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Pyotr Kochetkov

Carolina Hurricanes Expected To Loan Pyotr Kochetkov To Syracuse Crunch

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ESPN’s Kevin Weekes has reported on X that the Carolina Hurricanes will loan netminder Pyotr Kochetkov to the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, the top affiliate of the Hurricanes’ Eastern Conference rivals, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The move comes in the wake of two significant events: the injury to Lightning superstar goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, as well as the move by the Hurricanes’ prior AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves, to move forward as an independent AHL franchise.

The Wolves’ move has left the Hurricanes without an AHL affiliate of their own, and the result has been significant to the developmental pathways for Hurricanes prospects. A few prospects, some of whom are notably AHL-caliber players (such as Anttoni Honka and Noel Gunler) will be playing in the ECHL for 2023-24, while others such as Jamieson Rees have latched on with AHL clubs.

It has also complicated things for Hurricanes goaltending, as the team had previously been able to count on an AHL affiliate to provide starter-level opportunity for their organization’s third goalie.

Placing Kochetkov in Syracuse will allow Kochetkov to see regular game action, something he was unlikely to receive as a third goalie behind Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta.

Making $2MM against the cap through 2026-27, the Hurricanes likely believe that the 24-year-old Kochetkov will be a long-term face in Carolina, so getting him the chance to continue his development in the AHL is an important step.

The Crunch are one of the AHL’s few remaining independently-owned franchises, and they have always prioritized a healthy balance between development and playing winning hockey.

As other AHL teams have jumped head-first into prioritizing development above all else, the Crunch have continuously attempted to field a contending roster, and the addition of Kochetkov will help them dramatically for the early part of the season.

The injury of Vasilevskiy may have a ripple effect on goaltending depth for the Lightning organization, as one of the goalies expected to see time with the Crunch, Matt Tomkins, is now in Tampa with the Lightning.

Getting Kochetkov will not only make it so the Crunch won’t have to rely on offseason signing Evan Fitzpatrick to start games, (he has just 13 AHL games on his resume) it will also land them one of the most talented goalies in the AHL, even if just for a limited time.

While it’s certainly not a common sight to see an NHL team loan a notable player to a rival team, this move is not without precedent. The St. Louis Blues once loaned netminder Jordan Binnington to the AHL’s Providence Bruins, just one year before Binnington defeated the Boston Bruins in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.

Although it’s far from an ideal situation for the Hurricanes and Kochetkov, this move does have its benefits for all parties involved and it’ll be interesting to see how the Crunch split starts between Kochetkov and Hugo Alnefelt, a valued Tampa Bay prospect.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. 

Hurricanes Notes: Kochetkov, AHL Loans, Chicago

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With the Hurricanes not having a dedicated AHL affiliate this season, Cory Lavalette suggested in a recent mailbag piece for The Athletic (subscription link) that they might be inclined to carry three goalies on the NHL roster this coming season.  While Pyotr Kochetkov is now in the first season of a four-year, $8MM contract, the expectation was that they’d take advantage of his waiver exemption to get him some regular action in the minors.  But if they loan the 24-year-old to another team’s affiliate, there’s no guarantee Kochetkov would get any sort of consistent minutes as the other team would likely be more interested in developing their own prospect.  Accordingly, Lavalette wonders if Kochetkov’s best path to AHL minutes would be in the form of short-term loans for a game or two to keep him fresh.  With both Antti Raanta and Frederik Andersen having injury issues in the past, it’s quite possible that Kochetkov could still see some meaningful games with the Hurricanes this season.

More from Carolina:

  • Also from Lavalette’s piece, GM Don Waddell indicated that they have found a place for most of their prospects to play this season although they’re still looking for a spot for a few of them. Carolina has loaned several prospects overseas already while their other AHL-bound players are likely to be spread across quite a few other teams.  That will be the case for any ECHL-bound players as well as their affiliate from last season in Norfolk is now aligned with Winnipeg.
  • One AHL team that doesn’t appear likely to house any Hurricanes prospects is their former affiliate in Chicago. Wolves GM Wendell Young told Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey that while they discussed the possibility of still using some of their prospects, Carolina ultimately pulled the plug on that idea.  Young stated that Carolina’s desire to focus on prospect development over winning was the key driver in Chicago’s decision to operate as an independent franchise this season.

