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Carolina Hurricanes: The Curious Case of Cam Ward’s Backups

By Jeb Bohn

SUNRISE, FL - APRIL 2: Goaltender Cam Ward #30 of the Carolina Hurricanes stretches on the ice during warm ups against the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center on April 2, 2018 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Cam Ward
SUNRISE, FL - APRIL 2: Goaltender Cam Ward #30 of the Carolina Hurricanes stretches on the ice during warm ups against the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center on April 2, 2018 in Sunrise, Florida. (Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Cam Ward /
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RALEIGH, NC – MARCH 23: Anton Khudobin #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes watches the puck as it goes wide of the net during an NHL game against the Chicago Blackhawks at PNC Arena on March 23, 2015 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images)
RALEIGH, NC – MARCH 23: Anton Khudobin #31 of the Carolina Hurricanes watches the puck as it goes wide of the net during an NHL game against the Chicago Blackhawks at PNC Arena on March 23, 2015 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Gregg Forwerck/NHLI via Getty Images) /

Anton Khudobin

Ah, what could have been.  After spending two seasons each with the Minnesota Wild and Boston Bruins with moderate success, Anton Khudobin signed with the Carolina Hurricanes to split time with Cam Ward.

Having established himself as a reliable backup, Khudobin seemed ready to bring his steady play to the Hurricanes and, for one season, he did:

2013-14: 36GP; 19W; 14L; 2.30 GAA; .926 SV%; 1 SO

Khudobin was far and away the Hurricanes best goalie during the 2013-14 season, a year that saw Cam Ward struggle mightily.

Sadly, the 2014-15 season saw the Hurricanes finish 12 points lower in the standings.  While Cam Ward rebounded, Khudobin was unable to maintain his level of play from the previous year:

2014-15: 34GP; 8W; 17L; 2.72 GAA; .900 SV%; 1 SO

During the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Khudobin was shipped to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman James Wisniewski.  After a single season in Anaheim, Khudobin returned to Boston for two years and is currently under contract with the Dallas Stars.

Best Performance: While Anton Khudobin managed 2 shutouts as a member of the Carolina Hurricanes, I’m going with a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on March 18th, 2014 in which he stopped 46 shots.

Overall Impression: For some time, Anton Khudobin reminded me of Arturs Irbe.  I was a fan of his while he was with the Hurricanes and while I hate that inconsistency began plaguing him, I am happy that he’s still playing well in the NHL.

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