A Look Ahead: 2012 Free Agent Goalies
by Andy Newman on Jan 19, 2012 2:13 PM EST
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PrintIt's never too early to look at next year's free agent group. Stability in the goalie position is the biggest need for the Blue Jackets, and unless the team makes a trade, it's not looking too great in free agency.
Leading the list are three names: Tomas Vokoun, Jonas Gustavsson, and Ray Emery.
Gustavsson is the most attractive of the group. Vokoun is closer to the end of his career than the beginning, and if he has a good run with Washington this year, would likely either stay with the Capitals or retire. Emery will probably bounce around to yet another team, and while I felt like this year would have been a great time for the Jackets to take a chance on him, I just don't see him as a fit anymore.
Gustavsson's stats are pretty decent this year after a weak season last year. He's 13-9-0 with a .906 save percentage and a 2.92 goals against average. Many see James Reimer as the future in Toronto, and it is unknown if Gustavsson would re-sign to potentially be a backup.
After that, it's a group of players that, while potentially serviceable, are exactly what the Jackets don't need if they're looking to make real progress. Players who have seen little to no action this year either due to ability or injury. Players that are, at best, an interesting option for a backup goalie. Those players include the likes of Scott Clemmensen, Antero Niittymaki, Dan Ellis, and Michael Leighton.
No matter how you slice it, this is a very thin group. The Jackets best option is likely to trade with a team that has a backup who deserves a starting spot. If the Jackets are lucky, they can find the next Craig Anderson stuck behind a Tomas Vokoun.
Cory Schneider is the obvious name to look out for, but a deal with the Canucks won't come cheap. Is there any chance the Boston Bruins trade Tuukka Rask? It's hard to say, but I don't think Tim Thomas is done yet.
The best off the wall trade option I can consider is Cam Ward. He's a Stanley Cup winner. A proven goalie that continues to collect decent stats even with the Hurricanes in the middle of a very disappointing season. It wouldn't be cheap to acquire him, but it would almost definitely be worth it. The Canes at one point expressed interest in Derick Brassard, so at least you have a starting point for the conversation. Brassard's improved play as of late can only help the Jackets. Clearly they would need to give up much more than Brassard, we're talking multiple players and/or picks, but it's a start.
Add Ward and better depth to a core of Rick Nash, Jeff Carter, James Wisniewski, Fedor Tyutin, and R.J. Umberger and start to see what a confident goalie allows these players to do. We saw what many of them were capable of when they could count on Steve Mason to make a big save. That won't solve all the team's problems, but it's a good start.
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MAn, you know things are rough when Gustavsson looks like a great option.
And I say this as a Leafs fan.
My degree is worthless
Yeah, Gustavsson is in no way worthy of being in the same tier as Vokoun and Emery. Gustavsson is a below-average NHL backup. Throw him in the grouping with Ellis and Leighton.
Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999 and Matt Calvert since May 2010
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by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 19, 2012 10:06 PM EST up reply actions
Looking at free agents, looks like its gonna have to be a trade for us. No way Rask is going anywhere. Boston has a perfect situation there in which they are perfect in net for many years to come.
However Schneider and Bernier are different. Bernier is behind a young all star goalie in Jonathon Quick in L.A, so who knows how he would do with the starting position here. He is only 23 years old, and may just be waiting to break out of his shell. With Quick there, L.A should definately be looking at moving him if they want some more offense and want to go for the Cup. He is not going to overtake Quick anytime soon, so might as well move him as he has great potential.
Like you mentioned, Schneider is the other option. With the massive contract in Luongo sitting in front of him, it is looking like he will never be able to become the for sure number one goalie there. He is 25 years old, but he is ready to be a number one goalie. He would be much more expensive than Bernier and it would have to come at the end of the season as im sure the Canucks want to hold on to him for the playoffs, but I think it would be worth it. We NEED a goalie. Its not cheap to get a number one goalie, and its not even like we have one coming up in the next 5 years, which is disturbing.
I really would not want Gustavsson here. Really inconsistent, just like Mase. LIke you said, i would have liked to give Emery a shot here last year, but i think that ship has sailed. If Vokoun doesnt re-sign with the Caps (which he probably wont, they have lots of good young goalies), then he will probably look to sign with a Cup contending team. Not Columbus, thats for sure.