Goalie Notes: Andersen/Raanta, Jarry, Korpisalo

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The Carolina Hurricanes will have a big decision to make this offseason when it comes to their crease. It seemed like a forgone conclusion that one of Frederik Andersen or Antti Raanta would be allowed to walk in free agency as the Hurricanes already have netminder Pyotr Kochetkov locked up for a very reasonable $2MM per season. But according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic the Hurricanes appear to be in negotiations with both Andersen and Raanta. While it seems unusual for a team that normally has an internal budget to stash a $2MM player in the minors, Kochetkov is still waiver exempt for one more season meaning Carolina could roll back the trio for one more year. That might be the prudent thing to do given that the club needed all three goalies this past year to navigate the various injuries that they dealt with throughout the campaign. Andersen was just okay in the regular season but was terrific in the playoffs, while Raanta had a good regular season but had his fair share of struggles in the postseason.

In other goalie notes:

  • LeBrun writes that Pittsburgh Penguins new boss Kyle Dubas has yet to approach the Tristan Jarry situation in any meaningful way and that things still appear to be status quo. Dubas has historically been reluctant to commit major dollars or term to goaltenders and given the injury history and inconsistency in Jarry’s game, it seems unlikely he would commit either to the 28-year-old. Jarry is likely looking for a long-term deal and a return to Pittsburgh seems unlikely unless the bottom falls out of the market, and he decides Pittsburgh is a good soft landing for him. Jarry went 24-13-7 this past season as he and the Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 seasons. The Surrey, British Columbia native posted a .909 save percentage for the second time in the past three seasons and has yet to demonstrate that he can win in the playoffs.
  • LeBrun writes that netminder Joonas Korpisalo and the Los Angeles Kings have had some initial conversations on a contract extension but given how close the Kings are to the cap they may have a tough time fitting in a big cap number on a goaltender. It appears Joonas Korpisalo will hit the open market and he could be an intriguing name for teams looking to make a move in the crease. While he was terrific this past season, Korpisalo has posted a goals saved above expected number higher than -7 every season from 2017-18 through 2021-22 and a save percentage above .915 just once. Given his track record he may be best suited in a 1A/1B tandem situation similar to the Carolina Hurricanes structure with Andersen and Raanta.

Carolina Hurricanes Reassign Pyotr Kochetkov

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The Carolina Hurricanes are returning to a Frederik Andersen–Antti Raanta tandem, with the latter coming back from his latest injury in the next few days. The team has reassigned Pyotr Kochetkov to the AHL today after some strong performances in recent weeks.

Kochetkov, 23, has played in 24 games for the Hurricanes this season, effectively making a three-way split of the Carolina playing time. Andersen has logged the most with 29, while veteran Raanta has appeared in 23 games. Among the three, the young Kotchetkov has the best save percentage at .909, and more complex metrics support his strong play.

That will make for some interesting decisions come playoff time, especially if Raanta struggles at all down the stretch. The 33-year-old has never been able to stay healthy for long, and has a .907 save percentage on the year. That has resulted in just two regulation losses because of how strong Carolina’s depth is at other positions, but it doesn’t lend itself to much confidence when the season is on the line.

There is still some inconsistency in Kochetkov’s game, but he showed again over the weekend that he can play at a high level. Facing 44 shots against the Toronto Maple Leafs (including a season-high 15 from Auston Matthews), the young netminder allowed just three goals to secure the win. With Andersen and Raanta both scheduled for unrestricted free agency in the summer, and Kochetkov already signed to a four-year, $8MM extension, his time is coming in Carolina.

Carolina Hurricanes Recall Pyotr Kochetkov On Emergency Basis

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The Carolina Hurricanes have announced that goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov has been recalled on an emergency basis. The move comes as Antti Raanta left last night’s game against the Montreal Canadiens with an undisclosed injury.

The Hurricanes play games tomorrow night, Saturday, and Sunday, so one would think that if Raanta isn’t ready to play in those games, Kochetkov could get to make his 19th NHL start of the season thanks to this recall.

The 23-year-old Kochetkov last played in the NHL in the middle of January, when he stopped 29 of 32 shots in a shootout loss to the Vancouver Canucks. In the final stretch of 2022, Kochetkov managed to put together some stellar performances, including back-to-back shutouts against the Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders in December. His stellar play in December 2022 earned him NHL Rookie of the Month honors.

More recently, Kochetkov has made headlines in the AHL by scoring a rare goalie goal only to be ejected from the game moments later.

Overall, Kochetkov has had a strong season. He’s posted a 10-4-5 record in the NHL with a .913 save percentage and 2.33 goals-against-average, and a 13-5-2 record, 2.39 goals-against-average and .916 save percentage in the AHL.

