Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen has reportedly been cleared to resume skating after missing the last six weeks while dealing with a blood clot issue.
Andersen, 34, has a 4–1–0 record and an .894 save percentage in six games with the Hurricanes this season. He last played on November 2, giving up two goals on 26 shots in a 2–1 loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden.
Carolina radio host Adam Gold reported the news about Andersen in a Twitter post on Sunday night. Gold spoke with Hurricanes president and general manager Don Waddell, who said Andersen has been medically cleared and is “maybe a month away” from returning to action.
The Hurricanes have rotated between Pyotr Kochetkov and Antti Raanta in Andersen’s absence, but they demoted Raanta to the AHL after he cleared waivers on Sunday amid his recent struggles. The 34-year-old Raanta has a 6–5–1 record and an .854 save percentage in 14 games with the Hurricanes this season.
Andersen is currently in his third season with the Hurricanes. He joined Carolina on a two-year deal in 2021 before signing another two-year contract with the club on July 1, 2023.
The Hurricanes currently boast the NHL’s worst team save percentage, at .871, and are just one point up on the New Jersey Devils in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division. They could use Andersen back in the worst way.
Through 30 games to begin the 2023–24 regular season, the Hurricanes currently have a 16-12-2 record with 34 points and a plus-one goal differential. Although their 99 goals for rank second in the Metropolitan Division, their 98 goals against rank fifth.
With Kochetkov in net and recent ECHL call-up Yaniv Perets serving as the backup, the Hurricanes are currently at home taking on the Washington Capitals in a critical battle for playoff positioning.
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