The Canes’ Crease Conundrum
On what seemed like a typical morning skate on February 20th, Carolina’s projected starting goalie for that night, Pyotr Kochetkov, felt under the weather. Backup netminder Frederik Andersen unexpectedly took his spot on the ice, causing momentary “panic” that Andersen was making an early return from a 2-month injury absence. But it was a “false alarm” – third-string goalie Spencer Martin ended up in the net that evening. Still, the mix-up was an omen of the uncertainty and unreliability in goal that could determine Carolina’s Stanley Cup aspirations.
With the trade deadline a week away, Carolina seems firmly set to chase hockey’s Holy Grail this spring with their current quartet of netminders: Andersen, Kochetkov, Martin, and Opening Night starter Antti Raanta. Sticking with this group aligns with Carolina’s free agent frugal mentality under General Manager Don Waddell. As head coach Rod Brind’Amour bluntly stated, “There is not a goalie out there…worth the assets it would take to acquire or worth the contract they would have to assume or likely to be any better than the foursome they have now.”
However, relying on Carolina’s current crop of stoppers is an undeniable risk. Danish netminder Andersen’s return timetable remains cloudy as he battles back from a rare blood disorder that sidelined him in November. Meanwhile, veteran Finn Raanta has battled durability questions his whole career and lacks a track record of postseason success. Russian rookie Kochetkov runs unpredictably hot and cold nightly at just age 23. And despite a sterling 3-0-0 mark as a Hurricane, waiver claim Spencer Martin only joined the team on January 1st, leaving doubt about his reliability over a long playoff run. With Carolina’s all-in, championship-or-bust mentality in year six under Brind’Amour, diving into the playoffs with such unsteady goaltending seems like an “unenviable predicament” for a team with eyes on finally hoisting Stanley.
Carolina will likely use its $6.6 million deadline cap space with no apparent upgrades available to add bottom-six forward depth and blue line insurance instead. After all, injuries and lack of depth derailed Carolina’s last two playoff journeys – they don’t want to repeat those hard lessons yet again. The 2022 trade for Max Domi proved magical. More magic may await in the coming weeks. But suppose Carolina rides stellar play from its carousel of goalies down the regular season stretch. In that case, everyone may quickly forget the crease concerns that dominated discussions around this team for the first half of the season. Recently, the stellar marks of Kochetkov and Martin have helped erase any worries from fans’ minds.
Hurricanes Between the Pipes
Of Carolina’s current goalie quartet, only the 34-year-old Raanta boasts extensive NHL playoff experience. Across three postseasons with Arizona and Carolina, he sports a decent .917 career save percentage in 22 games – solid work, but not world-beating dominance. Russian rookie Kochetkov and October waiver claim Martin has flashed promise in their limited big-league action. But Danish stopper and former Toronto Maple Leaf Andersen is likely Carolina’s ace up their sleeve and X-factor. If the 6’4″ netminder can return from his scary health issue in top form for the playoffs while shaking off months of rust, he could hopefully stabilize the crease with his trademark calmness and reliability.
During Carolina’s crushing seven-game, second-round loss to the Rangers last spring, neither Raanta nor Kochetkov emphatically claimed the clear-cut starting role from the other. Splitting time evenly with four starts apiece, Raanta posted the better numbers – edging “Kotchey” with a .912 save percentage to .886. But neither goalie inspired true confidence when it mattered most. In contrast, Carolina’s last playoff series win in 2019 saw different results between the pipes. Journeymen Curtis McElhinney and Petr Mrazek found consistency across that run to the Eastern Conference Finals, each starting six games with sparkling save marks above .930. To truly challenge for the Cup again, the Hurricanes must rediscover that reliability from anyone in the crease.
Wagering on the Canes crease
With legalized sports betting finally launching in North Carolina this month, local fans have intriguing opportunities to put money down on potential goalie outcomes. Leading North Carolina sportsbook apps like FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM now offer Caniacs a wide variety of NHL betting markets as part of the statewide gaming expansion bill. Once Danish stopper Andersen is back on the ice, savvy bettors with an eye for value may choose to place futures bets backing him as Carolina’s eventual game-one playoff starter in April. Sportsbooks also post daily odds on each game’s projected starting goalie.
If no trade materializes before March 3rd, the Hurricanes will stick with their current collection of backstops through the Stanley Cup Playoffs. And while questions linger, Carolina’s goalie quartet has shown undeniable flashes of brilliance at times, giving fans hope. As the high-stakes stretch run and win-or-go-home action approaches, the Caniacs faithful will be anxious to see if their team’s goaltending gamble pays off with the shining moment that has eluded this franchise for over 15 long years – finally hoisting the legendary silver Stanley Cup.
