Two Potential Replacements For Andrei Vasilevskiy Have Been Revealed

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Tyler Ball
October 2, 2023 (1:54 PM)

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The Tampa Bay Lightning announced recently that their superstar goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy would be out after having back surgery. Since the announcement fans and media have been trying to figure out his perfect replacement.

The Incumbents

There are two goaltenders already in Tampa Bay that could be under consideration for the job.

The first is Jonas Johansson who has had a few stints in the NHL. During all of those stints, he has struggled to consistently do well. He has also never had a consistent stretch in the NHL. At 28 years old he is still young but likely around where his peak will be.

Hugo Alnefelt on the other hand is the young up-and-coming prospect. He only has 1 NHL appearance which was not good. However, his AHL numbers have been good and steadily improving. At only 22 years of age, he still has plenty of development ahead of him. However, for his long-term development keeping him in the AHL is likely the better move.

Driedger Brings Upside

Chris Driedger has had a bit of a turbulent NHL career. Driedger's first real significant NHL opportunity was with the Florida Panthers. In 23 games he was great posting a 2.07 goals-against average and a 0.927 save percentage.

Then he went to Seattle via the expansion draft and was solid but not as good as he was in Florida. In his second year with the Kraken, he was relegated to the AHL where his strong play continued.

He is now 29 and on a 3.5-million-dollar contract. While Driedger might not be the most optimal option he could likely keep the Lightning afloat until Vasilevskiy returns. He would also be cheap to trade for due to his contract and status in the organization.

Raanta Brings Experience

Antti Raanta is the more safe and reliable option to acquire. He has shown he can play significant games for several different teams. He is also only on a 1.5 million dollar contract. He would likely be able to step in and play as a starter until Vasilevskiy's return.

Raanta is also at risk of being the third goaltender in Carolina anyway behind Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen. This likely means his asking price via trade could be much lower.

The biggest risk with Raanta is his age. At 34 years old he might not be able to handle the rigorous schedule of the NHL for as long as the Lightning would need. It will be up to the Lightning to decide if they want a more durable player that is less consistent or an older player who is better but could struggle to play a lot.

As Read On - Bolts By The Bay - Tampa Bay Lightning's Options For Starter With Vasilevskiy Injured