For the first time in more than five seasons, the Carolina Hurricanes are heading into camp without Frederik Andersen as their clear-cut presence in goal. Andersen, 36, left in the offseason and signed with the Edmonton Oilers, opening the door for a different look in net.
That look centers on Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov, two goalies who give Carolina a tandem that is less established, but very much in play. Bussi, 28, is beginning his second NHL season after a rookie year that ended with a Stanley Cup championship. Kochetkov, 27, has already lived through plenty of ups and downs in his four-year NHL career, and he arrives after hip surgery that kept him out of game action since December of 2025.
Even with the opening created by Andersen’s departure, the Hurricanes are not approaching this as a winner-take-all fight for one starter’s job. Rod Brind’Amour made that much clear.
"We have two guys and obviously they're both gonna play," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "This isn't like one guy is going to play 70 games.
That's not going to happen. Both of them will hopefully push each other, stay healthy and I think it'll be a good rotation."
That approach fits what Carolina has already learned the hard way about goaltending health. The organization has seen how quickly injuries in net can wreck a season, so there is no sense in piling extra work onto either goalie if it can be avoided.
Bussi isn’t framing the situation as a battle for supremacy, either.
"I don't view it as competing for a number one job," Bussi said. "I don't have any goals - other than winning the Stanley Cup - but for like what I personally want to accomplish this year.
I said it last year, I'm a day-to-day person. So I'm just focused on making sure I'm ready for opening night and whether I play or not, whatever.
I'm going to play when they tell me and I'm going to try and put my best foot forward every time I play."
Kochetkov sounded just as focused on the immediate task in front of him, not some long-range chase for workload or status.
"After last season, I never think about 'I want this many games.' or stuff like that," Kochetkov said. "I just try and think about practice, recovery and next day.
Nothing more because all my career, I looked too far every time. At first, I want to go to the NHL.
After that it's I want to be first goalie, I want to play more, blah, blah. When you're older and you see a little bit of a different angle of your life and your game, now I just want to be excited for what I do and play games.
That's what I think about."
If both goalies stay healthy, Carolina is likely looking at something close to a 50/50 split. The real tell will come early, starting with who gets the first game of the season. After that, the regular season will decide everything about which of the two emerges as the true No. 1 option.
In Other News...
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Nikishins leverage is limited by his NHL service time, which leaves Carolina in control of his rights even as the standoff lingers. The tension now is less about whether the Hurricanes can force the issue and more about how long both sides are willing to wait before something finally gives. For the moment, the team appears content to be patient, but the longer this drags on, the more it hangs over a group trying to get its camp into a normal rhythm. [Read more 🡒]
Bradly Nadeau Is Bringing A Different Edge Into Hurricanes Camp
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Nadeau also comes in with some valuable playoff mileage and a clearer sense of what the pro game demands, especially after spending time under coaches who helped shape his approach. The next step is turning those lessons into a more consistent impact at the NHL level, where the margin for young scorers gets thinner and every shift asks for a little more detail. [Read more 🡒]
Hurricanes Still Face One Crucial Roster Question After Latest Deal
The Hurricanes have already taken one major step toward stabilizing their roster by keeping captain Jordan Staal in place on a one-year contract extension, a move that helps preserve a familiar voice in the room as the club heads into another important stretch of team-building. Even with that settled, general manager Eric Tulsky made it clear the work is not finished, saying discussions are ongoing with other pending unrestricted free agents as Carolina continues sorting out its next round of decisions.
What makes the picture more interesting is that the roster puzzle is not just about who stays, but who can handle new responsibilities if the lineup shifts. Seth Jarviss expected absence leaves an opening up front, and Bradly Nadeau is one candidate who could be asked to step into a top-six role. Elsewhere, prospect William Hakansson has been loaned to Sodertalje in Swedens Allsvenskan for more playing time, a reminder that the Hurricanes are trying to manage both the present roster and the longer development track at the same time. [Read more 🡒]