Goaltender Aaron Dell has joined the Carolina Hurricanes on a professional try-out contract. This moves comes after Carolina placed Antti Raanta on waivers and subsequently sent him to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.
Dell hasn’t played yet this season, spending most of last year with the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda. He appeared in 38 games with the club, setting a 15-17-4 record and recording a .898 save percentage. Dell also received four NHL games last season – going 0-3-0 and stopping 94 of a possible 103 shots for a .913 save percentage. Now 34, Dell has become a prominent option for goaltending depth around the league, with Carolina set to become the fourth franchise that the netminder has suited up for.
Dell’s journey to the big leagues began at the University of North Dakota, where he played three seasons before setting his sights on pros. But his options were limited after going undrafted in the NHL Draft, with the goalie opting to move to the Allen Americans of the now-defunct Central Hockey League to kick off his pro career in 2012-13. Dell moved to the ECHL for the following season, playing well enough to warrant an AHL call-up mid-season and an invite to the San Jose Sharks’ training camp ahead of the 2014-15 season. Dell wouldn’t receive an NHL contract out of camp but, after continuing his strong performances in the minors, signed his first deal with the Sharks in March of 2015. He would receive his NHL debut in the 2016-17 season, a year where Dell played in 20 games and set a career-high .931 save percentage.
Now, eight seasons later, Dell will look to continue his NHL career in Carolina. The veteran pro has totaled 130 career NHL games, going 50-50-13 and recording a .905 save percentage.
Carolina grabbing at straws, and is bound to come up short.