Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is expected to miss the remainder of the season following surgery for a lingering lower-body injury, coach Rod Brind'Amour announced on Monday. The 26-year-old had been battling the issue since the preseason and was placed on injured reserve earlier that day. With Kochetkov sidelined, the team will rely on Brandon Bussi and Frederik Andersen in net.
The Carolina Hurricanes received a significant blow to their goaltending depth on December 29, 2025, when head coach Rod Brind'Amour revealed that Pyotr Kochetkov will undergo surgery for a lower-body injury sustained in the preseason. The 26-year-old netminder, a second-round pick (No. 36) by Carolina in the 2019 NHL Draft, had missed the team's first 11 games of the season due to the nagging issue. He debuted on November 4 at Madison Square Garden and went 6-2-0 in eight starts, posting a 2.33 goals-against average, .899 save percentage, and one shutout despite not feeling fully right.
Kochetkov did not dress for the Hurricanes' last two games after allowing five goals on 28 shots in a 6-4 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on December 20. Brind'Amour explained the decision during pre-game media availability ahead of the matchup against the New York Rangers.
"He's decided to have surgery, so he's going to be out for probably the year," Brind'Amour said. "He didn't feel right all year. As you know, he's been dealing with it all season. He's been playing great, that's the hard part. He was fighting through it, but he just doesn't want to continue that way, so we'll get him fixed and go from there."
With Kochetkov out, 27-year-old Brandon Bussi is set to start against the Rangers at 7 p.m. ET, backed up by Frederik Andersen. Bussi, claimed off waivers on October 5, has impressed in his first NHL season with a 12-1-1 record, 2.10 GAA, .912 save percentage, and one shutout in 14 starts. He became the first goalie in league history to win 10 of his first 11 games, leading all qualifying netminders in GAA.
Andersen, 36, has struggled recently with a 0-5-2 record in his last seven appearances and overall 5-8-2 stats, 3.27 GAA, and .869 save percentage in 15 starts. Still, Brind'Amour expressed confidence in the duo.
"We're going to need [Andersen]," he said. "The luxury we had is no longer a luxury anymore. We had three guys to rely on. Now, it's nope. It's pretty clear, we've got these two guys, and they've got to figure it out. That's been kind of our model here all year. No matter who is going in, you've got to figure it out."
Carolina enters the game with a 23-11-3 record, atop the Metropolitan Division.
