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Antti Raanta

Metropolitan Notes: Raanta, Chytil, Rust

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The Hurricanes have managed to avoid a true injury crisis in the crease. After he left Wednesday’s game against the Oilers due to what the team labeled as “precautionary reasons,” netminder Antti Raanta is starting today’s contest against the Lightning and won’t miss any time, team reporter Walt Ruff relays.

While Raanta ended up recording the win against the Oilers, he was pulled from the game after the first period, where he allowed one goal on eight shots. Raanta missing any time would have created a significant bind for the Hurricanes, who also released veteran Jaroslav Halák from a PTO this week. Outside of Pyotr Kochetkov, who is serving as Raanta’s backup while starter Frederik Andersen is undergoing treatment for a blood clotting issue, the Hurricanes have only one goalie under NHL contract. That’s Quinnipiac grad and one-time national champion Yaniv Perets, who is in his first season of professional hockey after signing an entry-level deal with Carolina last summer. The highest level of hockey he’s played is second-tier minor hockey, playing with the ECHL’s Norfolk Admirals this year.

Other notes in the Metropolitan Division on this holiday weekend:

  • Rangers center Filip Chytil has taken a key step in his recovery from an assumed concussion, as head coach Peter Laviolette told the New York Post’s Larry Brooks today that the Czech center has returned skating on his own. Chytil, 24, has remained sidelined since November 2 with what’s being labeled an upper-body injury and remains on injured reserve. He had notched six assists in ten games before the injury, which has kept him out of the last seven games.
  • Penguins winger Bryan Rust will miss a second straight game with a lower-body injury tonight against the Sabres, head coach Mike Sullivan told Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, but it’s likely to be his last absence related to the ailment. Dan Kingerski of National Hockey Now relayed that Rust was a full participant in this morning’s skate and is nearing a return to action. Rust underwent evaluation for a lower-body injury earlier this week, but testing revealed the injury was not serious and resulted in a day-to-day designation. Drew O’Connor, who has just one goal and four points in 18 games this season, has occupied Rust’s spot on the top line. Rust has excelled in the early going, notching 16 points through 17 games.

East Notes: Raanta, Guentzel, Cossa

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Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta acknowledged to Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News that he left both term and money on the table when he decided to re-sign with Carolina on the opening day of free agency back in July.  The 34-year-old put up back-to-back strong seasons with the Hurricanes and posted a 2.23 GAA along with a .910 SV% in 27 games last year, numbers that seemingly had him positioned for a raise on the $2MM AAV of his previous deal but instead, he accepted a one-year, $1.5MM agreement.  Frederik Andersen also re-signed on July 1st and with Carolina also not having an AHL affiliate this season, Pyotr Kochetkov could also be in the mix as well which means one of the stronger goalie trios remains intact for the upcoming season.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters including Matt Vensel of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that winger Jake Guentzel appears to be progressing as planned as he works his way back from ankle surgery done roughly seven weeks ago. GM Kyle Dubas was hoping that the 28-year-old would only miss the first five games of the season after it was speculated that he could be out considerably longer.  An updated timeline for Guentzel’s return should come later in the preseason.
  • MLive’s Ansar Khan suggests that Red Wings goalie prospect Sebastian Cossa has a lot to prove in training camp. The 20-year-old spent last season in the ECHL and is expected to move up to AHL Grand Rapids this season but had a very rough showing in the prospect tournament, allowing 12 goals on 39 shots.  Veteran netminder Michael Hutchinson signed a PTO soon after so Cossa now has some competition for a spot that was widely expected to be his to partner with Alex Lyon with the Griffins this season.

Carolina Hurricanes Re-Sign Antti Raanta

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Netminder Antti Raanta is sticking around with the Carolina Hurricanes. TSN’s Darren Dreger says he’s signed a one-year, $1.5MM contract minutes before he would have hit unrestricted free agency.

Raanta, 34, has spent the last two seasons as a backup goalie with the Hurricanes. He’s played 55 games in that span and posted a .911 save percentage and 2.34 goals-against-average. Performance has never been the issue for Raanta, who has an impressive .918 career save percentage. Instead, it’s been availability that’s been his major issue.

Raanta has consistently struggled with injuries throughout his NHL career, Carolina included. As a result, Carolina has more recently preferred to carry three NHL-caliber goalies in order to insulate themselves from any Raanta injuries.

At a $1.5MM price tag with no extra term attached, the Hurricanes have taken one step towards rebuilding their three-goalie tandem, and while they certainly could opt to run with just Raanta and Pyotr Kochetkov as their goalie tandem, it’s unlikely this deal locks them out of making any other goalie moves.

