Fresh off a Stanley Cup run, the veteran netminder faces a crossroads as injuries and a crowded crease cloud his future with the Hurricanes.
NHL free agency opens up at noon on Wednesday and one key Carolina Hurricanes player who is set to become a UFA is Frederik Andersen.
The 36-year-old netminder has spent the past five seasons in Carolina, having signed three separate contracts with the team over that span.
He's coming off of a one-year, $2.75 million deal in which he had the worst statistical regular season of his career, yet he turned it around in the postseason, picking up 13 of the Canes' 16 wins needed to capture the Stanley Cup.
While Andersen has been very reliable and statistically one of the league's best goalies through his career, the Danish goalie hasn't had it easy the past few years.
Andersen has dealt with a plethora of injuries, at least one nearly every year of his career for the last seven or so years, and it's fair to ask how much those have taken a toll.
He wasn't able to finish out the postseason run due to another knee injury and the team already has two netminders under contract in Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov and they've been rumored to be in on Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck.
So the question is, what's next for him?
Andersen hasn't given any indication on whether or not he'd like to continue playing, but I can't imagine a better way to go out than as a champion.
However, general manager Eric Tulsky hasn't ruled out a potential return to Carolina either.
While he specifically mentioned that he wanted to keep conversations with players private in regard to whether or not Andersen would be continuing his NHL career, Tulsky stated that the team would certainly welcome him back.
"Freddie was very good for us this year, was outstanding in the playoffs," Tulsky said. "He's been a big piece and we would certainly like to have him back if that's where things go. If not, then we'll wish him the best."
Tulsky went on to say that he'd be comfortable with a Kochetkov/Bussi tandem if that's the way things play out too.
Time will tell what Andersen's decision will be and whether or not things come to a close whether in Carolina or overall.
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