Goalie Frederik Andersen leaves Hurricanes in free agency, signs with Oilers

Chip Alexander, The News & Observer (Raleigh) on Jul 1, 2026

Published in Hockey

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Frederik Andersen’s time with the Carolina Hurricanes has come to an end.

The veteran goaltender, who won 13 games in the Canes’ run to the 2026 Stanley Cup, became an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday as NHL free agency began. He agreed to a one-year deal with the Edmonton Oilers, with an average annual value (AAV) of $2.8 million.

Andersen, 36, was with the Canes for five seasons and was sidelined at times with knee injuries and then a serious blot-clotting issue during the 2023-24 season. He started the first 16 games of the Stanley Cup playoffs this year before being relieved by Brandon Bussi during Game 3 of the Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.

It was an otherwise quiet first day of free agency for the Hurricanes, who had defenseman John Carlson also become a UFA. The Canes worked a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday, acquiring the negotiating rights to Carlson, but they did not have the veteran D-man and former Cup winner signed by Wednesday.

Andersen won 35 games in 2021-22, his first season with the Hurricanes and had 51 starts. He was limited to 16 games in 2023-23 because of the blood clots, finishing with a 13-2-0 record.

Andersen won 98 regular-season and 32 playoff games for the Hurricanes, going 13-2 in the playoffs this year with a 1.89 goals-against average and .910 save percentage, with three shutouts. He competed for his native Denmark in the Milan Olympics along with Canes teammate Nikolaj Ehlers, then put his name on the Stanley Cup.

Free agency began at noon Wednesday. In addition to Andersen and Carlson, defenseman Mike Reilly, who played 42 games for Carolina this past season, also became a UFA.

A year ago, the Canes did not reach a free-agent deal with Ehlers until two days after free agency began on July 1. Ehlers spent the first 10 years of his career in Winnipeg with the Jets and was considered perhaps the best UFA forward available on the market.

The opening day for free agency was a busy one in the NHL, with some contract terms and financial figures that were intriguing. Veteran defenseman Jacob Trouba, 32, got a four-year deal from the San Jose Sharks that will pay $8.25 million a year – perhaps the kind of money Carlson, 36, reportedly is seeking.

The Chicago Blackhawks, after trading Tuesday for defenseman Bowen Byram in a deal with the Buffalo Sabres, signed him to a six-year contract that begins in 2027-28 and will average $12.5 million.

That will make Byram the highest-paid defenseman in the NHL. Byram, 25, won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche before signing a two-year deal with the Sabres worth $6.25 million a year.

There has been speculation that Canes defenseman Alexander Nikishin might be available for a trade. Nikishin, 25, is a restricted free agent and has been made a qualifying offer by the team, but could be seeking a bigger role and bigger contract by being moved to another team.

Carolina general manager Eric Tulsky sounded like someone prepared to make offseason moves when he talked with the media Friday during the NHL draft.

Winning a Cup, he said, “Can’t make you complacent and say, ‘We’re fine where we are.’ Other teams are making steps and things change year to year. We need to find ways to get better every time we can.”

A day later, the Canes arranged a deal with the Anaheim Ducks for the negotiating rights to Carlson, who had spent 17 seasons with the Washington Capitals before a March trade to the Ducks.