Hurricanes are taking a dangerous gamble after winning Stanley Cup

Brandon Bussi played four times during the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs. All four appearances came in the Final. Now, he may enter next season as the Carolina Hurricanes’ top goaltender.

That escalated quickly. Bussi was excellent against the Vegas Golden Knights. He replaced Frederik Andersen during Game 3, then started and won the final three games. His 22-save shutout in Game 6 secured Carolina’s second Stanley Cup.

Nobody can argue with the result. Bussi was handed a mess and cleaned it up. Carolina now seems comfortable pairing him with Pyotr Kochetkov after Andersen signed with the Edmonton Oilers. It is easy to understand why. It is also a little scary.

Brandon Bussi has earned the first chance

Bussi did not suddenly become good during the Final. He went 31-6-2 during the regular season and finished with a 2.47 goals-against average.

His playoff numbers were even better. Bussi posted a 3-1 record, 1.60 goals-against average and .931 save percentage. He looked calm while everyone else watching probably needed to be reminded to breathe.

Carolina should start him. There is no debate there. What happens if he struggles for a month?

Last season was Bussi’s first in the NHL. He has never carried the pressure or workload that comes with being the top goalie on a team chasing another Stanley Cup. Winning three starts in June proved he can perform in huge games. It did not answer every question about the next 82. Goalies can be weird. 

A player can look unbeatable one month and spend the next allowing goals from angles that should require a geometry teacher to explain. Banking on the good version of Bussi showing up all season is optimistic.

Pyotr Kochetkov does not solve the problem

Kochetkov made only nine appearances last season because of a lower-body injury. He recorded a 6-2-0 record and 2.33 goals-against average, but his .899 save percentage was nothing special. He posted a .897 save percentage over 47 games the previous season.

Kochetkov has played well enough in stretches to keep earning opportunities. He has not played well enough to remove the uneasiness surrounding Carolina’s current setup.

The Hurricanes lost more than Andersen’s poor regular-season numbers when he left. His .874 save percentage was rough, yet he recovered in the playoffs. Andersen went 13-2 with a 1.89 goals-against average and three shutouts before injuring his knee.

Carolina had a veteran who knew how to handle a bad stretch without everything falling apart. That person is now in Edmonton. The Hurricanes do not need to sign someone who will steal Bussi’s job. Find an older goalie who can start when needed, survive a few ugly weeks and prevent Kochetkov’s health from becoming a daily concern.

Maybe Bussi makes this entire discussion look stupid by Christmas. Carolina would happily accept that outcome. Until then, the defending champions are relying on a first-year starter and a backup with shaky numbers. For a team with very few holes, that one is difficult to ignore.