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Antti Raanta Indicates He Won’t Play In The NHL Anymore

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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.

Morning Notes: Raymond, Whitehead, Walsh

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Elliotte Friedman spoke on the 32 Thoughts podcast about the Detroit Red Wings negotiations with forward Lucas Raymond. Friedman had used recently signed Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis as a comparable contract for Raymond stating that his $7.42MM cap hit was likely what Raymond’s camp was using in negotiations. However, Friedman informed his audience that a player agent told him that Raymond’s agent is more than likely using a higher comparable and mentioned Senators forward Tim Stützle and his eight-year $66.8MM contract.

Friedman added that there is little chance that Yzerman would accept that comparison and Stützle’s $8.35MM AAV. Stützle signed that contract extension after posting 58 points in 79 games, which was a good season, but not worth that number. At that time the Ottawa Senators were desperate to show their market that they were ready to contend and gave Stützle an above-market deal that now looks like a bargain. Friedman thinks that the Jarvis comparable is probably too low at this stage, which likely means that a Raymond extension will fall between the cap hits of Jarvis and Stützle.

In other morning notes:

  • Greg Wyshynski of ESPN is reporting that Braxton Whitehead of the Western Hockey League’s Regina Pats has received a verbal commitment from Arizona State University that would open the door for him to play in the NCAA in the 2025-26 season. Whitehead is the first Canadian Hockey League player to receive a commitment from the NCAA since a class action lawsuit was proposed against the NCAA and 10 universities last month that claimed the eligibility rules around the league violated antitrust laws.  The class action suit is looking to allow players to play hockey in college as well as major junior, something that would be a massive change from the current paradigm.
  • NHL player agent Allen Walsh also tweeted in regard to Whitehead’s news saying that he’s heard from several NCAA head coaches who expected that there will be former CHL players dressing in the NCAA as early as next season. The current NCAA eligibility rules don’t allow any player who has played a major junior hockey game to play college hockey in the United States, however, the aforementioned class action lawsuit could turn that rule on its head depending on how it plays out.

Snapshots: Crosby, Ullmark, Perfetti

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Elliotte Friedman spoke on his 32 Thoughts podcast about Sidney Crosby’s contract negotiations with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Friedman believes that Crosby will sign a short-term deal because he doesn’t want to leave the Penguins in a difficult salary cap situation if his play was to fall off. Friedman adds that he has talked to sources who’ve said that Crosby doesn’t want to do anything that would affect the long-term outlook for the Penguins or his legacy with the team. Crosby is coming off one of the finest seasons ever for a 36-year-old after posting 94 points in 82 games and appears more open to playing into his 40s, however, no one knows if that is his intention.

In other news from around the NHL:

  • Elliotte Friedman reported on the 32 Thoughts podcast that the Boston Bruins traded Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators before signing Jeremy Swayman, because they were concerned that if they waited until July, Ullmark could change his no-trade list and put Ottawa on it. Boston did not have to ask the former Vezina Trophy winner for permission to move him to the Senators, however, it did create a situation where they now rely solely on Swayman for starting goaltending this season, which could be problematic if Swayman misses any length of time due to a contract dispute.
  • The Winnipeg Jets and forward Cole Perfetti appear to have a gap in the financials regarding the 22-year-old’s contract extension (as per Elliotte Friedman). Perfetti is reportedly negotiating a bridge deal with the Jets, and while they appear to be on the same page with regard to terms, the two sides have room between them when it comes to dollars. Perfetti is coming off his third NHL season and posted 19 goals and 19 assists last year in 71 games while averaging just 13:35 of ice time per game. He was benched down the stretch last season but does seem poised for a breakout this year, particularly if he can continue to generate chances in the offensive zone and post good defensive numbers.

Evening Notes: Hurricanes, Oligny, Mukhamadullin

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Carolina Hurricanes reporter Walt Ruff tweeted that Carolina had to make a number of roster changes this evening prior to their first game of the Prospect Showcase. The Hurricanes announced that their fifth-round pick this year Justin Poirier, as well as invitees Braydon McCallum and Carter Kowalyk would not play due to injury. No word yet on the specifics of the ailments.

Carolina has added forward Sahil Panwar to the roster for the showcase. The undrafted Panwar is signed by the Canes AHL affiliate the Chicago Wolves for this season and at 22 years old has already played a season of professional hockey in the ECHL. The Mississauga, Ontario native had a solid offensive season with the Cincinnati Cyclones registering 22 goals and 32 assists in 64 games.

