Brandon Bussi

May 2026 – Is there a better waiver wire pluck in recent memory than Brandon Bussi?

After three straight decent seasons in the AHL with the Providence Bruins, Carolina claimed Bussi off of waivers from Boston after losing Pyotr Kochetkov to season ending surgery. Bussi rewarded the Hurricanes with a 31-6-2 line with two shut outs and a 2.44 GAA and .894% save percentage.

His performance earned him a 3 year contract extension at $1.9M per year, and in cap leagues, that will be one of the best contracts going if Bussi can repeat his performance over the life of it.

Kochetkov is due to return in the fall with a year left on his contract, and will battle Bussi for the net. Frederik Andersen is a UFA and will be 37 when the season begins, so it appears unlikely he will return in the offseason barring a surprise move.

Bussi remains a fantasy asset, and should be pencilled in as a tandem starter with Kochetkov. If Kochetkov can shake off the rust and continue the rise he had been on prior to his injury, Bussi’s value won’t crater, but it could be considered peaked. Managers holding Bussi this offseason will have to make a decisions to sell high or hold on. Alex Wyatt.

October 2025 – The Carolina Hurricanes claimed Brandon Bussi off waivers from the Florida Panthers. Bussi’s fantasy value arguably increases with this move due to Frederik Andersen’s injury history, but the increase is negligible at best. The Hurricanes waived Caden Primeau in a corresponding move. Mick Sandy

July 2025 – Bussi has spent the last three seasons in the AHL, most recently posting a 15-14-4, 2.77/.907 line with the Providence Bruins in 2024-2025. Ultimately Boston chose not to offer him a contract, allowing Bussi to choose to sign with the Florida Panthers’ organization. Bussi isn’t set to be an NHL contributor any time soon with incumbent Sergei Bobrovsky and newcomer Daniil Tarasov holding the reins. Bussi will patrol the crease for the Charlotte Checkers, and could spot start due to injury or load management, but his fantasy value doesn’t really change with this move. Alex Wyatt

April 2023 – Bussi was a big surprise in the Bruins prospect pool this season, taking the reins for Providence in his rookie year after spending just four games in the ECHL. Bussi put up some great numbers in the AHL, posting a .925 save percentage and 2.38 goals against average on his way to being named to the AHL All-Rookie team. His play was rewarded by being called to the NHL for the last game of the season, completing his climb from Maine in the ECHL to the parent club. The Bruins will be watching closely to see if he can handle leading Providence in their pursuit of the Calder Cup. The emergence of Bussi will leave the Bruins with some questions during their offseason cap crunch as they try to decide if they should split up the Ullmark/Swayman goaltending tandem to give themselves some more cap relief and hope that Bussi can handle backup duties. There is an argument that the Bruins can trade Ullmark with his value at an all-time high and go with the tandem of the future in Bussi/Swayman. As we have seen with Bruins goaltenders recently, Bussi’s fantasy value will be very high if he can get a spot in the rotation in the coming seasons. Nate Duffett

May 2022 – Bussi is a large netminder who went undrafted and excelled at Western Michigan University, landing an entry-level contract with the Bruins after a strong collegiate career. He doesn’t fully rely on his size as he is athletic with a tremendous reach with his legs. His glove is just okay and his puck handling can be an adventure. He follows the puck well and has quick reactions. Some of his movements are inefficient and he can overreact or move too far at times, putting him out of position. Bussi looked strong in his first five professional games with the AHL’s Providence Bruins, posting a 2.54 goals against average and a .920 save percentage through five games. He will likely get a longer look in the AHL next season and continue to work his way to an NHL opportunity. Victor Nuño