One of the remaining veteran free agent goaltenders is Antti Raanta but don’t expect his name to be added to the list of players accepting PTOs. The veteran told Ilta-Sanomat’s Sami Hoffren that he has decided that his playing days in North America have come to an end.
The 35-year-old indicated that he did have some interest from NHL teams in free agency, including Toronto. Meanwhile, Vancouver reached out with a PTO offer a few weeks ago as they look for veteran insurance with the uncertainty surrounding Thatcher Demko’s situation. However, Raanta indicated that those teams were viewing him more as an insurance option and that there was a possibility that he would have had to start in the AHL.
Last season, Raanta was back with Carolina after a strong 2022-23 showing that saw him post a 2.23 GAA and a .910 SV% in 27 games. Unfortunately for him and the Hurricanes, he struggled mightily last year, putting up a 2.99 GAA with a save percentage of just .872 and eventually, Carolina had to run him through waivers multiple times, sending him down to AHL Chicago after he cleared. He didn’t see much playing time with the Wolves but didn’t fare any better than he did with Carolina. Accordingly, the type of offer he was hoping for from an NHL team was unlikely to materialize.
Raanta’s NHL playing days end with 277 career appearances at the top level with four different organizations. He posted a 139-80-29 record while putting up a 2.48 GAA, a .915 SV%, and 20 shutouts. Overall, it was a solid career for someone who went undrafted and didn’t make his NHL debut until his age-24 campaign.
But while it’s the end of the road for Raanta in North America, it’s not necessarily the end of his playing days. Raanta indicated to Hoffren that he’s looking to land a spot in Switzerland, Czechia, or Germany. While he had offers from there in the spring, he turned them down at the time, hoping for an NHL offer to his liking to come around. At this point, with international leagues either underway already or about to start, Raanta will be biding his time for the time being with the hopes of getting a call in the near future.
Unfortunate that he likely didnt reach his full potential due to injuries. He was very good when able to play.
Agreed. Always thought he was good enough to be a starter in the NHL but yes all of his injuries have taken a toll on his career.
Never been to Czechia myself, but playing in Switzerland or Germany sounds like quite a good life anyhow. I imagine the same is true of Czechia. I hope he can enjoy the game for a while longer. Fun goalie to watch.
Kinda interesting he didn’t include Liiga on that list.