Goalie situation, summer 2022

[Billdo]

We'll probably being back Wedgewood and that's it.

 

[Bleedred]

Shit, Braden Holtby is a UFA, who wouldn't want that WINNING pedigree?

 

[Captain3rdLine]

For me its just a hunch. He's had a weird path to the starter role. I listened to a podcast recently where he talked a lot about his friendship with Binnington from the AHL days to present day and got a feeling like he's happy with the 1A/1B rotation. I could see him sign 1-2 year deal with Blues, pad up his stats for another year or two behind good Blues squad and sign a better deal after that. Certainly better than he would get right now. He's still very unproven.

But yes, its just my hunch. If I'm Husso and someone offers me 10-15 million contract, I'd take it for sure.

I think there’s a pretty good chance someone will offer him that kind of money. And lots of goalies tandems develop good friendships. I don’t think much of that says or means much.
I think him having a longer path will make him likely to take the best contract he can get.
It’s been a long hard road for him to get here and I think he’ll take a payday because he’s been taking AHL money for a while and he knows how hard it is to make it as an NHL goalie.
And he can look at Binnington who came in, did really well and got a big contract (with more of a track record). But he hasn’t been as good and probably wouldn’t get that contract if he was a free agent now.

 

[FinnishDevil]

And he can look at Binnington who came in, did really well and got a big contract (with more of a track record). But he hasn’t been as good and probably wouldn’t get that contract if he was a free agent now.

Oof.. I bet many think that Binnington got that contract after his Cup win, but it was actually signed almost 2 years after the Cup run. He still posted .910 that year, but he was certainly already on decline and they threw in the Cup legacy bonus.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Oof.. I bet many think that Binnington got that contract after his Cup win, but it was actually signed almost 2 years after the Cup run. He still posted .910 that year, but he was certainly already on decline and they threw in the Cup legacy bonus.

I know he didn’t get it right away. Doesn’t change anything really IMO.

 

[Guadana]

It’s a fun ufa year.
Kuemper is old and injury prone
Campbell is 30 yo and play 150 nhl game. Will get big paycheck and could turn into the pumpkin outside of big club.
Husso is unproven
Wedgewood is wedgewood.
Fleury isn’t for the devils.
Halak is finally oldman.
Comrie and Desmith are backups and could turn into the pumpkin, when will play with Smith and Sevs.
Holtby is injury prone pumpkin.
Other than that are not a better options than Gilles and Hammond.

I dont see any safe or any best option.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

What are our realistic trade options?
Just saw something on Vanecek as a potential option on twitter

 

[FinnishDevil]

I know he didn’t get it right away. Doesn’t change anything really IMO.

Oh it wasnt meant at you. More in general. I see people bring up his bad contract and say "yeah but he won the Cup thats why" but nope, he put up .851 in the playoffs leading up to that deal. Yikes.

 

[RangerDoggo]

What are our realistic trade options?
Just saw something on Vanecek as a potential option on twitter

Frankly that’s our best option

 

[None Shall Pass]

Lost in all of the talk of our goaltending is our Bernier. I think a lot of what we do THIS offseason is guided by if / how he recovers.

If he's back to 100%, he provides some insulation for a potentially floundering Blackwood for a year while Daws develops more in the AHL. I'm very high on Daws, but he needs more development time.

I imagine Fitz is going to be on the phone with him and the members of our medical staff that can actually form complete sentences without drooling midway weekly to get a sense of Bernier's recovery.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Lost in all of the talk of our goaltending is our Bernier. I think a lot of what we do THIS offseason is guided by if / how he recovers.

If he's back to 100%, he provides some insulation for a potentially floundering Blackwood for a year while Daws develops more in the AHL. I'm very high on Daws, but he needs more development time.

I imagine Fitz is going to be on the phone with him and the members of our medical staff that can actually form complete sentences without drooling midway weekly to get a sense of Bernier's recovery.

Nope nope nope. It doesn’t sound likely that he will be but I don’t think we can go in hoping he’ll be reliable insulation for Blackwood after being hurt and not playing for so long. And he isn’t exactly young. We have to get someone this off-season and I have no doubt that we will

 

[Eggtimer]

John Gibson

Alexandar Georgiev

Karel Vejmelka

Petr Mrazek

Joonas Korpisalo

Martin Jones

Jordan Binnington

Cam Talbot

MAF

Mikko Koskinen

Louis Domingue

Yucky .
Talbot or MAF for me if I had to pick some from the list. I’d say Gibson as well if not for his gross contract.
Husso Keumper Campbell . Not sure who makes it to UFA or what I think of them.

What about Remier ? Sharks have a goalie surplus .
Or this kid I watched named Ottenger…. He seems kinda ok ….. lol

 

[Bleedred]

Yucky .
Talbot or MAF for me if I had to pick some from the list. I’d say Gibson as well if not for his gross contract.
Husso Keumper Campbell . Not sure who makes it to UFA or what I think of them.

What about Remier ? Sharks have a goalie surplus .
Or this kid I watched named Ottenger…. He seems kinda ok ….. lol

Okay, Reimer, just like Talbot, would be fine if we're acquiring two goalies and moving on from Blackwood.

