The Carolina Hurricanes haven't been playing their best hockey of late, and the injury to goalie Frederik Anderson risked that trend continuing. With the playoffs mere weeks away, Carolina is hoping to right the ship in time for their push for the Stanley Cup. On Monday, the Canes got a blessing of an update regarding Andersen's injury, as an MRIon his lower-body injury came back negative, via Pierre LeBrun.
Andersen is set to be re-evaluated in one week's time, at which point the Canes will have a better picture of whether he'll be in between the sticks for their playoff push. LeBrun notes the Hurricanes are optimistic they'll have the 32-year-old back in time for the start of the postseason.
This year, Andersen has featured in 52 games for Carolina, winning 35. He's saved 92.2% of the shots against him, surrendering an average of just 2.17 goals per game in his first year with the Canes.
Andersen was drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the 3rd round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. He ended up playing three seasons in Anaheim before joining the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2016. Andersen played five years for the Leafs, making a name for himself as one of the league's best goalies, before ending his tenure with the franchise after the 2020-21 season.
Getting him back for the playoffs will be crucial for the Hurricanes, as he's been their most stable goaltending option this season. Antti Raanta would likely be called upon to serve in net should Andersen suffer a setback, but the latest update suggests there's reason for optimism in Carolina.