Andersen's Return Closer But Trade Rumors Won't Stop
By Glenn Brewer
The Carolina Hurricanes are in the midst of a grueling, West Coast road trip that resumes tomorrow against the Arizona Coyotes. The injury front is improving as Andrei Svechnikov recently returned and now it appears goalie, Frederik Andersen, is close to returning to action. Practicing with the first team, Andersen has taken a big step towards seeing game action.
The goaltending has been strong and deep. Antti Raanta and Andersen seem like Clark Kent and Superman the last few seasons as you never see them active simultaneously. Once again Raanta gets hurt and after a long absence, Andersen is set to return.
Pyotr Kochetkov has been strong this season with some bumps in the road, which is to be expected for the young Russian. Spencer Martin has spent his time getting comfortable with the organization and posting a solid start and victory in his Canes debut.
The return of Andersen will bring the tough questions to the table. Who is going to be the odd man out with Andersen's return? And if all four goalies are healthy, will two goalies be sent down to the AHL?
The middle of February is passing by rapidly and that means the NHL trade deadline is closer and closer. March 8th is the deadline day and with that comes rumors. The Canes have been rumored to be chasing many goaltenders because of production and injuries. The most recent player linked to the Canes is Calgary Flames goaltender, Jacob Markstrom. Markstrom has been on fire of late and will be a hot commodity in the coming weeks.
The return of Andersen will certainly put a damper on the goalie rumors and the Canes but I do not believe that this will kill it. Andersen's return from this injury is different from others and may require careful attention to minutes played. You never know how a player will react to an injury and how long it will take to return to form.
Internally, the Canes will have to make a decision on the position. A quiet trade deadline may mean more activity from Raleigh this year but would it be for a position of strength? The Canes have four goalies that can jump into the crease and give the team a chance to win. No reason to trade assets for another goalie when acquiring a scoring forward is still in need.
It is a great story to have Andersen back in the mix but the hot goalie should ultimately earn the crease night in and night out for the rest of the season.