REPORT: Two Goalie Replacements Emerge For the Tampa Bay Lightning

As of now, the Lightning are looking to replace Vasilevskiy in-house. Their two options to do so with are Jonas Johansson and Hugo Alnefelt. Both options are considered to be below NHL average.

Johansson has played in the NHL before but had little success in playing to the standard expected by a contender. Alnefelt is the Lightning's top prospect in net. He has only played 1 NHL game where he struggled heavily. His AHL numbers are solid but not worth betting an entire season on.

With this in mind, it means the best candidate to replace Vasilevskiy comes from the outside. Two names have come to the forefront.

Chris Driedger has had a bit of a rollercoaster career in the last 3 years. He started out as the backup for the Florida Panthers where he played 23 games and was outstanding.

He then went on to Seattle through the expansion draft. His first year in Seattle was a relative success although it was a step back from his numbers in Florida. Then in 2022-23, he was relegated to Seattle's AHL team in Coachella Valley where he played 14 games.

Driedger has shown the ability to play well with a good team in front of him from his days in Florida. He is 29 years old which is prime age for a goaltender. He will also likely be cheap to trade for and is on a $3,500,000 contract. This means he will be one of the cheaper all-around options that could give the Lightning a chance to win but might come at a bit higher price hit than the Lightning may want. The risk is the inconsistency he has shown since leaving Florida.

Antti Raanta is the biggest potential value find that the Lightning could get. He is a proven goaltender who has shown that he can start in the NHL at multiple different stops. He is in a three-way race with Pyotr Kochetkov and Frederik Andersen for two roster spots.

With Raanta being 34 he likely could be the odd man out. If he is considered the 3rd option he would likely be available for cheap via trade. His contract is also only $1,500,000 meaning the Lightning would have an easier time fitting him in. The only concern is the age and durability. Over the past few seasons, Raanta has been a split starter and played at most 35 games in a season.

If the Lightning think they can keep Raanta fit and healthy he is likely the obvious choice. If they prefer a younger option that can physically handle more Driedger might be the play.