**Carolina Hurricanes Face Goaltending Challenge as Andersen Undergoes Surgery**

The Carolina Hurricanes announced a significant setback on Thursday as goaltender Frederik Andersen is set to undergo knee surgery, sidelining him for an estimated 8-12 weeks. This timeline means Andersen could return between January 17 and February 7, just before the Hurricanes begin their 13-day Four Nations Face-Off break.

With Andersen out, the Hurricanes' immediate roster will rely heavily on goaltenders Pyotr Kochetkov and Spencer Martin. General Manager Eric Tulsky expressed confidence in the team's current goaltending roster. "When people get bad news, it is natural to think about the worst-case scenario and panic. Obviously, Freddie has been great for us, and it stinks to lose him. But Pyotr has also been great for us and we are very comfortable with him and Spencer," Tulsky stated.

Tulsky praised Kochetkov’s performance since Andersen's injury, noting the team's impressive 9-2 record in that period. "Pyotr has been playing really well. And this goes back to the point about not panicking. We are 9-2 since Freddie got hurt. Of course, we were hoping for better news with the injury, but the way things have gone since then has put us in a good position," he added.

While the Hurricanes are exploring various scenarios for the upcoming months, Tulsky mentioned the importance of flexibility. "Of course we are running through a lot of scenarios on what might happen over the next 8-12 weeks and we want to be prepared for whatever may happen. But we want to preserve flexibility to make sure we have the ability to address our most important needs," he said.

The team also has potential goaltending reinforcements, including Dustin Tokarski, who is currently with the Chicago Wolves and has shown impressive form recently. "We have called him up before, and are comfortable doing it again if necessary. We also have Dustin Tokarski in Chicago right now; he has a lot of NHL experience and is playing great - he just finished up his second straight shutout there, and could be an option for us," Tulsky explained.

Considering their current depth and the performance of the available goaltenders, the Hurricanes remain cautiously optimistic as they navigate this challenging period without Andersen.