Carolina Hurricanes Exploring Goaltender Options Amid Injury Crisis, per Kevin Weekes

Projected to be a middle-of-the-road team by most analysts entering the season, the Carolina Hurricanes have quickly established themselves as one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference.

The Hurricanes are 15-5-1 through 21 games and setting themselves up for a serious playoff push. Significant goaltending woes cloud their outlook, however.

Both of their top netminders are currently out of action, as Frederik Andersen recently underwent surgery on his knee and is expected to be out 8-12 weeks, while Pyotr Kochetkov remains in concussion protocol with no timeline established for his return to action.

Even with Spencer Martin in the net, the Hurricanes were still able to beat the Dallas Stars 6-4 in spite of those setbacks, although it appears they will need to add some goaltending depth going forward.

According to ESPN's Kevin Weekes, he reports that management is "considering their options," anyway.

Weekes did not name names, but often via trade or free agency, there is a chance to acquire a goaltender.

One of those potential options could be Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson, previously mentioned as a target with the Hurricanes and perhaps a more realistic solution should Kochetkov stay out long-term.

The fact that the Hurricanes are at all exploring the goalie market indicates that they are considering a continued period of time without Kochetkov. They would have had more faith with Martin in the interim if he were said to be returning any time soon.

Martin, currently the team's third-string goaltender, is 2-2-1 in six appearances this season, posting a .854 save percentage and a 3.40 goals-against average.

While those numbers are serviceable in the short term, they're unlikely to hold up over a prolonged stretch.

If it's a serious injury to Kochetkov, something a little more surefire is going to be required of the Hurricanes.

With Andersen set to be out for several months and having been stellar when healthy this season, the Hurricanes more than likely look to stabilize their goaltending with an eye toward staying competitive.