Hockey is a brutal game of inches, but for Frederik Andersen, the last couple of years have felt more like a game of medical charts and recovery timelines.
If you've been following the Carolina Hurricanes lately, you know the vibe around the crease has been... complicated. One night, Andersen looks like the "Great Dane" who can stop a beach ball in a hurricane. The next, fans are on Twitter wondering if his body can actually hold up for another playoff run. It’s been a rollercoaster. Honestly, it’s a miracle he’s even out there given what he's been through.
The Health Battle Nobody Expected
Let's talk about the elephant in the room. You can't discuss Frederik Andersen and the Carolina Hurricanes without mentioning the blood clots. Back in November 2023, the news hit like a ton of bricks: deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolisms. That isn't just a "sports injury." That’s a life-threatening medical situation. He missed 50 games. Most guys would have called it a career right then and there.
But he came back. And he was electric in early 2024.
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Then the 2024-25 season started, and the injury bug bit again. Hard. A knee injury in October 2024 required surgery, sidelining him for another three months. By the time he was activated in January 2025, the Hurricanes were already leaning heavily on Pyotr Kochetkov. It’s been this constant "push and pull" between Andersen’s elite talent and his availability.
Why the Canes Kept Him Around
Critics were loud last summer. They said he was too old, too fragile. So why did Eric Tulsky sign him to that one-year, $2.75 million extension in May 2025?
Basically, it comes down to his ceiling. When Andersen is "on," he’s a top-five goalie in the NHL. Period. He reached 300 wins faster than almost anyone in history—second only to Andrei Vasilevskiy. You don't just let that kind of pedigree walk out the door for nothing, especially when you have a roster built to win a Stanley Cup right now.
The 2025-26 Season: A Tale of Two Goalies
This current season has been a weird one for Andersen. He started as the de facto number one, but the numbers weren't pretty for a while. By December 2025, he was sitting on a .875 save percentage. People were panicking. Rod Brind'Amour, in his classic stoic fashion, kept saying he wasn't worried.
"He's been around too long to get up or down," Brind'Amour told reporters. And he was right.
Just look at what happened this week. On Saturday, January 17, 2026, Andersen turned back the clock against the New Jersey Devils. He stopped 29 of 30 shots. He was the only reason the Canes survived the first period when they only managed four shots on goal. That 4-1 win was his second victory since early November, and it felt like a massive weight off his shoulders.
The Backup vs. The Starter
Right now, the Hurricanes' goalie room is a bit of a jigsaw puzzle:
- Pyotr Kochetkov: The heir apparent. He's younger, aggressive, and has the hot hand more often than not.
- Frederik Andersen: The veteran anchor. He’s the guy you want in the net for a Game 7 because his heart rate never goes above 60.
- Brandon Bussi: The waiver-claim surprise. He’s played well enough to make things awkward for the coaching staff.
The reality is that Andersen isn't the 60-game starter anymore. He’s a 30-game specialist. The Hurricanes are managing his load like a vintage Ferrari—you don't take it to the grocery store, you save it for the track.
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What Most People Get Wrong About Andersen
There is a narrative that Andersen "shrinks" in big moments. That’s kinda nonsense if you actually look at the tape. In the 2025 playoffs, he put up a 1.59 GAA and a .936 save percentage before an undisclosed injury took him out. The issue isn't his performance under pressure; it’s just the physical toll the position takes on a 36-year-old frame.
He’s currently 7-10-3 on the season. Those aren't Vezina numbers. But the underlying stats—like goals saved above expected—show he's still making the saves he's supposed to make. He’s just not bailing out the defense on high-danger chances as often as he used to.
Actionable Insights for Canes Fans
If you're wondering what the rest of this season looks like for the Hurricanes' crease, here is the roadmap:
- Watch the Schedule: Expect Andersen to start against high-volume shooting teams. He excels when he gets a lot of work early to stay in the flow, like we saw in the Devils game.
- The Bonus Factor: His contract has $750,000 in performance bonuses tied to games played (35+ and 40+). If he starts hitting those marks, it means he's healthy, and the Canes are likely cruising.
- Trade Deadline Security: Don't expect the Hurricanes to trade him. Even if he’s the backup, his veteran presence is the insurance policy they need for a deep run.
The Frederik Andersen Carolina Hurricanes era is nearing its twilight, but it’s far from over. He’s still capable of stole-a-game performances that remind everyone why he’s a 300-win goalie. Whether his body allows him to finish the job this time around is the only question left to answer.
Next Steps:
Keep a close eye on the back-to-back sets in February. If Andersen starts the "heavy" end of those sets and maintains a save percentage above .900, it's a sign that his late-season conditioning is peaking at exactly the right time for the playoffs.