The Carolina Hurricanes drastically improved their depth and consistency in the goaltending unit with the free-agent addition of Anton Khudobin this summer.
In a nutshell, netminding killed the Hurricanes' 2013 campaign. A season-ending injury to franchise cornerstone Cam Ward on March 3 left the inexperienced gloves and blockers of career backup Dan Ellis and underperforming prospect Justin Peters in charge of the Hurricanes' playoff run.
It didn't end well.
Recognizing how crucial the No. 2 goalie slot had become to the team's long-term success, Carolina GM Jim Rutherford cleverly pulled perhaps the summer's most enticing free-agent goaltender off the market just hours after he became fair game.
Khudobin, a 27-year-old Kazakhstan native, had a brilliant first full NHL campaign for the Boston Bruins in 2013. The 2004 seventh-round pick provided a solid backup option to stellar starter Tuukka Rask on a nightly basis and racked up incredibly good statistics in 14 appearances, as well.
Per player scouting website Hockey's Future:
Khudobin is...an intense competitor with ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Mark Jones
Carolina Hurricanes: How Anton Khudobin Will Upgrade Goaltending Unit
August 2nd, 2013 by Mark Jones Leave a reply »
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