The Carolina Hurricanes enjoy getting ahead of their responsibilities, getting many extensions done before their pending free agents get to the market on July 1. General Manager Eric Tulsky is very diligent, making sure his players are taken care of, and especially those who want to stay in Raleigh. On Friday morning, the club crossed another name off their list for next summer.
The Hurricanes signed goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov to a two-year extension for $7.9 million ($3.95m AAV). Kochetkov was set to become a free agent at the end of the season, entering the last year of the four-year deal he signed in 2022. He's set to work in tandem with Brandon Bussi for this season and beyond, with both goalies now signed through the 2028-29 campaign.
Drafted in the second round of the 2019 Draft with a pick they received from the Buffalo Sabres for Jeff Skinner, Kochetkov ventured from Russia to North America during the 2021-22 season. It wasn't long until he was called upon at the end of that year to help the Hurricanes win the division. He won three games in four days to earn the Metro crown, capping it with a win at Madison Square Garden.
After going back-and-forth between Chicago and Carolina the following year, Kochetkov became a more permanent member of the roster during the 2023-24 season. He started 42 games for the Canes, going 23-13-4 with a 2.33 GAA, a .911 save percentage, and four shutouts. He finished fourth in Calder Trophy voting, though I still think he should've at least been a finalist for the award.
His playing time expanded in 2024-25, but his overall numbers took a hit. While he won a career-high 27 games in 47 starts, his save percentage dipped below .900 for the first time. Kochetkov was embattled with injuries last season. He was limited to just nine games, winning won six of them. He has struggled this preseason, though he was in the net for Thursday's four-goal comeback victory.
The Hurricanes continue to be very cost-effective with their goalies, paying their tandem as much as most teams pay their starter. Bussi and Kochetkov will make a combined $5.85 million against the cap over the next two years, a slight bump from the $3.9 million they'll combine for this season. It's more good business from the front office, yet I still can't help but feel that something else is coming.
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