Speculation: Will we sign Antti Raanta?

[Alberta Yote]

Also I’m curious. For those that want Chayka to be careful on dollars and term, if he signs elsewhere who do you want the team to pursue as the #1 for next year? Any ideas or names.

 

[Name Nameless]

Just saw his short post-game interview with the Flames-crew. They asked about how it was to play on a team where everything had been coming together, and what this meant for next year. First, I had a good feeling. He talked about how many guys played very well because they had contracts coming up. And they really wanted to play in the NHL. So at first, it seemed good. But I got a bad vibe there. No mentioning of wanting to play for the Coyotes next year. Just "... NHL." I was, like, oh, no.

I sure hope they will give him what he wants. If it's possible. If what he wants, is to live in NY or Miami or some other place, he isn't gonna sign anything anyways.

 

[steierwrass]

Florida definitely needs to start looking a new goalie option.

They are too inconsistent and Luongo has started to hit injury stage& he's 39y.
Goaltending and defense are their biggest weaknessess moving forward. Tallons the Gm so I doubt they'll do anything about it.

Yeah, Florida need to look new options, but there isn't real starter place open. And Raanta isn't looking anything else but starter place. Luongo will most likely continue season or two playing 40-50 games. He plays in good level. Reimer has played ok or even well this season and have been good partner for Luongo. Paying 5M for Raanta doesn't sound good for them. And fighting for starter spot with Luongo, doesn't sound good for Raanta. There are many teams that look more likely options for Raanta. Teams that need starter.

 

[Jakey53]

5 years in the NHL, 140 games, 28 games average per year, 29 years old. I hope we sign him but it's not a given that he can carry the load for a full year, let alone the next 4 years. Chayka needs to be smart about term/money/NMC.

I think Raanta has earned a contract whether it be 3 or 4 years. If you want a proven starter, if you can find one, will cost you 6M yr. + and assets. I know you always bring up Darling and Talbot as kind of bombing out this year, but goalies have bad years like everyone else. Price, Luongo, Bishop, Alllen and the list goes on,all have had bad years followed by great years. It comes a time when good back ups deserve a starters role and I think Raanta is a good as any to get that chance.

 

[rt]

Also I’m curious. For those that want Chayka to be careful on dollars and term, if he signs elsewhere who do you want the team to pursue as the #1 for next year? Any ideas or names.

I think about losing Raanta and having to roll the dice on another version again and it immediately erases most of the warm feelings I have about how this season has developed. I feel like he’s absolutely integral to any hope we have of carrying over success. His contract and OELs contract both.

 

[Jakey53]

I think about losing Raanta and having to roll the dice on another version again and it immediately erases most of the warm feelings I have about how this season has developed. I feel like he’s absolutely integral to any hope we have of carrying over success. His contract and OELs contract both.

The one thing that Chayka knows and we don't are what goalies could be available in a trade. I think Raanta or Grubauer are the best options. Chayka wanted Raanta for a couple of years before the trade so we know he thinks highly of him.

 

[Coyotes2000]

LEts get real here, I want Raanta to return and he has played insanely well. But let's not pretend he's an iron man. He has been far from reliable this season health wise.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

The one thing that Chayka knows and we don't are what goalies could be available in a trade. I think Raanta or Grubauer are the best options. Chayka wanted Raanta for a couple of years before the trade so we know he thinks highly of him.

Getting Grubauer would take some of the sting out of losing Raanta, but he'd be a risk. That said, he'd be the best alternative by a significant amount over the rest of the UFA class.

 

[steierwrass]

LEts get real here, I want Raanta to return and he has played insanely well. But let's not pretend he's an iron man. He has been far from reliable this season health wise.

Injuries are hard to judge for observer. Those might be something just very unlucky. Or those might be something, that should concern us. But we don't know. Luckily team know better.

 

[cobra427]

LEts get real here, I want Raanta to return and he has played insanely well. But let's not pretend he's an iron man. He has been far from reliable this season health wise.

I agree. We shouldn't sign him to 5 mill at 5 years, too risky. It's not the end of the world if we don't sign him. We have Kuemper and we can pick up or trade for another goalie. We had Smith, who played well last year down the stretch and we replaced him and Loui. We also picked up Greiss and Duby a few years ago. I would like to sign Raanta but not over pay because we will find other options. Raanta could easily get hurt next year or not play as well under a full workload. We'll be fine either way. I'm more concerned about our C position and the hole we need to fill there.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

It's not the end of the world if we don't sign him. We have Kuemper and we can pick up or trade for another goalie.

