Surprising Goalie Officially Signs Contract With The Carolina Hurricanes

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Hunter Bowman
December 19, 2023 (12:02)

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Guess what just landed in the hockey headlines? The Carolina Hurricanes have thrown a curveball, signing vet goalie Aaron Dell to a pro tryout contract.

Here's the scoop:

So, this 34-year-old Dell guy? Last season, he did a cameo with the San Jose Sharks, clocking in just four games while doing most of the heavy lifting with the AHL's San Jose Barracuda. NHL-wise, he's seen action in 130 games, bouncing around with the Sharks, Buffalo Sabres, and New Jersey Devils. Last season with the Barracuda, he rocked a 3.14 goals against average and a .898 save percentage in 38 games.

Why Dell, you ask? Well, it's all connected to the Hurricanes waving goodbye to Antti Raanta earlier this week. Raanta, a 34-year-old goalie, had a rough time this season trying to fill in for Frederik Andersen, who's dealing with a serious blood clotting issue. Pyotr Kochetkov has been holding it down but not blowing anyone away. Now, the Canes find themselves digging into the goalie depth chart, and Dell is their guy, at least for now.

Raanta's struggles were real � just six wins in 14 starts this season. Andersen is out for a while, and Kochetkov is delivering so-so performances. It's a wild goalie situation for the Hurricanes, and now Dell's thrown into the mix. Raanta got the boot earlier this week, and it seems like his NHL future is a big question mark, especially with his one-year, $1.5 million contract ending this offseason. Andersen's locked in for next season at a decent $3.4 million, and Kochetkov has a sweet deal at $2 million for the next four seasons. Can Dell be the goalie superhero the Canes need? Fans are crossing their fingers for Andersen's speedy return, that's for sure.