Pyotr Kochetkov signs two-year Hurricanes extension through 2029

The Carolina Hurricanes moved to secure their crease for the long term on Friday, signing goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov to a two-year contract extension. The new deal will keep the 25-year-old in Raleigh through the 2028-29 NHL season and adds two more years on top of the final season of his current contract.

Contract structure and cap implications

Kochetkov’s extension is worth $7.9 million in total, carrying a $3.95 million average annual value. He is entering the last year of a four-year, $8 million contract that pays him $2 million per season, meaning his cap hit will nearly double once the new deal kicks in for 2027-28.

The breakdown of the extension includes a $2.4 million salary and a $1.5 million signing bonus in 2027-28, followed by a $3 million salary and a $1 million signing bonus in 2028-29. For the Hurricanes, it represents a relatively modest number for a goaltender expected to carry a significant share of the workload, while preserving flexibility under the salary cap.

Hurricanes commit to Bussi–Kochetkov tandem

With Kochetkov extended, Carolina now has both members of its goaltending tandem signed through 2028-29. Brandon Bussi is beginning the first season of a three-year contract that carries a $1.9 million AAV. The pair will cost the Hurricanes a combined $3.9 million this season, then $5.85 million per year in 2027-28 and 2028-29 once Kochetkov’s raise takes effect.

General manager Eric Tulsky praised the move, saying, “Pyotr is an incredibly talented goalie whose aggressive style fits our team very well.” Back in June, Tulsky indicated the organization was comfortable entering the 2026-27 season with Bussi and Kochetkov as its duo. Goaltending coach Paul Schonfelder recently echoed that confidence, noting he believes Kochetkov has the tools to become an elite NHL netminder and that it is now on the goalie to seize that opportunity.

Kochetkov’s results in Carolina

Kochetkov has appeared in 125 NHL regular-season games, all with the Hurricanes, posting a 71-38-12 record with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage. In 2024-25, he played 47 games and went 27-16-3 with a 2.60 GAA and an .898 save percentage, helping extend Carolina’s playoff streak.

Last season, he was limited to nine appearances but still recorded a 6-2-0 record, a 2.33 GAA and an .899 save percentage. Across the two campaigns prior to 2025-26, he amassed 50 wins in 89 games, underlining why the club views him as a long-term solution in net. Bussi, meanwhile, is coming off a standout 2025-26 season in which he went 31-6-2 with a 2.47 GAA, a .895 save percentage and two shutouts, then added a 3-1-0 record with a 1.60 GAA, a .931 save percentage and one shutout in the playoffs.

With veteran Frederik Andersen no longer in the room and both Kochetkov and Bussi under contract for the next three seasons, the Hurricanes are clearly banking on their young tandem to keep them in the Stanley Cup conversation well into 2029.