What Will Andersen's Phenomenal NHL Playoff Campaign Fetch Him In Free Agency?

Coming into this year's Stanley Cup playoffs, you could forgive fans of the Carolina Hurricanes if they were concerned about the team's goaltending. It's not that the Hurricanes' recent seasons have been sunk by poor netminding, but at the same time, their goaltending ultimately wasn't good enough to propel this Canes franchise to a championship.

However, with the Hurricanes dominating in this post-season, achieving an 8-0 record in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the play of veteran goalie Frederik Andersen has entered the spotlight, and in a very good way for the team and for Andersen himself.

The 36-year-old has been spectacular for Carolina, posting a .950 save percentage, a 1.12 goals-against average, along with two shutouts in eight games.

Not only has Andersen delivered the Canes to the Eastern Conference final, but he's also assured himself of a big-time payday when he becomes a UFA this summer.

Playoff Freddie Standing Tall For Carolina

Andersen's playoff perfection fuels Hurricanes. He's bee dominant, with elite saves, and now he aims to carry momentum against a surging Flyers team.

Andersen has had trouble staying healthy in recent years, as he hasn't played more than 35 games since 2021-22. So some teams are going to be leery of handing over a contract with a few years of term. But there are other teams guaranteed to be desperate enough to hand over a two-or three-year deal and worry about that third season when they get to that point.

And of course, if Carolina's current hot streak continues and the Hurricanes get to the Cup final or win the whole thing, the Canes will be giving Andersen a competitive contract offer.

The Hurricanes are projected to have $14.2 million in salary cap space, and that means they can afford to give Andersen a healthy raise on the $2.75 million he made this year. And Andersen's contract bonuses could raise the payday by $500,000. So keeping him around will notably cost the Canes.

Indeed, with his strong play through two playoff rounds, Andersen has earned himself a major raise this summer. But he must decide whether he wants to take less money to return to Carolina, or break the bank with the highest bidder.

While the Canes have the cap space to give him a raise, there's no assurance Hurricanes GM Eric Tulsky will want to devote a ton of cap space to a goalie who hasn't always come through consistently.

So, if Andersen was offered a two-year contract at $4.5 million per year to return to the Canes next season, you have to think he'd think long and hard about accepting that offer.

Hurricanes Goalie Ranked Among NHL's Best Pending UFAs

Without much surprise, Frederik Andersen has been named among the NHL's best pending UFAs.

He might be able to get more than that from a team in dire need of acquiring proven netminding, but he might not have the chance to win a Cup that he'll likely have with the Hurricanes next year.

Good goaltending is in such short supply that Andersen is going to have a lot of financial leverage this summer. But obviously, the way Andersen plays in the next two rounds will decide exactly how much leverage he has.

Andersen has had strong stretches, but he's not a flawless goalie either. So whoever gambles on signing him next season has to go into it with eyes wide open.

If Andersen gets to the open market with a Cup to his credit, he'll be the most attractive goalie option for any team. But even if that doesn't happen, Andersen's strong play has assured him of interest from multiple teams.

While he's now in the back nine of his NHL career, Andersen has never had a better chance at a championship than the one he has right now. And the way he responds the rest of the way this spring will dictate how much goes into his bank account next year and beyond.

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This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 6:01 PM.