Amid their ongoing woes in the crease, the Carolina Hurricanes inked veteran goaltender Aaron Dell to a professional tryout contract, the club announced Tuesday.
Dell was an unrestricted free agent. The 34-year-old posted a .913 save percentage in four games for the San Jose Sharks in 2022-23. He also played in 38 contests for the team's AHL affiliate.
Over the last three campaigns, the veteran has suited up for just 23 NHL games, spending the previous two years with the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils. Dell played four seasons with the Sharks to begin his career, authoring a career-best .931 save percentage over 20 appearances as a rookie in his age-27 season of 2016-17.
The Hurricanes signed Jaroslav Halak to a pro tryout in early November when Frederik Andersen was diagnosed with a blood clotting issue that forced him out indefinitely. However, at the end of Halak's tryout, Carolina didn't tender him a contract.
Andersen hasn't played since Nov. 2 - only his sixth game of 2023-24 - due to his ailment. Antti Raanta has been abysmal in his stead, posting an .854 save percentage over 14 appearances. The Canes placed Raanta on waivers Saturday, and he went unclaimed.
Pyotr Kochetkov hasn't been much better, producing a .894 mark over 15 contests. Both the experienced netminder and the youngster have goals saved above expected and goals saved above average figures below zero at five-on-five, according to Evolving-Hockey.
The Hurricanes entered Monday with the third-worst team save percentage at five-on-five (.898) and the worst mark in the entire league in all situations (.875). The perennial contenders sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division in points percentage (.565), ahead of only the Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets in that regard.
The Jackets offered Dell a pro tryout in September but didn't sign him afterward.
