The Carolina Hurricanes need much better goaltending in contention window

The Carolina Hurricanes have been the center of a goaltending frenzy for the last few weeks.

With the Christmas spirit in the air, Santa (Frank) Seravalli takes a look at why the Hurricanes are deserving of a “Stocking Stuffer.” As Seravalli points out, the Canes are a well-put-together team under coach Rod Brind’Amour and all they need to do is figure out their crease situation and the Canes will be a contending team.

Of note, Freddy Andersen has been out with blood clot issues the past few weeks, but has been cleared to begin practicing again. Antti Raanta, meanwhile, was sent down to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves in the midst of a difficult run for the backup.

If the Hurricanes are going to go the distance this year, they need better goaltending. Simple as that.

Tyler Yaremchuk: Frank, what’s your first stocking stuffer for the East?

Frank Seravalli: It would be for some goaltending for the Carolina Hurricanes. I think one of the real tough parts about evaluating teams that we’ve run into and especially been a focal point this season is, how much of what we have seen from goaltending is what’s in front of them and it’s like the one analytic status we haven’t figured out yet is independently analyzing goaltending and maybe some teams like the Hurricanes are ahead of others in terms of analyzing and breaking it down. It sure feels to me like the Canes have a really good team that just hasn’t got a save this season.

Frank Seravalli: Pyotr Kochetkov has been playing better as of late, his save percentage is back closer to a .900, Freddie Andersen is on the mend from the blood clots and Anttii Raanta is searching for his game on a desert island in the AHL. This is a team that desperately needs help in a win-now mode. So give me some goaltending for the Canes as a stocking stuffer. That team would take right off and is in a playoff spot these last 10 days despite being having 32nd-ranked goaltending in the league.