Take a step into our time machine. - I was pumping gas around halfway through a road trip to Atlanta with my brothers. "They traded Ned," our father texted. And, for the next twenty minutes, I ranted against Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon and GM Don Waddell. Who in their right mind would trade the rights away for their homegrown future star goalie? - Hensite being 20-20 I can now admit that I was wrong.
It turns out his impressive .932 save percentage, 1.9 average goals against average, and 15-5-3 record had more to do with the team in front of him. It was the same roster that carried David Ayres to a win over the Maple Leafs. This isn't to say that Alex Nedeljkovic doesn't have a bright future in the National Hockey League. He does. And excluding games against the Hurricanes I cheer for his success.
There were a few weeks that summer when Carolina had no idea who would protect their net when the season got underway. Petr Mrazek who will always hold a special place in Canes fans' hearts was off to Toronto. James Reimer signed with San Jose. Neither was seen as a huge loss. At times their play could be more of a liability than a godsent.
Most fans understood that an upgrade was needed at the goalie position. A handful, including myself, thought it should have been Ned. But I'll stop crying over spilled milk...
Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta joined Carolina's roster to gental mumbales for the fan base. Andersen had a higher upside than anyone the franchise had seen in a long time. Although his injury history created more skeptics than members of his fan club.
Raanta, who spent the previous four seasons in Arizona showed promise. Due to the talent on the ice in front of his blue paint, his losing record with the club could be written off. It was his underlying numbers that hinted at his potential on a more defensively-minded team. Though just like Andersen, Raanta's injury history was more than enough to feed the skeptics in Carolina's fanbase.
Credit to the skeptics, early in the 2021-22 season the Hurricanes goalie rotation was a hot mess. When Andersen or Raanta were in the net they stood on their heads. The duo would win the Williams M. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the regular season that year. But, Carolina didn't have the depth required to replace a goalie who couldn't dress.
Alex Lyon got a couple of games and was promising. It wasn't until he got injured in the AHL that Stormy's lunch really hit the fan. With limited options, Carolina turned to their prospect Jack LaFontaine, who at the time was performing a master class in the NCAA. He signed a one-year entry-level contract and played two games in a Hurricanes uniform that LaFontaine and Hurricanes fans would both like to forget.
Both of the members of Carolina's goalie rotation were performing at their highest levels. There is no debate about that fact. However, when they had to sit a game out their replacement wasn't able to reach the same level of play. That is until Pyotr Kochetkov arrived in North America. Kochetkov spent the start of the 2021-22 season with the KHL's Torpedo Nizhny. In a rare silver lining from the Covid-19 pandemic, the KHL cut their season short allowing Kochetkov to officially join the Hurricanes in February of 2022.
When Kochetkov got his first start for Carolina two months later it was clear that he still needed to be developed before he became a full-time NHLer. However, his unique mix of classic and modern goaltending styles allowed his star goalie potential to shine through.
During the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs Kochetkov played the role of backup to Antti Raanta while Andersen was recovering from an injury in the press box. The Hurricanes fell in seven games to the New York Rangers. - A fact I normally try to ignore.
This past season Carolina didn't see a need to change their goalie lineup. Raanta and Andersen played their roles well in Carolina and when one of them needed a night off Kochetkov flew in from Chicago. If it wasn't for the Boston Bruins' historic regular season, Carolina's netminders would have been awarded the Jennings Trophy for the second season in a row.
Carolina's trio represents one of the best goalie stables in the entirety of the National Hockey League. Hurricanes fans have grown comfortable knowing that on any given night the man standing in the blue paint can steal the game if needed. Something that's normally saved for a team that has a generational goaltender. Think Martin Brodeur for the New Jersey Devils in the early 2000s. Or Andrei Vasilevskiy in Tampa Bay for the last handful of seasons.
With the Hurricanes, they don't get an advantage from a single superhuman. Instead, they rely on stellar defensive play in front of the net, trust in the goalies themselves to make the right plays, and load management to ensure peak performance.
All that said, there is room for improvement for Andersen, Raanta, and Kochetkov. All three have their downsides and moments that drive fans crazy. Yet, when deployed in the right situations the trio can stack up against any other goalie lineup in the league.
Looking towards the future it's clear the Hurricanes see Kochetkov as their future star. Last season he signed a four-year extension with the organization. No one thinks he's going to win the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the league next season. But, fans in Raleigh will bet on him being at least a finalist before the end of his current deal.
For Andersen and Raanta the future was unclear as free agency approached. Both elected to test the open market as the Canes front office waited patiently in the wings. Fans in Raleigh debated which netminder should return. When healthy Andersen is probably the most reliable goalie in Carolina's organization. However, Raanta has proven to be a more durable goalie in his two seasons in Raleigh. Fans had their preference but as long as Carolina re-signed one of the two everything would be all right.
Like most people, I was surprised when the dust settled on July 1st. Not only did Andersen re-sign for two more seasons. But Raanta also agreed to return for at least another season. If you want to know why I think Carolina decided to bring back all three goalies you can read the article I wrote about it at the time.
Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind'Amour and his staff are still more than a month away from setting their opening night roster. Decisions need to be made about the team's third defensive pairing. How is Micheal Bunting going to fit into the team's top-six forward group? Who's going to skate on the team's fourth forward line?
There is still a lot of work to be done in the off-season. But the one thing the Canes coaching staff doesn't have to worry about is the three men who will protect the crease in the upcoming season. Only where Kochetkov will play when not a member of the lineup is still up in the air. However, a goalie with his talent will not have trouble finding a temporary home with an AHL team desperate for help between the pipes.
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