Goalie Notes: Andersen/Raanta, Jarry, Korpisalo

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The Carolina Hurricanes will have a big decision to make this offseason when it comes to their crease. It seemed like a forgone conclusion that one of Frederik Andersen or Antti Raanta would be allowed to walk in free agency as the Hurricanes already have netminder Pyotr Kochetkov locked up for a very reasonable $2MM per season. But according to Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic the Hurricanes appear to be in negotiations with both Andersen and Raanta. While it seems unusual for a team that normally has an internal budget to stash a $2MM player in the minors, Kochetkov is still waiver exempt for one more season meaning Carolina could roll back the trio for one more year. That might be the prudent thing to do given that the club needed all three goalies this past year to navigate the various injuries that they dealt with throughout the campaign. Andersen was just okay in the regular season but was terrific in the playoffs, while Raanta had a good regular season but had his fair share of struggles in the postseason.

In other goalie notes:

  • LeBrun writes that Pittsburgh Penguins new boss Kyle Dubas has yet to approach the Tristan Jarry situation in any meaningful way and that things still appear to be status quo. Dubas has historically been reluctant to commit major dollars or term to goaltenders and given the injury history and inconsistency in Jarry’s game, it seems unlikely he would commit either to the 28-year-old. Jarry is likely looking for a long-term deal and a return to Pittsburgh seems unlikely unless the bottom falls out of the market, and he decides Pittsburgh is a good soft landing for him. Jarry went 24-13-7 this past season as he and the Penguins missed the playoffs for the first time in 16 seasons. The Surrey, British Columbia native posted a .909 save percentage for the second time in the past three seasons and has yet to demonstrate that he can win in the playoffs.
  • LeBrun writes that netminder Joonas Korpisalo and the Los Angeles Kings have had some initial conversations on a contract extension but given how close the Kings are to the cap they may have a tough time fitting in a big cap number on a goaltender. It appears Joonas Korpisalo will hit the open market and he could be an intriguing name for teams looking to make a move in the crease. While he was terrific this past season, Korpisalo has posted a goals saved above expected number higher than -7 every season from 2017-18 through 2021-22 and a save percentage above .915 just once. Given his track record he may be best suited in a 1A/1B tandem situation similar to the Carolina Hurricanes structure with Andersen and Raanta.

East Notes: DeBrincat, Hurricanes, Pesce

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In recent days, the trade market for Ottawa Senators forward Alex DeBrincat has heated up, as many sources have indicated that DeBrincat has given the Senators a list of teams that he would prefer to be traded to. As the Ottawa organization prepares to go through a sale in the next couple of weeks, DeBrincat has seemed to be apathetic towards signing a long-term deal with the Senators given the cloudy ownership situation.

To throw a little bit of cold water on the idea that DeBrincat may be moved by draft day this season, Steve Warne of The Hockey News reports from a source close to the family that DeBrincat is more than happy to continue his career in Canada’s capital. To quote the article, Warne writes, “[T]he 25-year-old winger remains open to staying with the Senators, but he is looking for term and wants to make sure he gets this right“.

Behind the scenes, it isn’t easy to fully ascertain the entire thought process that DeBrincat is putting into this situation, or which way he is leaning up to this point. All news indicates that he has not decided, but the Senators have given the young forward a deadline. By the draft, General Manager Pierre Dorion needs an answer from DeBrincat, as to whether he will sign a long-term deal in Ottawa, or if the team could make a trade to recoup some resources for his services.

Other notes:

  • With plenty of serviceable goaltenders set to hit the open market this summer, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports that the Carolina Hurricanes are seeking to have their situation figured out sooner rather than later. Pagnotta did not hint to the point of anything being close, but simply that the Hurricanes are engaged in extension talks with both Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta. Realistically, Carolina will only keep around one of these netminders, likely having to determine the value proposition the team would receive from each based on their desired salary values. Having already signed Pyotr Kochetkov to a contract extension, the Hurricanes would likely be more than fine moving forward with only retaining one of these netminders.
  • Continuing on with the Hurricanes, David Pagnotta also reports that defenseman, Brett Pesce, has switched over his agent representation, joining Judd Moldaver of EVP Wasserman Hockey. Next season, Pesce will be entering the final year of a six-year, $24.15MM contract extension signed back in 2017. Over the last several seasons, Pesce’s contract has become one of the more team-friendly contracts in the NHL, and he and his agent will surely be looking for a significant raise next summer.

 

Injury Notes: Samsonov, Knies, Raanta

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are still in Stanley Cup contention after staving off elimination, winning last night’s Game 4 against the Florida Panthers 2-1. The victory came in large part due to the strong play of rookie netminder Joseph Woll, who stopped 24 of 25 shots and saved 2.02 goals above expected (MoneyPuck).

