Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen out indefinitely due to blood clotting issue

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen will be sidelined indefinitely due to a blood clotting issue, the team announced Monday.

There is no timetable for Andersen's return, but the Hurricanes are confident the 34-year-old will be able to make a full recovery.

In a corresponding move, the Hurricanes offered veteran goaltender Jaroslav Halak a free agent tryout. Halak posted a 10-9-5 record with a .903 save percentage with the New York Rangers last season. Halak's NHL career has featured stints with seven different teams over 17 years, as the 38-year-old owns a cumulative .915 save percentage and 2.50 goals-against average.

Andersen has posted a 4-1-0 record with an .894 save percentage in six games this season. He has consistently been among the NHL’s best goaltenders for the past decade and has been a staple of Carolina’s goalie rotation since 2021-22 after years as the Toronto Maple Leafs' starter. He has faced tremendous shot volume over his career and has been a reliable option for the Hurricanes through parts of three seasons, although he saved -3.5 goals above expected last year.

Antti Raanta is now slotted in as Carolina’s starter with Andersen on the shelf. Raanta is 3-1-1 with an .870 save percentage in five games this season.

Losing Andersen is a tough blow for a Hurricanes team that was beginning to find its form, winning four of its past five games.

Carolina has been one of the NHL's best offensive teams in 2023-24, posting 41 goals in 12 contests. Unfortunately for the Hurricanes, they have surrendered 42 goals on the year as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division.

The Hurricanes host the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday before embarking on a two-game Florida road trip to take on the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning.