Frederik Andersen has revealed the knee injury that sidelined him for the final three games of the season, and the new Edmonton Oilers goaltender says the diagnosis brought relief.
Speaking Monday from his home in Denmark after signing a one-year deal to come to Alberta, Andersen said the issue began in the game before he was pulled in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
“I tweaked my knee a little bit in the game prior,” said Andersen. “That was actually the only thing I dealt with all year, which I was very happy with.”
Andersen was removed after giving up four goals in the second period of Game 3 and did not return for the rest of the series. Before that, he had started every game of the Carolina Hurricanes’ playoff run.
Because injury information is often murky at that point in the season, there was plenty of guesswork about why he was unavailable. Some wondered if the hit he took to the head had left him with a concussion.
“At medicals, I was reassured that it just needed some time to rest,” he continued. “No intervention or surgery was necessary.
That was obviously very reassuring. I just want to make sure I spend the time wisely and make sure I get some rest, and obviously gear up for the next year.”
Andersen’s regular season was limited to 35 games, with Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov sharing the net with him. Even so, that was the most he had played in the last four regular seasons, with injuries repeatedly cutting into his availability.
Edmonton looks to be setting up a similar three-goalie group, with Andersen alongside Tristan Jarry and Devon Levi. The idea gives the Oilers cover if the knee issue flares up again or if something else comes up.
“That’s not going to be a day-to-day thing, but something we’ll have to manage,” said Andersen. “Obviously, the schedule’s been very different from what it used to be. I think the game has changed as well.
“It’s more demanding to play a lot of games, and still perform the way you want to do it. However it plays out, it’s tough to predict, but I’m ready to support the other guys and obviously play when called upon.
“I think that’s something we all lean on each other to figure out with Peter (Aubry, goalie coach) and Babs too. That’s something we’ll have discussions about, I’m sure, but haven’t gotten that far yet.”
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