Raanta Rumored To Flames, Jets

Larry Brooks of the NY Post wrote a column today mentioning, among other pre-expansion variables, rumors of Antti Raanta to the Calgary Flames or Winnipeg Jets:

The Flames and the Jets are believed to be among the clubs who have contacted the Rangers regarding a pre-expansion draft trade for Raanta, but management has not yet committed to dealing him or has not yet received an offer pushing them to that conclusion.

Raanta’s contract has 1 year remaining on a $1 million cap hit.

Talk of potential moves this week is largely predicated on the Rangers seemingly still not quota-compliant for forward exposures, even though protection lists are due in less than a week. As the article elaborates, re-signing and exposing any of the eligibly impending free agents (Fast, Glass, Lindberg, Pirri, Puempel) would quickly solve that problem.

However, if Raanta is moved for an imported forward exposure satisfier, the team would need to tender a qualifying offer and subsequently expose Mackenzie Skapski. That is, the goaltending exposure quota is the least strict, where an RFA goalie can be eligibly exposed without having a contract, but must have been qualified prior to Vegas exposure.

Of course, an “arranged marriage” or “bribe” brokered between New York and Las Vegas could feasibly relieve any pressure for the Rangers to conform their exposures for expansion.

In any event, it’s a good bet to see some puzzle pieces shift around the league as teams brace for the ides of June.