Frederik Andersen and the Carolina Hurricanes are off to a stellar start to the season after wrapping up a six-game road trip that saw them travel the Northwest with five victories. But Andersen was unable to finish the road trip after suffering an injury that saw Spencer Martin recalled from the AHL's Chicago Wolves.
Last year, Andersen lost a significant amount of time due to a blood clot issue but was able to return for the end of the regular season and the playoffs. All indications are that this recent injury has nothing to do with last year's concerns, thankfully.
Carolina is safe for the short term with Pyotr Kochetkov playing well enough to give the Canes a chance to win night in and night out, but another long-term spell for Andersen would put pressure on Martin and Kochetkov. Kochetkov has had ups and downs in his starts but has a solid 2.77 GAA to start the season. However, the young Russian's save percentage is just .894, but he still has 3 victories in 4 games starting.
At 29 years old, Martin has had flashes in the NHL but has been unable to remain consistent. Last season after being picked off waivers by the Hurricanes, Martin had a solid 6 starts, grabbing 4 wins and a 2.63 GAA. So far this season in Chicago, the former Columbus goal keeper has played in half the games with a 1-1-1 record and a 2.32 GAA with a .920 save percentage.
At 6'3, Martin has the frame and tools to mature into a solid backup in the NHL, but the Canes feel that some grooming in the AHL this year will allow the former 3rd round draft choice the time to be ready when Andersen's contract is up this summer.
Yaniv Perets is the other option in Chicago this season, looking to take another step forward after appearing in one game for Carolina last season. The majority of last season was in the ECHL for Perets with the Norfolk Admirals where he played well for his first professional season. 34 games in the regular season and 10 games in the post season capped a strong first year for Perets after a stellar collegiate career with Quinnipiac University, winning a National Championship with Rod Brind'Amour's son, Skyler.
Last spring, the Canes did not select any goaltenders in the draft. Despite drafting 3 in the 2 prior drafts, none have climbed up the prospect charts. If Andersen goes down for a longer period or Kochetkov goes down to an injury this team will be forced to look outside the organization for help.