Regular Season Totals:3 Games Played, 3-0-0, 2.42 Goals Against Average, .902 Save Percentage, 0 Shutouts
Playoff Totals:4 Games Played, 1-2-0, 3.89 Goals Against Average, .869 Save Percentage
Contract Status:Signed through the end of the 2022-23 season
At the onset of training camp, the plan was for Kochetkov to play the season with Torpedo Nizhny Novgorad of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He did that, rather successfully too, posting a .926 save percentage (SV%) in 23 games.
Then COVID-19 put an end to his team's season and come February he was without a place to play.
Carolina promptly brought him over to North America and to say the next four months were magical might be an understatement.
The club's 2019 second round selection started by posting a 13-1-1 record with the Chicago Wolves of the American Hockey League (AHL), quickly clamoring the fan base to see what he can do at the highest level. Cue the Andersen injury and on April 18 Kochetkov joined the club in Arizona. Five days later Antti Raanta went down and in the home stretch of trying to claim a Metropolitan Division title, Kochetkov was thrust into action. The 22-year-old was able to secure the top spot for the team in the effort, showcasing that the moment wasn't too big for him.
Not only did he come in and win his first game in relief, but he'd go on to win his next start and his next relief appearance, too.
In the playoffs, a similar situation occurred. Raanta went down early in the Boston series and the rookie stepped up in a big way once again. Raanta would only miss one more game, but his season wasn't done just yet. #52 returned to Chicago and split time with Alex Lyon, going 5-1 with a .950 SV% and two shutouts on his way to winning a Calder Cup.
The big question is now what's next for Kochetkov? With Andersen and Raanta both under contract for next year, the most plausible scenario may be him being the number one in Chicago. But has he already proved that he's too good to be there?