You keep posting this, and I'm curious - just who out there who will be available to sign do you think is a good starter candidate to replace Raanta? And I'm not being facetious/confrontational - I want to know what you think our options are.

Kuemper is a backup. A good backup, yes, but a backup. We'd need a starter-caliber goalie signed - and if we can't sign one, a legit starter will cost us a lot in trade assets.

 

[zz]

Is 5 years at $ 5M per really too much of a gamble? He's only 28, it would be cheaper than what we spent on Smith, just a tad more than what we paid Bryzgalov many years ago. He's been consistent, and he doesn't seem to be neither a head case nor an a-hole.

As rt mentioned, losing Raanta might eliminate all the good things we saw in the second half. We NEED a reliable goalie. It's absolutely critical.

 

[RABBIT]

if he wants 5 x 5 to stay, give it to him. There have been much worse contracts out there.

 

[_Del_]

I think about losing Raanta and having to roll the dice on another version again and it immediately erases most of the warm feelings I have about how this season has developed. I feel like he’s absolutely integral to any hope we have of carrying over success. His contract and OELs contract both.

I'm afraid the organization is about two months late to the realization he is integral or they wouldn't have waited until after the deadline to start negotiations.

 

[rt]

I'm afraid the organization is about two months late to the realization he is integral or they wouldn't have waited until after the deadline to start negotiations.

If you think they didn't have a single discussion about a contract discussion until after the deadline, you're nuts. I think you're own interpretation of Chayka's words is rather extremely and likely not representative of the truth of the matter. I have no doubt in my mind that Chayka took a temp check and was comfortable enough to wait until both sides were ready to come to the table for real.

 

[Jakey53]

I agree. We shouldn't sign him to 5 mill at 5 years, too risky. It's not the end of the world if we don't sign him. We have Kuemper and we can pick up or trade for another goalie. We had Smith, who played well last year down the stretch and we replaced him and Loui. We also picked up Greiss and Duby a few years ago. I would like to sign Raanta but not over pay because we will find other options. Raanta could easily get hurt next year or not play as well under a full workload. We'll be fine either way. I'm more concerned about our C position and the hole we need to fill there.

ANY goalie can get hurt or have a off year so that is a risk all teams take. You say 5M is too much, but maybe the Coyotes think that is in line with other goalies of his calibre. Like I mentioned before, if we want a proven starter, it will cost us dearly in assets and a much larger contract.

 

[Jakey53]

I'm afraid the organization is about two months late to the realization he is integral or they wouldn't have waited until after the deadline to start negotiations.

As if the Coyotes and Raanta have never talked.

 

[Jakey53]

If you think they didn't have a single discussion about a contract discussion until after the deadline, you're nuts. I think you're own interpretation of Chayka's words is rather extremely and likely not representative of the truth of the matter. I have no doubt in my mind that Chayka took a temp check and was comfortable enough to wait until both sides were ready to come to the table for real.

Correct. Both parties have a good idea what each want and like you said, will come to the table when ready.

 

[Name Nameless]

As if the Coyotes and Raanta have never talked.

Of all players headed for UFA, I'm under the impression players expecting a raise "always" signs well before season ends.

Bayes' theorem shows the probability of him staying is dropping every day.

The fact he hasn't signed by now basically means he is not gonna sign. Good players don't reach UFA unless they want to move somewhere else.

Tell me it isn't so?

 

[_Del_]

How many top UFA's at their position reach free agency and resign with their original team? Any of the ones that did (or even those that approached it closely) get some sort of sweetheart deal?

I don't know why I'm the #-hole for pointing out the obvious fact that his price keeps going up with every day closer to free agency, and that we never had a better chance for a favourable deal than predeadline. Does a single person think he gets less today than he would have in late February? All this talk about how integral he is just underscores how we're either going to get #'ed coming or going now. We're either going to open the vault to keep him, a la Smith, or start over on the goaltending (which we traded a 7ov in part justified as getting a long-term solution). That's so much better than taking a four million dollar "gamble" in February, I guess.

 

[cobra427]

You keep posting this, and I'm curious - just who out there who will be available to sign do you think is a good starter candidate to replace Raanta? And I'm not being facetious/confrontational - I want to know what you think our options are.

Kuemper is a backup. A good backup, yes, but a backup. We'd need a starter-caliber goalie signed - and if we can't sign one, a legit starter will cost us a lot in trade assets.

