Carolina Hurricanes Have Spencer Martin Waiting For An Opportunity

Depth is never bad when it comes to a hockey team, but having depth in the crease is crucial to a long, grueling NHL season. The Carolina Hurricanes have three NHL-caliber players on the training camp roster. Frederik Andersen, Pyotr Kochetkov, and Spencer Martin. Yaniv Perets is no slouch but should be able to handle a trip to the AHL.

Spencer Martin has had a career roller coaster since being drafted in the third round of the 2013 NHL Draft by the Colorado Avalanche. The Oakville, Ontario native has yet to find an extended home in the NHL, and Raleigh could be it in the future. Andersen and Kochetkov are at the forefront of the goaltending talk but Martin has been impressive since being grabbed on waivers by the Canes last season.

Martin debuted for the Canes on January 24th with an impressive victory against a strong Boston Bruins team. Less than a month later, the 29 year old defeated the reigning Stanley Cup Champions in Las Vegas. Two days later, the new Carolina player picked up his third victory in as many appearances defeating the Chicago Blackhawks.

Martin would go on and play 6 games for the Canes while collecting 4 victories. His play and attitude earned him a new contract for this year worth $775,000. Goalies take time to get settled in the NHL and the Canes may have a good one waiting in the wings.

The injury history of Andersen makes Martin an even more valuable asset to the organization as he can step right into the big club when needed as a backup or spot starter. Additionally, Kochetkov has not earned the full confidence of the coaching staff and Martin could have a chance to outplay any keeper for a chance to run with the first team.

Ultimately, Martin will have a chance to grab all the minutes in the AHL with Chicago but is more than likely going to be in Raleigh for long parts of the season. If things go well with Martin, he should earn a new contract to be a strong backup for Kochetkov in 2025 at the very least.

Personally, it is time for Andersen to take a backseat to these two keepers but the possibility of having Kochetkov and Martin playing well as a duo at a minimum cost would be ideal in many ways for the organization shortly.