Hurricanes’ Frederik Andersen remains sidelined as return to lineup pushed back

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen continues to battle injury troubles as head coach Rod Brind’Amour confirmed Friday that the veteran netminder will remain sidelined beyond the week-to-week prognosis originally provided at the end of October.

“Way longer. That’s what we’ll say,” Brind’Amour told Ryan Henkel of the North State Journal.

Andersen has been dealing with a lower-body ailment that has kept him out of the lineup for the past eight games. Still, the 35-year-old has impressed through his limited time in the crease this season. Through four appearances, he has a 3-1-0 record alongside a .941 save percentage and a 1.48 goal-against average.

Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli has previously reported that Andersen’s current ailment is unrelated to last season’s blood clot concern.

Now in his fourth season with the Hurricanes, the Danish netminder has battled injury challenges through much of his time in Carolina, including the 2023-24 campaign that saw a blood clotting issue limit his regular-season play to 16 appearances before seeing 10 more contests in the postseason. At season’s end, Andersen was a finalist for the Bill Masterton Trophy in recognition of his perseverance.

Andersen is in the final year of a two-year contract that carries a $3.4-million cap hit, per PuckPedia.

With Andersen sidelined for the near term, the Hurricanes will hope to turn to 25-year-old Pyotr Kochetkov, though Brind’Amour told Henkel that the Russian netminder is ‘doubtful’ to play in Saturday’s contest versus the Ottawa Senators. Kochetkov appeared in Wednesday’s 4-1 loss to the Utah Hockey Club but left shortly after being crashed into by defenseman Sean Walker. Goaltender Spencer Martin played in relief of Kochetkov.

On the season, Kochetkov has made 10 appearances in which he owns an 8-2-0 record with an .897 save percentage and 2.56 goals-against average, while Martin remains winless through a pair of appearances in which he has combined for an .806 save percentage and 5.19 goals-against average.