Jaroslav Halak joins Carolina Hurricanes on free agent tryout with Frederik Andersen’s status unclear
If we read between the lines: something appears to be pretty wrong in the Carolina Hurricanes crease. On Monday morning, the Canes made dual announcements: veteran goaltender Jaroslav Halak will be joining them on a free agent tryout, while Canes netminder Frederik Andersen “is dealing with a medical issue and undergoing evaluations.” The club said it won’t provide any other information at this time.
Carolina already, in theory, had strong insurance in net. They re-signed Andersen and veteran Antti Raanta over the summer and, with promising, waivers-exempt prospect Pyotr Kochetkov in the minors, they were three-deep with quality options. So the very fact that they’re entertaining Halak for additional depth does not bode well for Andersen’s health situation. It’s worth noting that Andersen missed more than a week in October after taking a puck to the helmet. It’s unclear if his current situation is related to that injury.
Andersen, 34, was off to a middling start in 2023-24. His 4-1-0 record reflects strong team play in front of him, but he’s posted an .894 save percentage, which comes on the heels of the .903 mark he posted during an injury-abbreviated campaign that limited him to 33 games last season.
Halak, 38, would bring a wealth of experience if he catches on with Carolina. His .915 career SV% ranks 24th all time, and his 295 wins place him eighth among active goaltenders. Now in his twilight years, he hasn’t been an above-average NHL goalie since 2019-20 but remains a serviceable backup-grade netminder. The Canes apparently need the help. Between Andersen, Raanta and Kochetkov this season, they’ve posted an .865 team SV%, sitting 31st in the NHL, ahead of only the Edmonton Oilers.
The Canes’ 7-5-0 start, then, has been in spite of their goaltending. They control more than 56.16 percent of the expected goals at 5-on-5, fifth-best in the league this season.