We have reached the end of our journey. After starting the week with the Bottom 6 and the high-scoring forwards, we dove deep into the defense yesterday, handing out grades on the blue line. It's very appropriate that our last stop will be the Carolina Hurricanes' last line of defense. Today, we're tackling the team's three-headed monster in the crease.
Goaltending has always been seen as a bit of a bugaboo for the Hurricanes. When people ask about the team's biggest weakness, goaltending is usually their default, along with a second-line center. This year, the Canes didn't have the prettiest save percentage, though that is par for the course. However, they won a lot of games and didn't allow many goals. That is their job after all.
Pyotr Kochetkov
In a way, the winding road that was the 2025-26 season begins with Pyotr Kochetkov dealing with a lower-body injury before the season began. A week turned into a month, but Kochetkov finally made his season debut on November 4, shutting out the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden. Unfortunately, injuries would be the real story of his season.
Kochetkov was limited to nine appearances before he decided to get hip surgery in mid-December. He went 6-2-0 with a .899 save percentage and a 2.33 GAA. It was initially believed that his season was over. However, that wouldn't be the case. Kochetkov was healthy enough to play at the end of the regular season. He would've played in the season finale if not for a paperwork issue.
While he was healthy, Kochetkov went into the postseason as the team's #3 goalie, largely because the only action he saw was in the AHL during his rehab. However, when an injury knocked Frederik Andersen out of the Stanley Cup Final, Kochetkov served as the backup, automatically qualifying him to get his name on the Stanley Cup, despite failing to meet the games played requirement.
Final Grade: C+
Frederik Andersen
While he played his most games (35) since his first season in Raleigh, Frederik Andersen had the worst regular season of his career. The start to his season wasn't the flashiest, but he was at least winning games, leading the Canes to victory in five of his first eight starts, including a 44-save performance in a shootout win over Colorado.
However, injuries and inconsistent play led to a nearly two-month stretch without a win. Andersen went 0-7-2 with a .840 save percentage during this time. He turned it around a little at the end of the season, going 11-4-3 over his final 18 starts. Andersen brought his record above .500, finishing 16-14-5 with a 3.05 GAA and a .874 save percentage. No one could've expected what would come next.
The Andersen that showed up in the playoffs was a completely different goalie. He allowed five goals in each of the first two series, leading the Canes to a pair of sweeps. After a tough Game 1 against Montreal, Andersen was right back to his usual ways with four straight wins. Vegas got to him in the Stanley Cup Final before an injury ended his season in Game 3.
Andersen's final postseason stat line saw him go 13-2 with a 1.89 GAA, a .910 save percentage, and a trio of shutouts. It was one of the most dominant postseason performances we've seen in the net in team history. Andersen has since moved on, signing a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers on July 1, but the run he led the team on will live forever, and we'll always be grateful for what he did.
Final Grade: B (Regular Season: D+, Postseason: A+ because that breakdown feels necessary)
Brandon Bussi
No Hollywood writer could've scripted the season that Brandon Bussi had. After spending years in Boston's system, Bussi was set to be the starting netminder for the Charlotte Checkers. Instead, a waiver claim brought him to Raleigh, another claim made him the Wolves' likely starter, and an injury suddenly promoted him to the Opening Night roster in a matter of days. That was just the start.
Bussi made his NHL debut in San Jose on October 14, stopping 16 of the 17 shots he faced to earn his first win. From there, it became abundantly clear that Bussi was a winner, figuratively and literally. Bussi made NHL history almost every time he won a game, becoming the quickest to 10 wins (11 games) and winning the most games through 25 starts (21). He also made loads of team history.
Arguably, the worst thing that happened to his season was the Olympic break. While he went 8-3-1 after the pause, Bussi's wins weren't very pretty. His save percentage and GAA took a serious hit. Still, in his first NHL season, Bussi was tied for fourth in the league in wins (31) and sixth in GAA (2.46). It was a dream season that also earned him a three-year extension and Team MVP honors.
With Andersen entering the postseason as the starter and refusing to relinquish the net, Bussi waited for his moment. That was nothing new for him. When his number was called in the third period of Game 3 against Vegas, Bussi grabbed it and ran. Despite a 2OT loss in Game 3, Bussi went on to start the next three games, winning them all, and shutting out Vegas in Game 6 to win the Stanley Cup.
Final Grade: A+
Add us as a preferred source on Google