Hurricanes place goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov on injured reserve

The Carolina Hurricanes announced that they have placed goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov on injured reserve.

Kochetkov, who was slated to share the net in a roughly even split with veteran goaltender Frederik Andersen, made it through the pre-season but suffered an injury in one of the practices leading up to the team’s season opener, according to head coach Rod Brind’Amour.

While Kochetkov is sidelined, Brendan Bussi will serve as the backup to Andersen. The Hurricanes are set to embark on their annual lengthy October road trip that coincides with the North Carolina state fair in Raleigh, and Brind’Amour told reporters on Monday that Bussi is likely to get at least one start on the trip to avoid overworking Andersen early in the year.

Kochetkov is coming off a disappointing 2024-2025 season in which he posted a .898 save percentage across 47 starts, but he was good for a .911 the year prior on his way to a fourth-place finish in Calder Trophy voting.

Bussi posted a .907 save percentage to go with a 2.77 goals against average in 33 appearances with the AHL Providence Bruins in 2024-2025.

In a corresponding roster move, Carolina also recalled defenseman Charles-Alexis Legault from the AHL Chicago Wolves. Legault, a 22-year old right-shot from Laval, Quebec, is well-regarded within the organization for his strong instincts and steady defensive play.

The Canes drafted Legault in the fifth round of the 2023 NHL Draft, and he was among the final group of players sent down to the AHL at the end of training camp.

With star defenseman Jaccob Slavin dealing with his own injury concerns, it’s possible that Legault could draw in for one of the six contests on the Hurricanes’ road swing.

The trip gets started on Tuesday night in the Bay Area with a showdown against the 0-0-2 San Jose Sharks.