Still dont understand why we didnt go for Nabokov on waivers or when he was available. Would have been a great filler at a very low price until we could find some long term help. Now we cant afford to be impatient, and that may bite us in the ass.
You missed two of the better options, in terms of their play this season and age: Al Montoya and Josh Harding. Both will be unrestricted free agents and only 27 years old. Harding is sitting on a .925 sv% and a 2.44 gaa, while Montoya has a .917 sv% and a 2.45 gaa. Their career numbers are pretty solid too, as Harding is 2.62, .917 and Montoya is 2.38, .920. Those stats are with Minnesota and the Islanders, so its not like they’ve had the worlds greatests defenses in front of them either (although Harding has seen some benefit from the style the Wild have played).
This.
Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999 and Matt Calvert since May 2010
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
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by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 19, 2012 10:00 PM EST up reply actions
It’s time to splurge in the one area the team has always needed it. I don’t care how much it costs, the team needs a bonafide #1 goaltender…not some career backup that we’re hoping will turn things around. So whatever the cost, it needs to happen for us to be competitive.
I agree with Ward (but whether or not Carolina would let him go is questionable) and Schneider. Harding and Montoya would also be solid options, but I don’t see their teams letting them go. Same for Bernier…Quick/Bernier is a solid 1-2 punch…would the team really sacrifice that? If so, I’d take him, but I don’t see it happening. A couple years back, Niittymaki would have been an interesting option, but I believe that ship has also sailed.
The problem is, the goaltending situation is always more difficult for a team like Columbus. We just have that aura of failure that seem to drag down players right from the get-go (see: Carter, Wisniewski), so we could sign a goalie that would tear it up just about anywhere else, yet fail here. That being said, though, I have little doubt that any one of the above-mentioned names could be solid between our pipes. It’ll be interesting to see what option (if any) the team goes for.
If your Bernier, do you want to spend your entire NHL as a backup to Quick when you could be playing as a starter? They are almost the same age, so he doesnt have much of a chance of becoming number one there.
If he doesnt get traded, i wouldnt be surprised to see him ask for a trade within the next couple years.
It’s going to be difficult to trade for help in net, and it will be almost as difficult to pick up a free agent. Solid, proven goaltenders will look to sign with contenders, and sadly, the CBJ are not likely to be contenders next year.
What we are most likely to be able to acquire are the second tier free agents who are just looking for NHL playing time.
Instead of expecting all our answers to come in one blockbuster free agent deal that will instantly put the Jackets on the map, we should sign an affordable, second tier free agent to share playing time with Sanford and allow Dekanich to develop.
Dan Ellis isn’t a terrible option, 2.72 GAA and .911 SV% in the few games he’s played. Ondrej Pavelec is an unrestricted free agent, and his stats are respectable at 2.88 GAA and .909 SV% and he doesn’t have the injury problem. Both of these guys should be realistically attainable by the CBJ.
Of course I would prefer Montoya, but something tells me he will look to sign with a team better than the Isles, not one looking at landing the 1st overall pick in the draft. I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t see it happening.
I also think it would be foolish to trade away picks and players for a Cam Ward. You’re satisfying one need while making other problems worse. I doubt Carolina would be on board anyways.
The one trade I do find interesting, would be the trade for LA’s Bernier. That would be a steal if this organization is able to land him. I would look at unloading Vinny Prospal in return…the Kings need offense, and Prospal has been productive this year, hopefully LA is looking to add some firepower for the playoff run. There would have to be some other pieces to that trade, and its likely that the asking price would be too steep.
Either way, as of right now, I see the Jackets going into next season with the same needs in net. Hopefully I’m wrong.
Pavelec isnt going to go anywhere.Jets will do whatever it takes to keep him.
I dont think Ellis is a solution in any case. I would look to add a young goalie that has potential.
The Kings are likely to want a lot in return fpr Bernier. Much more than a rental. It will take a couple of picks and a Brassard like player.
