Coyotes, Raanta sign 3-year extension

Antti Raanta likes life in the desert.

The netminder has agreed to a three-year extension with the Arizona Coyotes, which TSN's Bob McKenzie reported will carry an annual cap hit of $4.25 million.

"We're extremely pleased to sign Antti to a three-year contract," general manager John Chayka said. "When we acquired Antti last summer, we believed that he had the talent and desire to become an elite starting goaltender and he certainly proved that this season.

"You can't be successful in this league without an outstanding No. 1 goaltender and now we have that with Antti. I'd also like to thank our owner, Andrew Barroway, for providing us with the resources to get this very important deal done."

In 46 appearances this season, Raanta has posted a 21-16-6 record, alongside a .930 save percentage and 2.24 GAA, both of which rank third best in the NHL.

The Finnish puck-stopper is currently in the second year of a two-year deal that carries a $1-million annual cap hit.

Raanta was among the best impending unrestricted free-agent goaltenders. That list is now headlined by the likes of Carter Hutton, Jonathan Bernier, and Kari Lehtonen.

The Coyotes acquired Raanta from the New York Rangers last offseason.

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