New York Rangers General Manager Jeff Gorton announced that the team has agreed to terms with goaltender Antti Raanta on a new contract.
Raanta, 26, appeared in 25 games with the Rangers this past season, posting an 11-6-2 record, along with a 2.24 GAA, a .919 SV%, and 1 SO. He tied his career-high in appearances, and he ranked eighth in the NHL in GAA in 2015-16. Raanta allowed two goals or fewer in 13 of his 18 starts during the season. Raanta earned a win in each of his first four starts of the season, becoming the first goaltender in franchise history to register a win in each of his first four starts with the Rangers. He stopped all 22 shots he faced to earn a win/shutout while making his debut with the Blueshirts on Oct. 19, 2015 vs. San Jose, becoming the fourth goaltender in franchise history to earn a shutout in his first start with the Rangers and the first to do so since Marcel Paille on Nov. 2, 1957.
Raanta concluded the 2015-16 regular season by earning a win in each of his final four starts, posting a 1.75 GAA and a .941 SV% in those contests. In addition, he posted a 7-1-0 record, along with a 2.13 GAA and a .931 SV% in his final eight starts of the season. Raanta appeared in three playoff games with the Rangers in 2016 and made his NHL playoff debut in Game 1 of the First Round against Pittsburgh on Apr. 13.
The 6-0, 193-pounder has appeared in 64 career NHL games over parts of three seasons with the Rangers and Chicago, posting a 31-15-7 record, along with a 2.35 GAA, a .914 SV%, and 4 SO. Among goaltenders who have appeared in at least 15 games over the last two seasons (2014-15 – 2015-16), Raanta ranks second in the NHL in GAA (2.10) and ranks fourth in SV% (.926). In 31 career NHL appearances at home, Raanta has posted a 19-4-4 record, along with a 1.80 GAA, a .934 SV%, and 4 SO. In 13 career NHL appearances in which he has made at least 30 saves, Raanta has posted an 11-1-1 record, along with a 1.61 GAA, a .955 SV%, and 2 SO.
The Rauma, Finland native was acquired by the Rangers from Chicago in exchange for Ryan Haggerty on June 27, 2015.
(Reprinted with permission of the New York Rangers)
