NHL Rumors: A Veteran Goaltender Without An NHL Contract

NHL Network: Jamie Hersch and Stu Grimson talking about veteran free agents who are still looking to catch on to a team for the 2024-25 NHL season.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Jamie Hersch: “There are also guys who remain unsigned. These are guys who have made great careers for themselves, but now find themselves 35 years or older. Yes or no, it’s weird that we’re saying 35 is old.”

Stu Grimson: “Doesn’t make, doesn’t make them bad people. Doesn’t make them bad people.”

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Hersch: “Older players, there are players in a league in which we are seeing 18, 19, 20-year-old light it up on a nightly basis. And so you have these guys that seem like they’d be a sure sign for an NHL team, and they’re still not. Is there someone on that list that you think should probably get a contract somewhere?”

Yeah, I think Antti Raanta. The goaltending position is always kind of that really suspect area where, honestly, you might identify eight to 10 clubs every year that have concerns about a serviceable backup. And this is what Antti Raanta has established himself over the course of his career.

He’s been a part of a number of different organizations. He has provided really solid service. Would you believe that over the course of his 11 years, across, I think, five or six different teams, he’s only had a single losing season.

Last year with the Carolina Hurricanes, he’s 19, sorry, that’s two years back, 19-3-3. Last year, he’s 12-7-2. Again, in a somewhat limited role, but Antti Raata over his career, has proven himself to be a really reliable second, sometimes third in Carolina.

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But he, he’s a guy that, I think for the right club, and perhaps it’s, you know, it’s well worth taking a shot, having a look at Antti Raanta on a one-year deal at a rather modest figure.