Kochetkov’s stellar performance this year comes with added benefit to the Hurricanes, as they already have him locked into a contract extension that runs through the 2026-27 season. That deal comes at a $2MM AAV, meaning if Kochetkov can become at the very least a tandem goalie in Carolina (if not the quality starter he has looked like for short bursts in his brief NHL career) that contract could represent a major bargain for the Hurricanes.

But putting aside that long-term thinking, it’s likely that with this recall, Kochetkov will have another NHL start to prepare for. With the Hurricanes battling the New Jersey Devils for supremacy in the Metropolitan Division, Carolina has to be thankful that they have a goalie like Kochetkov as their organization’s number-three netminder.

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.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Top Rookie, Penguins, Zohorna

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With the calendar turning to January, the NHL announced its Three Stars for December.  Taking home the top spot was Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin, whose 13 goals last month moved him up into second in all-time NHL goals as he now sits at 806, 88 behind Wayne Gretzky for the record.  Oilers center Connor McDavid was the second star after leading the league in goals (14) and points (31) while tying for the lead in assists (17) and is the first player this season to record 30 points in a month.  Sabres center Tage Thompson was the third star after picking up 22 points in 11 games while helping Buffalo pick up eight wins to get back within striking distance of a Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Elsewhere around the hockey world:

  • The NHL also revealed the Rookie of the Month for December with Hurricanes netminder Pyotr Kochetkov getting the nod. The 23-year-old posted a 1.63 GAA along with a .939 SV% and two shutouts in eight appearances last month, just weeks after inking a four-year, $8MM contract extension that kicks in next season.
  • Penguins defenseman Kris Letang accompanied the team to Boston in advance of tomorrow’s Winter Classic but didn’t practice and remains listed as day-to-day, notes Seth Rorabaugh of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. At this point, it seems unlikely that he’ll be able to suit up in the outdoor game.  Meanwhile, blueliner Chad Ruhwedel was a participant in practice, albeit in more of a reserve capacity.  He has been out for the last two games and could be available to suit up against the Bruins.
  • Radim Zohorna has been shuffled back and forth off Calgary’s roster in recent days and that trend continued today as FlamesNation’s Ryan Pike relays (Twitter link) that the Flames have sent Zohorna back to AHL Calgary. The 26-year-old has played in five NHL games this season and will likely be recalled in advance of their next game on Tuesday.  For each day Zohorna is in the minors, the Flames are banking a little over $4K in cap space while extending his waiver exemption as he’ll remain exempt until he plays in ten NHL games or is on Calgary’s roster for 30 days.

Carolina Hurricanes Extend Pyotr Kochetkov

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The Carolina Hurricanes may just have found their goaltender of the future. The team has announced a four-year extension for Pyotr Kochetkov that will keep him under contract through 2026-27. The deal carries an average annual value of $2MM, and will take him to unrestricted free agency. General manager Don Waddell released a statement:

Pyotr has been extremely solid for both Carolina and Chicago since coming to North America last season. We believe he has a bright future in our crease, and we’re excited to watch him as he continues to grow as a person and player.

Kochetkov, 23, was a second-round pick of the Hurricanes in 2019 (36th overall) and experienced great success as a young player in the KHL before coming to North America. In his first full year on this side of the pond, he posted a .921 save percentage in 15 games for the Chicago Wolves and then helped them to a Calder Cup championship, going 5-1 in the playoffs with a .950. He formed an almost unbeatable tandem with veteran netminder Alex Lyon, winning a title with the Wolves in just his first season here.

He also made his NHL debut last year, and ended up playing for the Hurricanes in the playoffs when Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta went down. Injuries to those goaltenders are common occurrences, and Kochetkov has been forced into NHL duty again this year. More prepared this time around, he has a .914 save percentage in four appearances, allowing just eight goals on 93 shots.

With Raanta and Andersen both scheduled for unrestricted free agency in the summer, locking up Kochetkov now means the team will have at least one goaltender they trust in the mix. Whether they bring back one of the veterans to pair with him is unclear at this point, especially as Andersen deals with another rather mysterious injury.

If he can show the ability to perform at a high level in the NHL, a $2MM cap hit will look like an incredible bargain for a team that is poised to compete for the Stanley Cup. It likely leaves the team room to pair him with another capable netminder, though there are some big extensions coming down the pipe for Carolina. Sebastian Aho, Martin Necas, Brett Pesce, and Teuvo Teravainen all need new contracts by the 2024-25 season, meaning funds could be tight down the road. A $2MM deal essentially ensures that Kochetkov will be on the roster – what role he plays is still to be determined.

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.

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