If Blackwood is still playing a significant role here next year, we need somebody better than Reimer and Talbot.

Reimer hasn't really shown the ability to be a good starting goalie in a while. I thought he was good this year for the Sharks, but if you look at his last several years he's been an every other year goalie. And he's 34 years old.

If Reimer has to be THE guy here, I can see him finishing with a below league average save percentage and possibly by quite a bit. I'm already penciling Blackwood in for a league average at the very best for next year, maybe a little better if he plays a reduced role.

Blackwood/Reimer is a tandem I can look at and see real .900%, .902%, .903% save percentage potential for next year. That would be an improvement upon this year, probably even a drastic improvement, but it still isn't good enough.

Not to mention the fact that Reimer turns 35 years old in March and that right there is an age where (like Bernier) you gotta be prepared for or even expect missing time with injury.

Blackwood is not a good enough safety net to absorb issues with Reimer, as Reimer is also not a good enough safety net to absorb issues with Blackwood and issues with Blackwood at this point are more than ''Potential'', they should be assumed until he proves otherwise.

 

[glenwo2]

What Fitz should do? - @Guadana

Find a goaltender that :

1.) Doesn't retire
2.) Doesn't get injured in Preseason
3.) Doesn't suck

Find one that has none of the 3 above and I'm good.

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

Bernier can return as a #3 option. I'm sure he will get chances here and there due to injury or ineffectiveness. None of this "treat a vet the right way" crap. If he has to play some games in the AHL, then so be it.

Is there more to the story of why Corey Crawford retired? Concussions symptoms and/or he didn't want to deal with playing during a pandemic?

 

[Mgd31]

Linus Ullmark?

 

[Eggtimer]

I’m hoping for a off the board surprise acquisition that no one saw coming. Because there is literally shit out there
UFA‘s or rumoured to be available - all are one or more of : old , injury prone , inconsistent, not enough same size and too risky.

One I haven’t seen people name is Lehner. Might be available but once again, he scared me about injuries and not sure how a big dude like him holds up (hips/ knees/etc).

Of the goalies listed , if I had to pick just one I’d go Husso but even that scares me.

Id almost prefer Logan Thompson over all these guys.

 

[Normal Devil]

Linus Ullmark?

He'd be a solid addition. He's got years on his deal at a pretty reasonable number and he's still just 28 .. 29 next season.

 

[Bleedred]

I’m hoping for a off the board surprise acquisition that no one saw coming. Because there is literally shit out there
UFA‘s or rumoured to be available - all are one or more of : old , injury prone , inconsistent, not enough same size and too risky.

One I haven’t seen people name is Lehner. Might be available but once again, he scared me about injuries and not sure how a big dude like him holds up (hips/ knees/etc).

Of the goalies listed , if I had to pick just one I’d go Husso but even that scares me.

Id almost prefer Logan Thompson over all these guys.

I've mentioned Lehner and I think he would be our guy if he hadn't had a bunch of injuries last year.

He's only got 2 years left on his deal, so it's not like he's signed forever.

It looked like he was on the outs in Vegas or at least one of him or DeBoer and DeBoer is out as of today.

It doesn't mean they'd still not want to get rid of him and open up $5 million or whatever in cap space to go after their next shiny new toy.

 

[glenwo2]

@Bleedred , someone mentioned Ullmark above.

Would he be a solid addition if he was available?

 

[Bleedred]

@Bleedred , someone mentioned Ullmark above.

Would he be a solid addition if he was available?

Ehh, still 3 years left on his deal.

He's been solid the last two years, but wasn't all that great up until then.

I'd rather someone better than him if we gotta take on a 3 year deal.

 

[Captain3rdLine]

Ehh, still 3 years left on his deal.

He's been solid the last two years, but wasn't all that great up until then.

I'd rather someone better than him if we gotta take on a 3 year deal.

Who do you actually want or suggest then?
I love to see hear your suggestions other than Lehner if he didn’t have injury problems

 

[Bleedred]

Who do you actually want or suggest then?
I love to see hear your suggestions other than Lehner if he didn’t have injury problems

I'm at the point where I'd love to see Hellebuyck, but I'm warming up to the idea of Kuemper or Campbell, DEPENDING on what kind of deal they want.

I'm certainly open to Husso, but assuming Blackwood might not be NHL caliber yet again, he's still too much of a question mark if we're relying on Blackwood to play a significant amount of games.

 

[Guadana]

Ehh, still 3 years left on his deal.

He's been solid the last two years, but wasn't all that great up until then.

I'd rather someone better than him if we gotta take on a 3 year deal.

3 years in a row. 4 years in the last 5, when four years were in Buffalo system. If ullmark compensation isn’t luke, arseniy, alexander or 2nd, I’m in.

 

[Bleedred]

3 years in a row. 4 years in the last 5, when four years were in Buffalo system. If ullmark compensation isn’t luke, arseniy, alexander or 2nd, I’m in.

Yeah, he's been solid for 3 years, but didn't play a whole lot last year due to injury and shortened season.

I'm still a little hesitant on him cause the contract length.

I think if he had 2 years left I'd be into it.

I'd actually rather Lehner's last 2 years, barring they know what's wrong with him and it's nothing really long term.