The Carolina Hurricanes have reclaimed goaltender Cayden Primeau after placing him on waivers ahead of the regular season.

Just ahead of the Oct. 7 start to the 2025-26 campaign, the Hurricanes placed Primeau on waivers and eventually lost him to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who put in a claim for him.

Primeau was picked up by Leafs GM Brad Treliving in relief for goaltender Joseph Woll, who was away from the team due to a personal leave of absence.

While Woll was away from the Maple Leafs for just over a month, Primeau stepped in as the backup to Anthony Stolarz. The 26-year-old started in three games, putting up a 2-1-0 record in his brief Leafs tenure.

In that span, he registered an .838 save percentage and a 4.30 goals-against average.

However, with Woll on the brink of a return to the Maple Leafs’ lineup and an AHL conditioning stint with the Toronto Marlies, it made sense for the team to move off of Primeau.

As for the Hurricanes, their goaltending depth returns to the way they envisioned heading into the season. With goaltenders Pytor Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen currently healthy, Primeau will likely act as the third-stringer for the Canes. He will have to compete with Brandon Bussi, who has posted a .916 SP and a 2.25 GAA in four games.

Primeau’s availability is key for Carolina, as both Kochetkov and Andersen have had their fair share of injury concerns for some time. In fact, Kochetkov has only played one game this season, as he missed the start of the campaign with a lower-body injury.

Primeau is yet to make an appearance for the Hurricanes, nor the AHL’s Chicago Wolves this season, since Carolina acquired him from the Montreal Canadiens on June 30. 

Last season, he played 11 NHL games for the Habs, recording a .836 SP. He also made 26 appearances for the American League's Laval Rocket, registering a .927 SP.

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