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Frederik Andersen led the Carolina Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup Final.
He didn't get to finish the job, though, and now he might be leaving.
Andersen left in Game 3 and never returned, and at 36 years old, his time with the Hurricanes could be coming toward an end.
Brandon Bussi closed out the championship, and Carolina has too many goalies.
"The only question is what becomes of Andersen," ESPN's Ryan S. Clark and Kristin Shelton wrote in a blurb after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Final. "The 36-year-old is an unrestricted free agent, and carried Carolina most of the way through its postseason run. It's not hyperbole to suggest that the Canes wouldn't have reached the Cup Final without his string of strong performances throughout the first three rounds. However, Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov are signed through next season, and unless Carolina wants to carry three goaltenders again, Andersen might be the odd man out."
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The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn added to that with this simple sentence about the Hurricanes on Tuesday, the day before free agency opens:
"The team looks set with everyone but Frederik Andersen returning."
It's just a foregone conclusion at this point that he's gone.
Plenty of other teams need goalies, so given how well Andersen played throughout the playoffs, he should have no trouble landing another gig.
By the same token, it's a sad ending in Carolina.
The Hurricanes were dominant throughout the early stages of the playoffs in part because Andersen wasn't giving up anything.
But instead of Andersen being the hero in the championship series, all he could do was watch.
Now, it seems like he won't be part of next season's opening night ring ceremony, either.
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