Carolina Hurricanes make their move and lock up goaltender with $7.9 million contract extension

The Carolina Hurricanes made it official on Thursday, locking up goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov on a new two-year contract that runs through the 2028-29 season.

General manager Eric Tulsky announced the extension, which will pay Kochetkov $2.4 million with a $1.5 million signing bonus in 2027-28 and $3 million with a $1 million signing bonus in 2028-29.

Tulsky praised the 27-year-old's aggressive style and said the front office believes he can keep winning games for an organization that just captured the Stanley Cup.

Keeping Kochetkov in the fold gives Carolina long-term stability between the pipes as the roster continues to take shape heading into the 2026-27 season.

Kochetkov's 2025-26 campaign didn't go the way anyone in Raleigh hoped.

A lower-body injury sidelined him for most of the year, limiting him to just nine appearances with the Hurricanes.

Even in that small sample, he still managed a 6-2-0 record with a 2.33 goals-against average and a .899 save percentage, numbers that hint at what he can do once healthy.

He also spent time on a conditioning stint with the Chicago Wolves, going 1-0-0 with a sharp 1.55 goals-against average and a .940 save percentage in three games.

Before last season's setback, Kochetkov was coming off a strong 2024-25 in which he went 27-16-3 with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .898 save percentage across 47 games, adding four playoff appearances as well.

Originally Carolina's second-round pick, 36th overall in 2019, the Penza, Russia native has now played 125 career NHL games, all with the Hurricanes, posting a career mark of 71-38-12 with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .905 save percentage.

This extension signals that Carolina still views him as a key piece of its goaltending picture for years to come.

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