Photo: NHL.com
According to NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes, the Carolina Hurricanes will sign unrestricted free agent goaltender Frederik Andersen to a two-year contract that carries a $4.5 cap hit on Wednesday.
The 31-year-old is coming off of a season where he lost the starter’s job with the Toronto Maple Leafs to Jack Campbell and missed significant time due to injury. He recorded a 13-8-3 record, an .895 save percentage, and a 2.96 goals-against average. Prior to the 2019-20 season, Andersen had never finished with a save percentage lower than .914 in a single season.
In 393 career NHL games with the Maple Leafs and Anaheim Ducks, Andersen has recorded a 226-100-48 record, a .915 save percentage, a 2.96 goals-against average, and 19 shutouts. The best season of his career came in 2013-14 (his rookie season) when he went 20-5-0 with a career-high .923 save percentage and a career-low 2.29 goals-against average.
In 53 career Stanley Cup Playoff games, Andersen has gone 27-23 with a .916 save percentage, a 2.55 goals-against, and three shutouts.
Andersen and John Gibson won the William J. Jennings Trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the NHL in 2015-16.
The Hurricanes traded starter Alex Nedeljkovic to the Detroit Red Wings for a third-round pick and the rights to pending unrestricted free agent goaltender Jonathan Bernier (he did not re-sign) on July 22. The team finished second in the NHL in five-on-five save percentage last season (.9353) behind just the Nashville Predators (.9357).
After falling to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 2 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Hurricanes felt like they could upgrade in goal. Andersen was originally drafted by the Hurricanes in 2010 but did not sign with them and got drafted by the Ducks in the third round two years later.
The Hurricanes currently have $24,926,417 in salary cap space with left wings Andrei Svechnikov in need of a new contract as a restricted free agent.
Former Hurricanes and unrestricted free agent goaltender Petr Mrazek signed a three-year contract that carries a $3.8 million cap hit with the Maple Leafs on Wednesday.
By Harrison Brown
