With no netminder trade on the horizon, the Hurricanes are good to go(alie)
A typically routine and uneventful morning skate turned unexpectedly dramatic Monday morning when Frederik Andersen took his position in the net normally used for that night’s starter. Panic ensued. Had the moment finally arrived?
It was all a false alarm. Andersen was merely filling in for Pyotr Kochetkov, who was ill, and Spencer Martin ended up getting the start (and the win) that night. Kochetkov backed him up. Andersen returned to the shadows.
But both Monday morning and the evening were a reminder that since the Carolina Hurricanes appear almost certain to go after the Stanley Cup with these four goalies — Anderson, Kochetkov, Martin and Antti Raanta — the time from now until whenever the postseason ends, whether that’s two months or four months from now, is likely to be filled with the same kind of drama.
The case for not making a move is strong, and in lockstep with the organization’s general philosophy. There is not a goalie out there (for the moment) who the Hurricanes believe is 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. Which is certainly in keeping with past practice.
It’s also hard to imagine the Hurricanes adding anyone in a trade who could do more than Martin has since arriving via waivers, and certainly no one was clamoring for the Hurricanes to make a move for him.
The counterargument has its merits, though, because this group isn’t exactly known for its reliability.
Andersen’s availability is anything but certain, although he certainly continues to progress toward a return to the ice and his first action since being sidelined with a blood disorder in November. Raanta has been better since returning from his refocusing in the AHL, but durability is always a question and he’s out at the moment. Kochetkov runs very hot and very cold, and his playoff record so far, when pressed into action in 2022, certainly reflects that. And while Martin has won all three of his starts, two on the road against elite teams and the third a 6-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, his track record isn’t particularly long.
And nothing says “Hurricanes in the playoffs” like using (or needing) multiple goalies. In the Rod Brind’Amour era, no goalie has started more than 81 percent of playoff games in any season. It’s a team game.
Which is a long way of saying, bringing in a proven veteran from somewhere else reduces the likelihood of having to decide between, say, Raanta and Martin in an elimination game. For a team that has no fallback position, no consolation prize to seek — it’s Stanley Cup or bust for this group in Year Six — that feels like as unenviable a predicament as it is possible. The whole point of insurance is paying for something you hope you don’t need.
And at any rate, it’s all a moot point. Unless someone falls into their lap over the next 2½ weeks ahead of the March 8 deadline — someone available cheaply without dragging a big contract behind who also provides an upgrade, all of which is exceedingly unlikely — this is the group. The Hurricanes are more likely at this point to use their $6.6 million in deadline cap room to bring in depth pieces at forward and on defense, since there’s not a lot of real opportunity to upgrade the existing roster, especially if Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s first goal in two months is a sign that he can get back to his season-opening form.
There is an imperative to act there: After the Hurricanes ran out of defensemen in 2021 and lost Andrei Svechnikov after the trade deadline and Teuvo Teravainen in the first round last spring, the lesson should have been learned that you can never be overprepared for the war of playoff attrition, especially if you’re serious about surviving four rounds. (And if you’d prefer positive reinforcement, look at Max Domi in 2022.)
So it’s fair to expect the Hurricanes to do something. Just not the thing everybody’s been talking about for more than two months. And if Andersen shows up ready and rested at the end of the year no worse for wear, and if Kochetkov is ready for more prime-time responsibility, and if Raanta and Martin can push for playing time, no one’s going to remember how badly it seemed like the Hurricanes needed help in net at midseason.
For the most part, lately, Kochetkov and Martin have helped everybody forget that already.
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This story was originally published February 20, 2024 at 12:49 PM with the headline "With no netminder trade on the horizon, the Hurricanes are good to go(alie)."
