The 2026-27 season is just a month away and for the first time in four years, the Carolina Hurricanes will don’t have a certified starter in net.
With the departure of Frederik Andersen, the Hurricanes now have just two netminders left under contract in Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov, neither of which are a surefire bet to take over the net.
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More than likely the Hurricanes will go with a 1A/1B split between their two goalies as has been traditionally seen with the way the team treats goaltending, but the question would then be who will be getting the tougher games and eventually the playoff starts.
Here’s a look at the Hurricanes two goaltenders:
2025-26 Stats:
31-6-2; 0.894 Sv%; 2.47 GAA; 2 SO
7.23 Goals Saved Above Average; 0.816 High Danger Save Percentage
One of the NHL’s all-time best stories, Bussi is coming off of a storybook season that saw him breaking records and cementing himself as an everyday NHL goaltender en route to eventually helping the Canes win the Stanley Cup.
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The 28-year-old netminder took the hockey world by storm after being initially claimed off of waivers right before the start of the season and after injuries gave him an opportunity, he never looked back.
Now the question is can he do it again?
The biggest skill a goaltender can have is consistency and for every hotshot rookie, there’s almost always a sophomore slump waiting.
Bussi isn’t your everyday rookie though, given his age and maturity, but now everyone in the league knows about him. There’s video on his tendencies and teams may be prepared for the unorthodox southpaw.
But can he now prove that he wasn’t a flash in the pan? Only time will tell.
2025-26 Stats:
6-2-0; 0.899 Sv%; 2.33 GAA; 1 SO
2.62 GSAA; 0.756 HDSv%
Kochetkov has been in the Hurricanes’ goaltending rotation for four seasons now, but after back-to-back years playing 40+ games, the Russian netminder played just nine games in 2025 due to a hip injury that eventually required surgery.
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Kochetkov never played another game after that December surgery, although he was an option for the team and even dressed for the final four games of the Stanley Cup Final as a backup.
The 27-year-old netminder has shown flashes of potential throughout his career (His career record of 71-38-12 with a 0.904 Sv% and 11 shutouts is nothing to laugh at), but it’s a lack of consistency that has held him back over the years.
Kochetkov is a very aggressive netminder who utilizes his athleticism to make saves and surprise opponents and it’s a bit similar to the way Bussi plays as well.
Whether or not that’s a blessing or a curse for the team and whether or not Kochetkov can take that next step in his NHL career will be one of the Hurricanes’ biggest storylines to watch for this upcoming season.
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