Report: Goaltender Karri Ramo signs with Avangard Omsk

There was no immediate confirmation from the Lightning, but the web site hokej.cz is reporting that Karri Ramo, Tampa Bay's expected backup goaltender, has signed a two-year deal with Avangard Omsk of the Russian Kontinental Hockey League.

If true, it is a serious, though not necessarily a disastrous, blow for the Lightning, which has no other goalie in the organization to trust to a backup position. The next goalie on the depth chart is Riku Helenius, who last season showed promise but that he was not quite ready for the big time. Basically, it means the Lightning will have to pick up a backup in either free agency or through trade.

It is a tough time for Tampa Bay goaltending (as if this organization does not have enough to keep it occupied right now). Mike Smith still is recovering from post-concussion syndrome, and while Smith and the team insist he will be ready for training camp, he still is in the earliest stages of getting himself back into shape.

Comments

[Ray]

And the lemmings start jumping ship.

Danny Boyle must be loving this and Vinny might be asking for that trade with this ownership group running the franchise into the ground. Can we get A.L. Williams back? Or can Espo get the financing to buy the team, PLEASE?

They can't even run the team with any type of communication. "Listen, I'm the boss!" "No, I'M the BOSS!"

Cowboys all!

[Mike13]

Just goes back to what I've been saying for a while now. We need to sign a real veteran backup that is capable of stepping in and being the #1 for a while.

[Geografer]

"Second, the Lightning are unsure what to do if the New York Islanders take Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman ..."

You trade down. You make a trade for a veteran D and a proven D prospect and you draft Cowen. This seems like a no-brainer. I don't understand why this seems like such a hard decision for these guys. Oh wait a minute, I just remembered who we are talking about.

[ZERO]

Ajax - A press conference makes way too much sense at this point.

[ajax]

I don't see this as a Ramo issue but a bigger issue of not wanting to spend a penny....time will tell...no matter who is to blame (or both) the total uncertainty of everything is killng us...so much turmoil.....so many questions...so many if's.....these guys and their ego's.....a house divided is usually a house that crumbles.....the thing that the fans want most after all the turmoil the last three years is just something they can trust....ain't seen much of that around here have we?? Could someone call a press conference and put any of the 37 ugly rumors to bed???
They are acting like spoiled little rich brats.....oops

[Patrick]

"Second, the Lightning are unsure what to do if the New York Islanders take Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman ..."

I'm suddenly not so looking forward to draft day.

The part about all three of them cutting deals with player agenrs last offseason explains why we signed so many fowards and overpaid in many cases. Calling this a circus seems too complimentary. Torts was even too nice when he said "cowboys"... more like rodeo clowns.

[Boltflasher]

Reading the ESPN version of all this, the incompetence and lack of planning is staggering....

[2WayCenter]

ESPN has a little different spin:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=4280470

[Don in St. Pete]

Casper, You're cracking me up! Perhaps Conklin or Anderson would be a better choice. As if the Bolts didn't already have enough issues to deal with.

[Casper]

We already have a back up; Mike Smith won’t, I say WON’T be ready for everyday duty anytime in 2009.

So for all the Vinny Droolers from Montreal, they can expect to part with Jaroslav Halak in the pipe dream trade conjecture of horse trading. Halak, Subban, Komo, Weber, Higgy Baby, and a couple of #1's for the Second Coming Of Jean Beliveau.
Sound good? Then go away.

Agree with Geo, it’s dicey dealing with those folk but I wish Karri well.

Don’t rush our kids!

Halak, Legace, Niittymaki, and many others are out there just licking their chops to come here and perform for our wonderful owners.

This could also be the time to make Roberto Luongo the most miserable man on the Planet by bringing him back to Florida in blockbuster fashion. LOL

I’ll take FIFTEEN PowerBall tickets and Go Bolts!

[Geografer]

Did this kid not pick up the phone and talk to Grahame about his experiences with this team? Dumb, dumb move if it proves to be true. Let's hope if it is that his contract with them includes a clause that if he resigns in the NHL (he is RFA) that his contract is void. Or one or two bad days and more downturn in the economy and he too could find himself walking into a night club and ordering his first drink only to be told no and taken off to the drunk tank and having his "team" show up and offering to get him out if he will sign a paper to void his contract within 15 minutes of it happening.
You CANNOT trust these Russian teams. Ask Dubielewicz too.