Kochetkov will defend the road net against Nashville on Saturday in exhibition action, per Brooks Bratten of the Predators' official site.
Kochetkov missed some time during training camp due to a minor injury, but he will return to the crease in Carolina's preseason finale. He earned a 27-16-3 record with two shutouts, a 2.60 GAA and an .897 save percentage across 47 appearances during the 2024-25 regular season. Kochetkov is poised to split starts with Frederik Andersen in the 2025-26 campaign.