Florida Panthers v Carolina Hurricanes — Should the Oilers gamble on Antti Raanta and pick up his existing contract after hitting waivers?

Should the Oilers gamble on Antti Raanta and pick up his existing contract after hitting waivers?

Modified Dec 16, 2023 23:11 GMT

On Saturday afternoon, the Carolina Hurricanes placed netminder Antti Raanta on waivers. Statistically, the Finnish native is 6-5-1 in 14 games, posting a career-worse 3.61 goals-against average (GAA) and a .854 save percentage (SV%).

Although there's a good chance that Raanta passes through waivers, with most NHL franchises secure in their goalie tandems, the Edmonton Oilers will soon be trending since goaltending is one of their biggest weakness.

So, while they continue to deploy starter Stuart Skinner almost every night, many are curious if general manager Ken Holland will pull the trigger to get the team some help in the crease.

Is the well-traveled Antti Raanta worth acquiring?

Since making his NHL debut during the 2013-14 season with the Chicago Blackhawks, Raanta has also skated with the New York Rangers, Arizona Coyotes, and most recently, the Hurricanes.

Besides sharing the William M. Jennings Trophy with Frederik Andersen in 2021-22, his best season came in the desert when he went 21-17-6 in 47 games back in 2017-18, producing a 2.24 GAA and .930 SV%.

Moreover, during the recent 2022-23 season, the final year of a two-year deal with the Hurricanes, Raanta helped the team claim the Metropolitan Division title with a 19-3-3 record, inking a one-year extension with $1.5 million, a slight decrease from his previous salary of $2 million.

Although his remaining salary would be prorated since the NHL season is already a quarter over, only 13 teams in the league have available cap space over $912k, meaning anyone interested in acquiring Raanta would need to get creative with the books.

As Stanley Cup favorites, the Edmonton Oilers need to act now before it's too late

Last year, the Oilers lost in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs as Connor McDavid became the latest 150-point player not to win a championship during the year they reached that plateau.

Before last season even started, they signed Jack Campbell to a five-year deal worth $5 million annually. However, he was unseated as the team's top netminder when Stuart Skinner finished as Calder Trophy finalist for Rookie of the Year.

Surprisingly, the pair had opposite experiences in the preseason, with Campbell going undefeated. But, once the real games started, he struggled mightily, resulting in a demotion to the minors, where his numbers haven't rebounded.

Meanwhile, Skinner is stuck playing almost every night, getting into 21 of the team's 27 games so far, which explains why his numbers are down from last season. Despite being 11-8-1, he's currently got a 3.04 GAA and .885 SV%, although those numbers reflect how bad the team has been, not just his performances.

Ultimately, the Oilers remain entrenched in the rumor mill since they seem to be in the market to acquire a goalie or a star defenseman. Hilariously, social media is willing to trade anyone outside of McDavid to get someone to help get wins.

So, with Raanta becoming available on waivers, the Oilers will be linked to the struggling netminder to help relieve Skinner, who is 5-6 with limited playoff experience. Moreover, Raanta led the Hurricanes to the Eastern Conference Final in 2021-22 and is 9-9 with a .248 GAA and .911 SV% in the postseason.

Realistically, Raanta, now 34, will not be the long-term solution in Edmonton; that responsibility falls to Skinner, who is just 25. However, with two years left on McDavid's current contract, it may be time to find reinforcements to get him a championship or risk losing him.

Statistically, the Oilers, who have $65k in salary cap space, would be taking a gamble on Raanta, who may not be a significant upgrade over Campbell or Calvin Pickard, their current backup.

Although Raanta could reward the club for giving him another chance, goaltending isn't the biggest concern with the Oilers, but the roster in general, which won't help anyone between the pipes.