I'm not so surprised that the Carolina Hurricanes were the final team to add to their roster this offseason. With a group that just won the Stanley Cup, there wasn't much for the front office to do during the early days of free agency. However, that their first move was to add a goaltender who wasn't Connor Hellebuyck was a bit of a shocker.
As we were getting together with our families to celebrate Independence Day, the Hurricanes were doing some business. Shortly before 6 pm on Saturday, the Canes announced their signing of goalie Zachary Sawchenko. His contract is a one-year, two-way deal, with the likely goal of forming a tandem with Cayden Primeau in the AHL.
Sawchenko has spent most of his professional career in the minor leagues. His only stint in the NHL came with the San Jose Sharks in 2022. He went 1-2-1 in nine appearances, posting a .901 save percentage and a 3.35 GAA. The rest of his work has been done in the AHL, bouncing around over the last four years.
After his time in San Jose, Sawchenko signed and spent the 2022-23 season with the Chicago Wolves, making this his second stint with the organization. He went 17-18-3 with a .895 save percentage and a 3.10 GAA in 41 games. He left for one year in the Canucks organization before spending the last two seasons playing for the Cleveland Monsters, Columbus's AHL team.
With Sawchenko's addition, the Canes should be in a decent spot between the pipes. As presently configured, Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov will be tasked with holding the fort in Raleigh, while Primeau and Sawchenko will take control for Chicago, assuming Primeau is signed to a new deal and they both survive waivers. We still have a few months before that becomes a problem.
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