Do you think there is zero chance we can find another competent goal tender? How does anyone know if Kuemper can't be a starter? I don't know what goal tenders are available, Chayka will know. In the last 10 years we have picked up Bryz/Smith/Greiss/Duby/Raanta/Kuemper, all at very little costs. We can find another one if Raanta doesn't sign with us. We shouldn't chase Raanta and give him too much term or money either. It's not like Raanta is a 1C or a 1D like OEL. Being in this position with OEL a year from now would be really stupid. You can't easily replace a 1C or 1D, its next to impossible. Goal tenders are way easier to find.

Again, I like Raanta and I hope we sign him, but we shouldn't over pay, let somebody else do it. We over paid with Smith, in retrospect, but at least he lead us to the WCF, carried us on his back, and lead the NHL in shutouts the next year. Smith was way more proven then Raanta, that is why we paid him.

 

[Summer Rose]

How many top UFA's at their position reach free agency and resign with their original team? Any of the ones that did (or even those that approached it closely) get some sort of sweetheart deal?

I don't know why I'm the #-hole for pointing out the obvious fact that his price keeps going up with every day closer to free agency, and that we never had a better chance for a favourable deal than predeadline. Does a single person think he gets less today than he would have in late February? All this talk about how integral he is just underscores how we're either going to get #'ed coming or going now. We're either going to open the vault to keep him, a la Smith, or start over on the goaltending (which we traded a 7ov in part justified as getting a long-term solution). That's so much better than taking a four million dollar "gamble" in February, I guess.

Being a musician, I read your self-censored words as "sharp hole" and "sharped."

 

[Dirty Old Man]

Being a musician, I read your self-censored words as "sharp hole" and "sharped."

(better than "number hole", or worse, "pound hole")

 

[rt]

How many top UFA's at their position reach free agency and resign with their original team? Any of the ones that did (or even those that approached it closely) get some sort of sweetheart deal?

I don't know why I'm the #-hole for pointing out the obvious fact that his price keeps going up with every day closer to free agency, and that we never had a better chance for a favourable deal than predeadline. Does a single person think he gets less today than he would have in late February? All this talk about how integral he is just underscores how we're either going to get #'ed coming or going now. We're either going to open the vault to keep him, a la Smith, or start over on the goaltending (which we traded a 7ov in part justified as getting a long-term solution). That's so much better than taking a four million dollar "gamble" in February, I guess.

Honestly, I think you’re just being impatient. I’m sure there was a mutual temp check and both sides were relatively happy with the general outline of a possible deal and there was a mutual decision to wait until things settle down to get into the weeds. Meantime, Raanta gambles on his ability to stay healthy and Chayka gambles on whether Raanta is going to end up with eye popping numbers. He’ll get paid more because he’s earned it. Nothing wrong with that. Doesn’t mean we will lose him.

Anyway, I wouldn’t trade all of the wins of the last six weeks for a measly 2nd round pick at the TDL regardless. Nothing has been sacrificed.

 

[The Feckless Puck]

Do you think there is zero chance we can find another competent goal tender?

There is never a zero chance of anything when it comes to predicting player performance. But I do know that the pickings are going to be slim on the UFA market, and to get a 'tender at Raanta's performance level in a trade, we'd have to pay a very high price.

In the last 10 years we have picked up Bryz/Smith/Greiss/Duby/Raanta/Kuemper, all at very little costs. We can find another one if Raanta doesn't sign with us.

First of all, I think you are vastly underestimating the difficulty of finding a legitimate #1 goalie. Of that list you posted above, I would say that Dubnyk and Raanta could qualify at or near the top echelon of goaltenders. We got Dubnyk cheap because Edmonton did a fantastic job of screwing him up and poisoning his prospects. Raanta we got because NYR has Lundqvist and some very promising goalies in their pipeline. Bryzgalov rode the coattails of a Tippett trap system and a really well-run defense thanks to Ulf Samuelsson, but folded like a cheap suit in the playoffs. And I don't call Mike Smith "elite." He has had precisely one season in his career where he played in the top echelon, and we overpaid him like a bunch of idiots because of it. Raanta's historic numbers and consistency are better than Smith's.

So I have to say I find it perplexing that anyone can essentially say, "Meh, we can just plug the hole with another warm body" - particularly after the goaltending luck we have had this season when Raanta hasn't been between the pipes.

Again, I like Raanta and I hope we sign him, but we shouldn't over pay, let somebody else do it.

I think the main area where you and I diverge is the definition of "overpayment." The only Raanta extensions I wouldn't like are ones with too much term (my upper limit is 5 years) or ones with NMC/NTC riders.