Antti Raanta on Waivers | Goaltending Options for Carolina It's no secret what the Carolina Hurricanes' weak link has been this season. After 30 games, the Canes have had the league's worst goaltending by a sizable margin and it's been costing them games. With Antti Raanta placed on waivers Saturday and Frederik Andersen's status still virtually unknown, something will have to give and so whether it's in-house or through the trade market, it seems a shake up is in order. And it isn't like the Hurricanes need a world beater right now. Pyotr Kochetkov has proven that he can put together some strong outings, but the team just needs a second guy that can keep them in games. So what are the options? IN-HOUSE? You options here are actually extremely limited. The Canes have just four goaltenders under contract within the organization: Andersen, Raanta, Kochetkov and Yaniv Perets. Perets was signed to a two-year entry level deal which kicked in this season. A NCAA champion with the Quinnipiac Bobcats last year, Perets has some strong pedigree, but he's been playing in the ECHL this season. The jump to the NHL will be much too great for him and he's going to need more development time before he's rushed into the big leagues. So really, the only real option is to test the trade market. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Let's get one thing straight, the goalie market is not too hot right now. There are options, sure, but they're not great ones. It's a risky market and there's just nobody out there right now that's a slam dunk. The Canes aren't the only one in the market either. Edmonton and New Jersey have both had bad goaltending too and neither of them has made a move either. So with only a handful of realistic options, the Canes need to strike fast before they're left without a partner at the dance. PLAYERS TO AVOID (AKA TOO MUCH TERM) Jake Allen - Montreal Canadiens 33, 6-2, One more year at $3.85 AVV with M-NTC 3-6-2; 0.901 Sv%; 3.58 GAA A lot of publications have been pushing the Jake Allen narrative and while he could very well be a solid option, many are ignoring the fact that he still has an additional year on his contract with a modified no-trade clause. A move for Allen would all hinge on the future status of Andersen. The Danish netminder is still under contract for another season with Carolina and Kochetkov has a multi-year deal. So if the team believes that Andersen will return, Allen could complicate next year's roster and also does the team really want to deal with another 33+ year old goaltender? Karel Vejmelka - Arizona Coyotes 27, 6-4, One more year at $2.725 million AAV 2-7-2; 0.892 Sv%; 3.5 GAA Similar to Allen, Vejmelka has had his name thrown around, but he too has an additional year left on his contract. He was the supposed starter in Arizona but Connor Ingram has stolen the job and ran with it. On top of having another year, Vejmelka has not performed too well this season, so he's a guy I wouldn't bet on if I was Carolina. John Gibson - Anaheim Ducks 30, 6-2, Three more years at $6.4 million AAV with M-NTC 5-13-0; 0.905 Sv%; 2.89 GAA For years, Gibson has always seemed to be one of the biggest trade bait options, but his diminishing play saw him as less and less of a desired target for many teams. However, Gibson has seemingly turned back the clock a bit and has had a solid year so far despite his record. Anaheim is not a good team, so for him to perform well is notable. Despite that, Gibson is basically an unmovable piece due to his contract. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- POTENTIAL TARGETS Kaapo Kahkonen - San Jose Sharks 27, 6-2, Last year at $2.75 million AAV 5-7-1; 0.897 Sv%; 3.66 GAA The San Jose Sharks are horrible, but somehow their goaltending has performed fairly well despite having one of the worst defenses in modern NHL history. Kahkonen has had quite a heavy workload, having faced over 30 shots in eight of his 12 starts. Despite that, he's had some strong results having over a 0.900 save percentage in eight of his 14 appearances. Per Money Puck, Kahkonen has also saved 4.0 goals above expected. In the last year of a two year, $2.75 million AAV contract, the Finnish netminder could be a good option to provide some goaltending relief, and if it works out, there's always the option to try and re-sign him. Petr Mrazek - Chicago Blackhawks 31, 6-2, Last year at $3.8 million AAV with M-NTC 7-9-0; 0.910 Sv%; 3.04 GAA Who doesn't love a reunion? Mrazek, who spent three years with Carolina, has had a return to form this season with Chicago. He's had his fair share of injury and play struggles since leaving the Hurricanes, but if he can do well on a team as terrible as the Blackhawks right now, then I'm sure he can help stem the tide for Carolina. In 18 games, Mrazek has saved 2.2 goals above expected. James Reimer - Detroit Red Wings 35, 6-2, Last year at $1.5 million AAV with M-NTC 2-3-2; 0.911 Sv%; 2.58 GAA Who doesn't love a reunion x2? The Red Wings are one of the few teams in the NHL that are carrying three goaltenders and Reimer is the only one on an expiring deal. Reimer has performed well with the Wings this season and Carolina is yet again familiar with his game. If they're just looking for a backup goaltender to support Kochetkov, then Reimer is another strong option. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PIPE DREAMS Carter Hart - Philadelphia Flyers 25, 6-2, Last year at $3.979 million AAV (RFA) 6-1-1; 0.919 Sv%; 2.42 GAA There's like about a 1% chance the Hurricanes can make a deal for Carter Hart, but can you imagine if they did? At the start of the season, Flyers GM Danny Brier said the team was open for business and Hart's name was thrown around quite a bit. However, since then, Philly has smashed expectations and are currently in the middle of the playoff race in the Metropolitan division. I think the Flyers perhaps see themselves as a team that can retool rather than rebuild now and Hart is a big part of that. My armchair GM trade package (that would leave any sensible Flyers fan rolling their eyes, I'm sure) would be one containing both Hart and winger Travis Konecny because they would literally fill all of the Hurricanes' needs. The price would be sky-high, and again, never going to happen, but sometimes it's nice to dream. Juuse Saros - Nashville Predators 28, 5-11, One more year at $5 million AAV 13-10-1, 0.910 Sv%; 2.79 GAA Saros is one of the best goalies in the NHL and one that is capable of taking on a heavy workload. The Predators are a team that need to rebuild, but are still hovering around playoff contention... because of goaltending. They're a team that needs more high-end talent in the system, but I think they're looking to stay competitive because it's not necessarily a market that can sustain a full rebuild. It would take a lot to get Saros out of there, but if the Hurricanes could manage it, they'd easily be back on track as cup favorites. But again, like the category suggests, it's a pipe dream realistically. Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNTk5NjQ0ODk0NDA2MDA4/thn-subscribe-banner.jpg]
