Hurricanes Claim Goaltender Spencer Martin Off Waivers

The Carolina Hurricanes have finally made a move regarding the goalie situation. Currently, the team is down to two active goalies within the organization, Antti Raanta and Yaniv Perets, as Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov are out for different issues. People within the fanbase and around hockey were wondering if the Hurricanes would trade for a goalie or sign one in free agency. On Friday, Jan. 19 they made their move, as before waivers closed, they claimed now-former Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Spencer Martin.

Spencer Martin Claimed By Hurricanes

In a move that is already raising some eyebrows around the league, including some of Hurricanes fans, some are wondering why Martin is the answer to the goalie issues. One of the main things is that Martin does not take up much cap space. The 28-year-old Oakville, Ontario native has a cap hit of $762,500 that was given to him by the Vancouver Canucks back in April, 2022. Furthermore, the Hurricanes are down to two active goalies within the organization and need an NHL goalie to back up Raanta with Andersen and Kochetkov out. It is definitely a move that not very many saw coming but it’s one that the Hurricanes think can work as a short-term solution.

In 13 games with the Blue Jackets this season, Martin has a record of 3-8-1 with a 3.65 goals against average (GAA) and a .887 save percentage (SV%). For his career, Martin has only played in 51 games and started 46 over four seasons. He saw the bulk of his playing time during the 2022-23 season with the Canucks, where he played in 29 games. He finished that season with an 11-15-1 record, 3.99 GAA, and .871 SV%. For his career, he has a 3.63 GAA and .886 SV%.

It is not certain if he will back up Raanta on Jan. 19 versus the Detroit Red Wings, but most likely he could be in that role come Sunday, Jan. 21 versus the Minnesota Wild. If that is the case, expect Perets to be reassigned by the Hurricanes to head back to the Norfolk Admirals of the ECHL. It will be interesting to see how this plays out for Carolina, which is in a tight spot when it comes to their goalie situation. It’s definitely something to keep an eye on before the upcoming NHL All-Star Game and break. The Hurricanes will be off between Jan. 28 and Feb. 6.