Insider: Hurricanes Could Go 'Big Fish Hunting' For Top Goaltender

Carolina Hurricanes injured goalie Pyotr Kochetkov

The Carolina Hurricanes are going into the calendar year 2026 with goaltending becoming a big question mark. Pyotr Kochetkov is done after season-ending surgery for a lingering lower-body injury. Yes, rookie Brandon Bussi has been sensational, but he's never faced the full rigors of an NHL season before, and for a team with Stanley Cup aspirations, they'll need to do better than the struggling Frederik Andersen as their veteran between the pipes.

According to insider David Pagnotta, don't be surprised to see the Canes try to make a big splash on the goaltending market.

I'm really curious to see what they end up doing here... Are they gonna ride Bussi? Is it gonna be Freddie? How are they gonna roll with this?
We talked about how they are not afraid to go big fish hunting. They're gonna look. It wouldn't surprise me if an opportunity arose where they could make an impact addition in net, that they (would) take a swing at that.

Certainly, GM Eric Tulsky has proven in the past couple of years that the Hurricanes are not afraid to take those big swings, first trading for Jake Guentzel in 2024, then Mikko Rantanen last season. They didn't work out in the long run, but that's not going to stop them from trying again. Their runner-up push to land Quinn Hughes last month is proof of that.

Hurricanes could look for impactful addition in net to supplement Bussi

Bussi, 27, who spent the first four years of his pro career in the AHL and ECHL, has made the most of his first chance in an NHL crease, with a sensational 13-1-1 record, with a .912 save percentage and a 2.08 goals against average. But again, those are his first 15 starts at the top level. And despite some excellent numbers in the AHL (a Sv% consistently well over .900), there's no telling how he'll hold up over a long, gruelling season, once he has to face the MacKinnons, McDavids, Draisaitls, Kucherovs, and Kaprizovs of the world—none of whom he's had to deal with as of yet.

Andersen, 36, has a dreadful .865 Sv% and a 5-9-2 record on a team that's 24-12-3 and in first place.