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Kipper replacement? Flames to sign KHL goalie Ramo

KarriRamo

The Calgary Flames are preparing for life after Miikka Kiprusoff.

On Wednesday, both the Calgary Herald and Sun reported the Flames have an agreement in place to sign KHL Avangard Omsk netminder Karri Ramo on July 5, the start of free agency.

Ramo, 26, was a Tampa Bay draftee in 2004 and appeared in 48 contests with the Bolts from 2007-09.

He signed with Omsk following the ’08-09 season and flourished into one of the KHL’s best netminders, earning multiple All-Star game nominations while posting goals-against averages of 2.11, 1.97. 1.96 and 2.00.

While in Russia, Ramo’s NHL rights were traded from Tampa Bay to Montreal, who in turn traded them to Calgary as part of last year’s Mike Cammalleri-Rene Bourque deal.

TrueHockey.com’s Andy Strickland reports Ramo’s deal will be of the multi-year variety.

If correct, it means that -- assuming the 37-year-old Kiprusoff retires as expected -- Ramo will be in a competition with Joey MacDonald, Finnish prospect Joni Ortio, WHL Edmonton’s Laurent Brossiot and Swiss star Reto Berra for minutes in the Calgary goal next season.