On Oct. 4, Pyotr Kochetkov went the distance in his only appearance of the 2026 pre-season. In 64:33 of game action, he made 26 saves in a 3-2 overtime loss. Less than 24 hours later, one day before teams were required to finalize their opening-day rosters, Bussi learned that instead of heading to Florida’s AHL affiliate in Charlotte, he’d be rerouting 150 miles northeast to Raleigh after being grabbed off waivers by the Hurricanes. Kochetkov had sustained a “lower-body injury,” and the Canes needed insurance.
