Oilers Sign Frederik Andersen to 1-Year Deal

Andersen is a unique example of a player who was drafted twice by the NHL. Back in 2010, he was selected in the seventh round by the Carolina Hurricanes, who let his contract rights expire after a couple of seasons, prompting him to re-enter the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, where he was selected by the Anaheim Ducks.

Since then, he has played 13 seasons in the NHL, three with the Ducks, the next five with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and most recently has spent the last five seasons with the reigning Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.

Andersen Coming Off Roller Coaster Season

Without the playoff run, Andersen likely wouldn’t have had many teams lining up to sign him after posting an .874 save percentage (SV%), a 3.05 goals-against average (GAA), and a minus-18.3 goals saved above expected in 35 regular-season games.

However, he likely salvaged some money back in his pocket with an excellent postseason run when he went 13-2-0 for the Hurricanes with a .910 SV%, a 1.89 GAA, and saved five goals above expected.

These highs and lows have plagued Andersen throughout his career. We’ve seen seasons like 2021-22, his first season with the Hurricanes, where he looked like one of the best goalies in the league with 22.1 goals saved above expected. But under the same contract, we saw the disaster that was last season, so it’s really hard to know what you’ll get from the now 36-year-old netminder.

Availability Is a Concern

In addition to worrying about the natural aging curve, Andersen has a lengthy history of missing time due to various injuries. The most significant was blood clotting back in 2023-24.

With this recent run of injuries, he has only played 50 games once since the 2020-21 season, and outside of 2021-22, he hasn’t appeared in more than 35 games in a single season over that stretch.

For the Oilers, he will likely be used in tandem with either Tristan Jarry or Devon Levi, whom the Oilers also acquired on the opening day of free agency. If the Oilers can keep him fresh and healthy, it’s well worth the price for a guy who has shown that he can be one of the best goaltenders in hockey.