The Hurricanes have to decide on their goaltending for the upcoming season as both Antti Raanta and Frederik Andersen are on expiring two-year contracts. Pyotr Kochetkov is also eager to earn a full-time spot in the crease. Amongst this, the Hurricanes should choose to re-sign only one goaltender.
Since both goalies are over 30 years old, the choice depends on their affordability and skill. Raanta, being older, is expected to be cheaper to sign and still be a better goalie than Andersen. Here’s a comparison of the two goalies based on their contract history and performance over the past two seasons.
Raanta & Andersen Are Of The Same Age
Andersen is 33 years old and Raanta is 34. When a player reaches the 32-33-year mark, injuries start rapidly accumulating, and a single hip injury can end the career of a goalie. Therefore, the fact that Raanta is slightly older than Andersen by five months doesn’t give either of them an edge against the other.
Raanta is Cheaper
Raanta’s 2021 contract was $2 million for two years, whereas Andersen’s current two-year contract is expiring, and it values at $4.5 million annually. The five-year contract Andersen signed before that paid him $5 million every season, which means Raanta will definitely come cheaper.
Kochetkov’s contract extension is priced at $2 million this season and is valid for the next four seasons. If the Hurricanes decide to allocate the same salary amount towards goaltending this season, as they did in the preceding two years, they have $4.5 million available for another netminder. Waddell, the Hurricanes general manager, will have more cap flexibility to improve the team if the returning goalie is Raanta, and he doesn’t make more than $3.5 million a year.
Raanta is Better
Raanta has a career GAA of 2.43 and SV% of .918, while Andersen’s career GAA is 2.58, and SV% is .915. Looking at their last two years’ performance, Raanta has been more consistent and capable of delivering elite goaltending. All the numbers (except the number of wins) are nearly identical, and consistency is crucial for the goalie position.
| Year | GP | W | QS | GAA | SV% | QS% | EVSV% | Shutouts |
| 2022-23 | 27 | 19 | 13 | 2.23 | .910 | 48.1 | .923 | 4 |
| 2021-22 | 28 | 15 | 14 | 2.45 | .912 | 50 | .921 | 2 |
Antti Raanta’s Last Two Years
Raanta’s EVSV% is .923, almost Vezina Trophy-level. If he played 20-25 more games in a season, there’s no reason to suspect that his performance would drop significantly.
| Year | GP | W | QS | GAA | SV% | QS% | EVSV% | Shutouts |
| 2022-23 | 34 | 21 | 17 | 2.48 | .903 | 50 | .908 | 1 |
| 2021-22 | 52 | 35 | 31 | 2.17 | .922 | 59.6 | .923 | 4 |
Frederik Andersen’s Last Two Years
Although Andersen has the potential for elite goaltending, he had an injury-prone season that prevented him from going on a considerable hot streak. Considering everything, the numbers show that Raanta should be re-signed, and Andersen should be allowed to walk this summer.