By WRAL staff

Raleigh, N.C. — After suffering another setback during the regular season, Carolina Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen is returning to the crease.

The Hurricanes activated Andersen from injured reserve on Friday, nearly two months after he underwent knee surgery, Andersen, 35, has missed Carolina’s last 38 games and was out 50 games in 2023-2024 after being diagnosed with a blood clotting issue.

Andersen was on the ice Friday morning for the team’s practice ahead of the home game against the Vegas Golden Knights. If he plays, it’ll be his first time seeing action since Oct. 26 against the Seattle Kraken.

In his absence, the Hurricanes have played Pyotr Kochetkov, Spencer Martin and Dustin Tokarski in net. Kochetkov has been the most frequent starter, carrying a 16-9 record with a .901 save percentage and 2.54 goals against average.

Andersen has played in just four games this season and only appeared in 16 regular season games last season. His next game will be the 500th of his NHL career.

To account for the move, goaltender Dustin Tokarski was assigned to the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL).

Carolina (26-16-3) is third in the Metropolitan Division with 55 points.

Source: wralsportsfan.com