“also think it would be foolish to trade away picks and players for a Cam Ward. You’re satisfying one need while making other problems worse. I doubt Carolina would be on board anyways.”
The thing is, its satisfing a really big need in the most important position in the game. Its a lot easier to replace forwards than it is to find a top goalie. Its something that needs to be done. A good goalie can get a team in the playoff alone.
Another goalie we should look at is Ben Bishop in the Blues organization. Hes got Halak and Elliott who are on multi year deals in front of him and still relatively young, and the Blues have another young goalie a little behind Bishop i believe.
He would be cheaper than the other options, but we would need to find a filler goalie until he is ready.
Ben Bishop is 25. He’s been at worst a 1B in the AHL for four years now. You don’t bring him in as your starter, nor should you feel confident with a Dekanich/Bishop tandem, but I don’t think that’s because neither goalie “is ready”. It’s that you don’t know if either goalie can play in the NHL at all.
That’s what’s tough with Columbus. You have Dekanich, so do you go out and get another possible long-term solution and let them battle, risking that neither is good enough, or do you bet Dekanich is the guy?
Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999 and Matt Calvert since May 2010
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
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by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 19, 2012 10:05 PM EST up reply actions
Fair enough. I dont know too much about him, but i do know he has very good numbers in the AHL this year. You gotta take a risk on someone if you cant afford one of the proven goalies.
And i did not say to bring him in as the starter. He starts as the backup/ AHL goalie while you have a filler goalie in there until we could get an idea of what we would have in Bishop.
Again, its not exactly a great solution nor is it a high percentage, but its still an idea if there are no other options.
Lindback is another option, although i see the Preds wanting to keep him for at least another year and may not want to trade him to a division rival. We’ll see, something definately needs to be done to get a good young goalie in here.
Dekanich’s injury really threw a screw in all this. You can’t go into back-to-back seasons with question marks in net. After getting burnt with Mason/Dekanich, you I can’t see Howson going with Emery/Dekanich/Bishop. So you either make a big trade, blocking Dekanich, or you sign someone like Clemmenson and get ridiculed.
If Dekanich had been healthy, the situation becomes a lot clearer – either he can be an NHL backup or you have to start over. Now, there’s still that hope that he can be the NHL backup next year but enough doubt where you need a better plan.
Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999 and Matt Calvert since May 2010
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor
by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 20, 2012 10:46 AM EST up reply actions
FWIW, Since mentioning Bishop on here yesterday, Bob Mackenzie has been tweeting an awful lot about him. Im sure you have seen the tweets, but Mackenzie said many consider him NHL ready.
Mason was a bigger question mark because he had proven to be an inconsistent goalie for the last two years. Dekanich was a question mark for obvious reasons, but we will see how he turns out.
I would be fine going in to next season with a goalie like Emery that has shown he can at least perform in the NHL at a consistent rate when healthy, with Bishop and Dekanich right there to learn the NHL game better and eventually take over the number one. Its less of a question mark with Emery (or another solid goalie)/Bishop/ Dex because we at least have more consistency and we have two NHL goalies that are supposedly “NHL ready” by many NHL people. The chances that one of Dekanich or Bishop steps up is higher than what we have.
However, like you said, i agree that i dont see Howson doing anything like this either after getting burned last season. Maybe if he wasnt on the hot seat he would, but who knows.
And again, the situation above is only a last resort situation. Hopefully we can get a goalie that has proven himself in the NHL and can be a starter. Such as Schneider or Bernier. Or Lindback would be a good option also.
Another name worth throwing out there: Anders Lindback. Group him just below Bernier, Rask, and Schneider, since he’s off to a bad start this year, but he was just below the average NHL starter last year, thanks to his bad PK save percentage. He has serious potential.
Man-crushin' on Boucher since 1999 and Matt Calvert since May 2010
Broad Street Hockey - Makin' it look mean since 1967.
SB Nation Philly - Associate Editor
by Geoff Detweiler on Jan 19, 2012 10:08 PM EST reply actions
goalies...
want list would be
#1-Tuukka Rask
- Antero Niittymaki
- Gorey Schneider
wild card
#1-Ryan miller
#2-Cam Ward..
#3-S. Bobrovsky
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