They’ll have to turn to Woll again for Game 5, as head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters this morning that starter Ilya Samsonov remains unavailable with an upper-body injury. Samsonov left early in the second period of Game 3 after Maple Leafs defender Luke Schenn barrelled into him while defending a Panthers rush. Toronto’s starter for much of the season, Samsonov had been largely passable in the postseason, making key saves despite a .898 save percentage on the whole during the postseason. While Woll has just 14 combined regular-season and playoff games in his NHL career, he has a combined 10-3-0 record and has posted save percentages well over .900.

Other injury notes from the playoff landscape this morning:

  • Keefe also revealed to reporters forward Matthew Knies’ concussion symptoms are improving after missing Games 3 and 4, but he’s not yet ready to return to the lineup. Knies was knocked out of Game 2 in the first period, sustaining the concussion on a hit from Panthers center Sam Bennett. The rookie forward had cemented himself in a top-six role by the time of his injury, recording four points in his first seven playoff games.
  • Carolina Hurricanes netminder Antti Raanta said he’s recovered from an illness that kept him out for the past three games, meaning he’ll back up Frederik Andersen tonight for a potentially series-clinching Game 5. Raanta started the first five games of Carolina’s First Round series against the New York Islanders but has since been superseded by Andersen, who’s posted a 4-0-0 record and .930 save percentage in five starts.

East Notes: MacEachern, Graves, Raanta

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Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Game Four roster of the Carolina Hurricanes will look a bit different, as forward Mackenzie MacEachern replaces Jesse Puljujarvi in the lineup before tonight’s game against the New Jersey Devils. MacEachern has been out of the Hurricanes lineup since the series-winning Game Six victory against the New York Islanders in late April.

In his first taste of action for the Hurricanes this season, MacEachern scored one goal and one assist in Carolina’s Game Four victory against the Islanders in this year’s playoffs. Throwing 10 hits in three playoff games, the Hurricanes could use some more physicality in the lineup after their blowout loss to the Devils in Game Three of the second round.

Puljujarvi, on the other hand, hasn’t been able to produce to the level Carolina may have been hoping for after acquiring him from the Edmonton Oilers at the trade deadline. In seven games played for the Hurricanes in this year’s playoffs, Puljujarvi has only managed one assist. Needing more production on the defensive side of the puck from their forwards, MacEachern will replace Puljujarvi in the lineup for the time being.

Other notes:

  • In unfortunate injury news for the Devils, a lead reporter for New Jersey, Amanda Stein reports that defenseman Ryan Graves will miss his second straight game with an upper-body injury. Coming off an impressive year on the defensive side of the puck, the Devils will once again have to weather Carolina’s offense without one of their top defenders. However, replacing Graves in the lineup is rookie defenseman Luke Hughes, who registered two assists in his first look at playoff action at the NHL level.
  • Once again missing a game due to illness, Dan Rosen of the NHL reports that Hurricanes’ goaltender Antti Raanta will miss Game Four. Replacing him in the lineup is Pyotr Kochetkov, who will be backing up goaltender Frederik Andersen. Raanta has not played since the team’s Game Five loss to the New York Islanders in the first round when he gave up three goals on 22 shots in a losing effort.

Snapshots: Heiskanen, Raanta, Bertuzzi

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Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen was involved in a scary play in last night’s Game 3 loss to the Seattle Kraken, taking a puck to the face in a bad spot. In some positive news, though, head coach Peter DeBoer spoke to reporters, including The Athletic’s Saad Yousuf, today and offered an update on Heiskanen’s condition, labeling him day-to-day.

“He’s here with the group. Obviously a pretty bad cut,” DeBoer said. “I would call him day to day. We’ll see how he feels tomorrow. 24 hours makes a big difference with those types of things.” Fortunately, DeBoer also clarified Heiskanen is not in concussion protocol. It’s great news for Dallas, who needs to rebound after getting dominated by the Kraken last night, although goaltending is mostly to blame. The 23-year-old Heiskanen has seven assists in nine playoff games, tied for third on the team in postseason points.

More from around the NHL today:

  • Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta returned to the ice for practice today after missing Games 2 and 3 of the team’s Second Round series against the New Jersey Devils with an illness. NHL.com’s Dan Rosen reported that Raanta participated in the team’s practice, along with current starter Frederik Andersen and third-string netminder Pyotr Kochetkov. Raanta played the first five games of the postseason for Carolina, helping them jump out a 3-2 series lead against the New York Islanders in Round One before Andersen came in to clinch the series.
  • Tyler Bertuzzi’s agent, Todd Reynolds, has not had any talks with the Boston Bruins regarding his client’s future, according to a tweet from Matt Porter of the Boston Globe. In a text message, Reynolds stated that Bertuzzi was “very positive” about his time with the Bruins and would be open to staying, although the stress of cap implications for the Bruins makes it seem unlikely. Bertuzzi tied for the team lead in playoff scoring with 10 points in seven games in their First Round loss to the Florida Panthers.

