Freddie Andersen leaving Canes for one-year deal with Edmonton
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The Edmonton Oilers have turned to Stanley Cup champion Frederik Andersen as the latest solution to their goaltending problems.
Andersen, 36, signed a one-year, $2.75-million contract with the Oilers on the first day of NHL free agency, leaving the Carolina Hurricanes after five seasons. It's an incentive-laden contract that will carry only a $1 million salary cap hit next season, with $1.8 million in performance bonuses based on how many games he plays in the regular season and his playoff success.
Andersen was on a one-year, $2.75 million deal with the Hurricanes last season.
The veteran goaltender will join what could be a trio of netminders for Edmonton next season. The Oilers acquired Tristan Jarry from the Penguins last season, but sought additional help after he posted a .857 save percentage in 19 regular-season games and only appeared in one postseason game. Edmonton also traded for 24-year-old Buffalo Sabres goalie Devon Levi on Tuesday.
Playing in Edmonton will also be a reunion for Andersen. He played with Oilers winger Zach Hyman on the Toronto Maple Leafs. New Edmonton head coach Mike Babcock and his assistant D.J. Smith were behind the bench during Andersen's time in Toronto.
Andersen anchored the Hurricanes' run to the Stanley Cup Final before giving way to Brandon Bussi against the Vegas Golden Knights. In three Eastern Conference series, Andersen went 12-1, including eight consecutive victories, as Carolina won the conference title for the first time since 2006.
After the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup in Game 6 against Vegas, Andersen revealed he suffered a knee injury earlier in the Final. He was also playing with a heavy heart: Andersen was one of the first prominent clients for Claude Lemieux, who became a successful player agent after his 21-season NHL career, in which he won four Stanley Cups. Lemieux, 60, died by suicide on May 28 at age 60, according to authorities.
"He would be so proud," Andersen told Sportsnet after Game 6. "It's tough to really describe how much he has meant to me, and how cool it is to have my name on that trophy with him."
Sharing the net with Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov, Andersen wasn't as sharp in the regular season. He closed with a 16-14-5 mark and a 3.05 goals-against average as coach Rod Brind'Amour took a committee approach to his crease.
A native of Herning, Denmark, Andersen, a 2012 third-round pick of the Ducks, has extensive international experience, as well. In February, he played for the Danish national team in the Winter Olympics in Milan, and also played in the world championships in 2010, 2011, and 2012.
- ESPN contributed.
