Goaltender Petr Mrazek was injured during the Carolina Hurricanes’ game against the Dallas Stars on Saturday, leaving the game early with an upper-body injury and not returning.
It now seems as though Mrazek could miss some time, as head coach Rod Brind’Amour revealed that Mrazek is likely to undergo surgery.
The latest update on Petr Mrazek's upper-body injury from Rod Brind'Amour: "Looks like it's going to be a little longer than we had hoped." Said the #Canes goaltender might have to have surgery.
Mrazek started very strong for the Hurricanes, stopping 63 of 66 shots to start the season and posting two shutouts. Without Mrazek, James Reimer will be relied upon to carry the bulk of the load for the Hurricanes. Reimer has won all three of his games so far this season, posting a .918 save percentage, but it remains to be seen as to whether he can be relied on as a starter going forward.
Alex Nedeljkovic should also get an extended chance with the Hurricanes. The 25-year-old netminder played four games for the Hurricanes last year, posting a 1-2-1 record and an .887 save percentage.
With Mrazek potentially out long-term, the Hurricanes could look to upgrade in net via trade. We know they were looking to do so in the offseason and it was an area of weakness, even with Mrazek healthy. We can assume the Reimer/Nedeljkovic tandem will get a solid chance but the team’s goaltending isn’t where it needs to be, we could see the Hurricanes attempt to find a more permanent solution in goal.
Mrazek’s injury is certainly a big loss for the Hurricanes. He was off to a great start this year and perhaps he finally would’ve found consistency this season. For now, however, we turn our attention to James Reimer and Alex Nedelkovic.
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How do you feel about Carolina's situation in net with Petr Mrazek injured?
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