East Notes: Hughes, Raanta, Lightning

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For Devils’ fans, the moment they have been waiting for is finally here, as defenseman Luke Hughes will make his playoff debut in Game Three against the Carolina Hurricanes. Unfortunately for the New Jersey Devils, this comes with some unfortunate news, as Hughes will be filling in for defenseman Ryan Graves, who is out with an upper-body injury.

The speed that Hughes brings to the table to New Jersey’s back end will undoubtedly be a benefit to a team that has been unable to put together much offense in the second round of the playoffs this year. When asked about what Hughes offers the Devils, head coach Lindy Ruff said, “We know he’s going to skate. He got a little taste at the end of the year. We feel the skating can help us. We’re excited to see him get in and play.”

Averaging over 16 minutes a night in his two games with New Jersey during the regular season, Hughes scored one goal and one assist. Spending most of his season finishing off his career at the University of Michigan, the 2021 fourth-overall pick put together the best season of his collegiate career, scoring 10 goals and 38 assists in 39 games, helping lead his team to the 2023 NCAA Frozen Four.

As the Devils find themselves down two games to none against the Metropolitan Division champion Hurricanes, New Jersey definitely has a tall task ahead of them. As they toe the line of playoff hockey desperation, Hughes will be an exciting player to add to the mix for the Devils.

Other notes:

  • Tom Gulitti of the NHL reports that Antti Raanta will travel with the Hurricanes to New Jersey. In Game Two, the netminder was unable to serve as backup to Frederik Andersen, due to an illness. Head coach Rod Brind’Amour still says the netminder isn’t feeling great but is feeling good enough to travel with the team for Game Three. In five starts so far in this year’s playoffs, Raanta holds a 3-2-0 record, carrying a .906 SV% and a 2.59 GAA.
  • In a recent article summarizing the end of the season for the Tampa Bay Lightning, writer Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times adds an interesting note about the Lightning’s pending unrestricted free agents heading into the offseason. Although already signing trade deadline acquisition Michael Eyssimont to a contract extension yesterday, it appears that General Manager Julien BriseBois has an interest in retaining all of the Lightning’s soon-to-be free agents, as he has reached out to all of their agents already. Players such as Alex Killorn, Corey Perry, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Ian Cole, and Brian Elliott are all slated to hit the open market on July 1st.

NHL Notes: Zucker, Drury, Andersen

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Seth Rorabaugh of Trib Live Sports is reporting that free agent winger Jason Zucker has made it clear that he wants to remain a member of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Zucker was able to remain healthy this season for the first time since the 2018-19 season when he was a member of the Minnesota Wild. Zucker flourished in a top six role for the Penguins this year, which was a pleasant, albeit unexpected surprise. Zucker spent much of last summer as a possible trade or buyout candidate, but the Penguins never found a suitor for the California native and elected to hang onto him.

Zucker rewarded Pittsburgh with his best season as a Penguin. He tallied 27 goals and 48 points in 78 games while playing on a second line with Evgeni Malkin. Zucker was also one of the few Penguins who showed an emotional pulse as the team was free falling out of a playoff position in the dying weeks of the regular season. There were many nights in which Pittsburgh appeared to be sleepwalking through the game only to be awakened by a huge hit by the small forward.

Zucker will have suitors and could very well fetch a contract that exceeds his previous cap hit of $5.5MM. Zucker is just 31 years old, and while injuries are certainly a concern given his track record, the lack of game breaking forwards on the free agent market should allow Zucker to cash in on his bounce back season.

In other notes from around the NHL:

  • Chip Alexander of Raleigh News & Observer is reporting that Rod Brind’Amour said that Jack Drury is feeling better today. This comes on the heels of Drury leaving game four yesterday after taking a hard hit into the boards in the first period. The center is in the midst of a 14-game goalless drought and played just 1:20 in the Hurricanes 5-2 win over the New York Islanders. Drury had just eight points in 38 games in the regular season, but with the Hurricanes battling through various injuries the 23-year-old played over 15 minutes in both games two and three of Carolina’s first round series.
  • Alexander also tweeted that Brind’Amour said goaltender Frederik Andersen is good to go for the Carolina Hurricanes. Andersen will likely be relegated to a backup role as Antti Raanta has backstopped the Hurricanes to a 3-1 series lead against the Islanders. Raanta has posted a solid .915 save percentage for Carolina after going 19-3-3 in the regular season. While it seems likely that Andersen won’t see action until the second round, he could get into a game should Raanta stumble in any of the next few games.

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