BLOG: Andersen bringing experience & pedigree to Oilers' push to win Stanley Cup

EDMONTON, AB – Frederik Andersen knows what it’s like to be knocking on the door, having just broken it down for the Carolina Hurricanes this past June by winning the Stanley Cup at the end of his five seasons with the organization.

Now, the 36-year-old arrives in Edmonton prepared to do the same by helping the Oilers finish what they've started, hoping to bring valuable winning pedigree and experience between the pipes to an Oilers team that's gone through frustrations similar to those the Hurricanes faced before winning the Stanley Cup last season.

“Edmonton’s been knocking on the door for a while now,” Andersen said on Monday. “Obviously, it's a team that's got aspirations to try to win, and they've been close. It would be really awesome to help the team to get over the hump, and I think they're very serious about it.

"I'm really excited about that opportunity.”

With Andersen’s arrival, the Danish shot-stopper and the Blue & Orange will hope that his addition will be a big factor in winning the franchise’s sixth Stanley Cup, which despite coming as close as possible in two of their past three seasons, has yet to come to fruition for the organization.

Andersen sees similarities between the paths taken by the Oilers & Hurricanes to get to where they are now in their respective Stanley Cup windows, with Carolina's quickness in finding their identity last season being his biggest takeaway from last season's run.

"The one thing I would take with me is just realizing that the better a team can know their identity and their strengths, the better, and I think that's really what I think we showed in Carolina over the last few years," Andersen said. "We're working towards just being really confident and comfortable in the way we play. I think that was the biggest reason that got us to the top."

Coming off a postseason where he went 13-2-0 with a 1.89 GAA, .910 save percentage and three shutouts in 16 games for Carolina, Andersen had to finish on the sidelines because of a knee injury he sustained in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, but was still able to share in the experience of the Hurricanes winning their franchise's second Cup.

"Since the Olympic break, I felt like I was finding my game and was comfortable with the way I was moving around and the structure in my game," he said. "I think that was kind of a reset for me and I continued to build towards the playoffs. I was really excited about getting the nod for Game 1, and I felt like I just took it from there and laid it out for each game. It was a really fun run to be part of. Obviously the ending, I would have loved to play, but it still felt amazing to be a part of it."

Andersen took the opportunity on July 1 to sign a one-year, $2.8 million contract ($1 million cap hit) with the Oilers, an ideal fit for both him and the organization, giving them both a better chance to bring a Stanley Cup to Edmonton this coming season.

“The deal is structured in a way that's going to help a team with some flexibility in terms of the bonuses they can put forward to next year," Andersen said. "I think that's one thing that makes it exciting to go there is that they want to make sure they can put the best team on the ice and try to get over that final hump.

Entering his 16th NHL season, Andersen's 33 appearances for the Hurricanes last season were the most he's made since 2021-22, when he played in 52 games in his first year in Carolina. The most he's played over his career was almost a decade ago in back-to-back years with the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2016-18, starting straight 66 games in each season under Oilers Head Coach Mike Babcock.

With the game having moved away from goaltenders making long stretches of starts without breaks, Andersen says those long stretches of keeping the crease are well over for him, but that he still has plenty to give as part of a three-goalie system for the Oilers alongside the newly acquired Devon Levi and Tristan Jarry.

"I'm definitely happy to be part of a good goalie rotation," he said. "I think we can get a lot out of each other, especially with the schedule being a little different than it was the last few years. I think it's a new thing in the NHL – you gotta keep everyone fresh and get the best out of each other that way.

"I think that's something that's going to be not a day-to-day thing, but something we'll have to manage. The schedule, it's been very different from what it used to be, and I think the game has changed too as well.  It makes it more demanding to play a lot of games and still perform the way you want to do it. 

"However it plays out, it's tough to predict, but I'm ready to support the other guys and obviously play when called upon."