In other evening notes:

  • Former Manitoba Moose captain Jimmy Oligny is taking his career overseas as the 31-year-old has signed with HKM Zvolen in Slovakia (as per Tony Androckitis of Inside AHL Hockey). The left-shot defenseman has been with the Moose for the past six seasons and captained the team for the last three years. Oligny was undrafted and has never suited up in an NHL game despite playing 473 career AHL games. The move overseas will be a drastic change for Oligny as he has played his entire professional career in the AHL except for one ECHL game back in 2015-16.
  • Max Miller of The Hockey News is reporting that San Jose Sharks defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin will miss the remainder of the Rookie Faceoff tournament due to injury. The 22-year-old did not travel with the team for the tournament and has been ruled out with general soreness. The Sharks don’t seem concerned about the issue becoming a problem long-term and fully expect him to be ready for their main training camp. Mukhamadullin dressed in three NHL games last season and is expected to compete for a depth role this coming season.

Islanders To Sign Artyom Kudashov To PTO

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The New York Islanders reportedly have brought in defensive prospect Artyom Kudashov on a professional tryout agreement according to Stefen Rosner of The Hockey News. Kudashov, 19, will attend the Islanders’ rookie and training camp over the next several weeks hoping to earn a contract.

Kudashov will be the second player poached by the Islanders this summer from the KHL if he signs a contract joining Maxim Tsyplakov who signed his entry-level deal in May. He doesn’t carry the same pedigree as Tsyplakov so he must earn his spot on the team before New York offers him a contract.

It won’t be the first time he’s skated with an NHL team as the undrafted Russian skated with the Philadelphia Flyers during their summer camp. According to Rosner, the Islanders took an interest then and followed him back overseas while he started the 2024-25 KHL season with Dynamo Moskva.

He spent much of last year with Dynamo’s MHL team scoring five goals and eight points in 21 games. His time in the KHL wasn’t as fruitful with Kudashov failing to put up any points in 25 contests. He considers himself a two-way defenseman but leans much heavier into the defensive side — something New York could use at all levels of their organization.

Artyom is excited about an NHL opportunity after watching his father, Alexei Kudashov, play 25 games for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 1993-94 season. Given that New York could use two-way depth on defense, Kudashov should have every opportunity to earn himself a two-way contract out of camp.

Injury Notes: Danford, Sorokin, Meriläinen

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TSN’s Mark Masters reports the Toronto Maple Leafs will be without recent first-round pick Ben Danford for the rest of the weekend due to an injury. Danford reportedly was on the receiving end of a big hit in yesterday’s rookie camp scrimmage and will be re-evaluated after the upcoming weekend.

Toronto originally traded down to the 31st pick at the 2024 NHL Draft with the Anaheim Ducks indicating they’ve had their eye on Danford for quite some time. He plays maturely for his age as he’s shown prowess for defending his zone and transitioning the puck up ice on a breakout.

The rookie camp would have been the first extended look at Danford working in the Maple Leafs’ system but at least he will be close by if the injury prohibits him from suiting up in any more games. Danford is expected to suit up for the Oshawa Generals located just northeast of Toronto and will look to expand upon his 33-point effort from last year.

Other injury notes:

  • Arthur Staple of The Athletic relayed a note from the general manager of the New York Islanders, Lou Lamoriello indicating that goaltender Ilya Sorokin sustained an injury in summer training but is already back skating. Sorokin should only miss a few days of training camp as Islanders’ brass have no worries the injury issue will extend into the season. Sorokin had a bit of a down year compared to his career averages last season and New York will hope he can rebound from the difficult year as his eight-year, $66MM contract kicks in.
  • According to a team report, Ottawa Senators prospect Leevi Meriläinen will not participate in this year’s prospect challenge as he’s dealing with a lower-body injury. The Finnish netminder was drafted 71st overall by the Senators in the 2020 NHL Draft and debuted with the organization in the 2022-23 campaign. Meriläinen spent last year split between the AHL’s Belleville Senators and ECHL Allen Americans recording a .906 SV% and .926 SV%, respectively.

Flyers Hire Wayne Simmonds In Hockey Ops Role

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After signing a one-day contract in April to retire as a Flyer, Wayne Simmonds is sticking in the organization. The longtime NHL winger has joined Philadelphia’s front office as a community relations ambassador and hockey operations consultant, the team announced today.

It’s the first front-office gig for the 36-year-old. He hasn’t suited up since the 2022-23 season with the Maple Leafs, spending most of last year as a free agent before confirming his retirement in March.

Simmonds will work closely under general manager Daniel Brière in the role and will likely be a name to watch for promotions in the coming years. Starting as a hockey ops consultant is an increasingly frequent route taken by recently retired NHLers, including the Blues’ Alexander Steen just last season. He’s already been promoted to a special assistant to GM Doug Armstrong for 2024-25 and will take over as GM in 2026.

Simmonds, a second-round pick of the Kings in 2007, played three years in Los Angeles before arriving in Philly via trade in the 2011 offseason. He spent parts of eight years in the City of Brotherly Love, racking up 203 goals, 175 assists, 378 points, a -78 rating, and 784 PIMs while averaging 17:05 per game across 584 appearances.

He was one of many hires announced by the Flyers today. Another former NHLer, Reid Simpson, joins Simmonds in Philly as their director of European pro scouting after serving in a US-bound role for the Canadiens since 2016.

