It doesn’t appear the Carolina Hurricanes are going to shake up their goaltending depth chart as former starter Frederik Andersen remained the team’s third-stringer during Saturday’s practice.
The Hurricanes are a win away from securing their second Stanley Cup in franchise history and can win the league championship Sunday night on the road against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 6.
Brandon Bussi, who has won back-to-back games to give the Hurricanes a 3-2 series advantage in the Stanley Cup Final, remained in the starter’s crease on Saturday while Pyotr Kochetkov served as the backup.
Hurricanes’ practice lines on Saturday
F
Ehlers - Staal - Jarvis
Hall - Stankoven - Blake
Svechnikov - Aho - Martinook
Carrier - Jankowski - Robinson
Deslauriers - Kotkaniemi
D
Slavin - Chatfield
Miller - Walker
Gostisbehere - Nikishin
Reilly
G
Bussi | Kochetkov | Andersen
Andersen was on the ice alongside goalie coach Paul Schonfelder for a pre-practice workout.
Bussi relieved Andersen in Game 3 after the 36-year-old allowed four goals on 16 shots over the first two periods. Bussi didn’t allow a goal in the third period as the Hurricanes scored four times to send the game to overtime, where they lost 5-4.
The American allowed three goals on 21 shots in Tuesday’s 5-3 victory in Game 4 and two goals on 25 shots in Thursday’s 4-2 victory in Game 5.
Bussi put together an excellent rookie season for Carolina in 2025-26, posting a 31-6-2 record with a 2.47 goals-against average and a .895 save percentage alongside a pair of shutouts.
Andersen started 35 games during the regular season for the Hurricanes, posting a 16-14-5 record with a 3.05 goals-against average and a .874 save percentage.
The native of Denmark turned up his play in the postseason and was in the running for the Conn Smythe Trophy before his struggles in the Stanley Cup Final. He has a 13-2 record with a 1.89 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage with three shutouts over 16 games in the playoffs.
Kochetkov, 26, played nine games for the Hurricanes in 2025-26 and has yet to appear in a playoff game during their run.
Carolina leaves for Vegas on Saturday afternoon.
The Hurricanes won their first Stanley Cup in 2006, with current head coach Rod Brind’Amour captaining the team.
Game 7, if necessary, would take place in Raleigh, N.C., on Wednesday.
