hit, the cap could jump roughly $4MM to a figure of around $86.5MM for the 2023-24 season. The league’s cap growth would then mirror pre-pandemic trends, if not more.

This is gigantic news for a number of teams, especially those who have big-name free agents due for contracts by July 1 of next year. It also bodes well for teams tight to the salary cap to be able to have more roster flexibility in the offseason.

That list of big-name unrestricted free agents next summer is no joke, and a ~$4MM salary cap increase would have a massive effect on many negotiations. Ryan O’Reilly in St. Louis, David Pastrnak in Boston, Dylan Larkin in Detroit, Bo Horvat in Vancouver, and Frederik Andersen in Carolina are some notables who could re-sign with their current teams for a big payday.

It also makes life easier for teams like the Vegas Golden Knights, who are poised to get a healthy Robin Lehner back but already remain well over the currently projected $83.5MM salary cap for 2023-24.

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