West Notes: Lehkonen, Fowler, Nurse

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Whether Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen will be in the opening night lineup remains to be seen, reports John Matisz of The Score.

After a comment earlier in the week from Nathan MacKinnon suggesting Lehkonen wouldn’t be “starting the season” in the Avs’ lineup flew under the radar, Matisz reached out to the team for confirmation, receiving a response that there’s still no firm timeline for his return. During exit meetings in May, Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland said that Lehkonen needed offseason shoulder surgery but that his absence wasn’t expected to stretch into the regular season.

That assumption was challenged by head coach Jared Bednar last month, who confirmed Lehkonen wouldn’t be ready to start camp and cast doubt about whether he’d be cleared for Colorado’s season opener.

The 29-year-old Finn has broken out as a bonafide top-six winger in Denver since being acquired from the Canadiens near the 2022 trade deadline. Injuries have limited him since his arrival, though – especially last season. A neck injury kept him to 45 appearances on the year, but he still managed to pot 16 goals and 18 assists for 34 points while averaging over 18 minutes per night.

There’s more from the Western Conference:

  • Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler acknowledges most of what Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said was true when he reported last week that both parties were looking to find him a new home on the trade market. “I understand that I’m on the second half of my career and these guys are just getting going,” the veteran blue liner told Eric Stephens of The Athletic, referencing Anaheim’s rebuild. “Those are the people that are going to push this team to where they want to be.” Stephens listed the Red Wings, Maple Leafs, Jets, and Stars as some speculative trade destinations.
  • The injury putting Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse’s availability for the beginning of training camp in jeopardy was sustained in the Stanley Cup Final, Jim Matheson of the Edmonton Journal reports. The lingering effects are directly related to the hit he took in Game 2 from Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues. The blue liner sat out much of the rest of the game after taking the hit in the first period but didn’t miss any action in Games 3 through 7.

Oilers Sign Travis Dermott To PTO

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Sep. 13: The Oilers made Dermott’s PTO official today.

Sep. 10: The Edmonton Oilers have signed defenseman Travis Dermott to a professional try-out contract, first reported by Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli and later by Sportsnet’s Mark Spector. The deal gives Dermott a chance to earn a deal with his third Canadian club, having previously played five years in Toronto and two in Vancouver.

Dermott signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Arizona Coyotes last summer. He spent the entirety of the deal on the NHL roster, though injuries limited him to just 50 games. He struggled to find the scoresheet, netting just seven points on the year. That wasn’t enough to earn a new deal, leaving Dermott an unrestricted free agent as Arizona moved to Utah.

Dermott now finds himself signing try-outs in what should be his prime years – a long fall for a player originally selected 34th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft. He turned pro one season later, recording 24 points in 59 games and looking stout on the defensive side of the puck as an AHL rookie. Those traits earned him a call-up the following year, where he repeated his showings in the minors with a modest 11 points in 37 games but flashes of strong defense.

He quickly became a focal piece of a bleak Leafs blue line, though a routine NHL role came with routine bouts with injuries. He’s only appeared in four seasons of 50 games or more – every year between 2018 and 2021, and last season. That surge back to routine minutes could be the spark Dermott needs to rediscover his consistency this season. To boot, he boasts an ability to play on either side, potentially filling Edmonton’s need for flexible defensive depth. But he’ll first have to earn a roster spot out of camp before he’s able to  join the reigning Stanley Cup runner-ups.

Markus Niemeläinen Signs In Germany

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Ex-Oilers defenseman Markus Niemeläinen is headed back to Europe, signing a one-year deal today with Germany’s Eisbären Berlin.

The 26-year-old was a Group VI unrestricted free agent this summer after the two-year, $1.53MM deal he inked with Edmonton in 2022 expired. The Oilers buried Niemeläinen, a 2016 third-round pick, with the AHL’s Bakersfield Condors for all of last season despite his deal carrying a one-way structure.

A stay-at-home defender, the 6’6″, 190-lb Niemeläinen struggled to make much of an impact after arriving in North America in 2021. He did get an extended look in the NHL, making 43 appearances for the Oilers across the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns, but he recorded just one assist with a -2 rating, 28 shots on goal, and 143 hits while averaging 11:30 per game.

While he was involved physically, it didn’t translate into a positive defensive impact. The Oilers controlled 48.1% of shot attempts and 47.7% of expected goals with Niemeläinen on the ice at even strength in his NHL minutes, subpar numbers given his average-difficulty usage on an otherwise strong possession team.

Niemeläinen also made 120 appearances for Bakersfield in parts of four seasons stateside in the Edmonton organization, where he had seven goals and 16 assists for 19 points in 26 games with a +10 rating. The Finnish defender now lands in Germany for the first time. He does have somewhat of a résumé in the European pros, winning a Liiga championship with HPK in 2019.

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