HF Habs: Goaltending Prospects/Young Players - Who to Keep Who to Trade

[WeThreeKings]

I don't know what will happen with Primeau but I'm excited to see what this group of goalie prospects can do as I really like Dobes and cant' wait to see him in Laval and Fowler at BC as I assume Fowler is our best hope at finding a legit starter one day.

Then you have Volokhin who just based off his sick numbers and how Russians have been producing the best NHL goalies of late it seems, you can add him to the mix as very interesting.

But I am also very interested to see Croteau as I think he could be flying under the radar but I have barely seen him so I look forward to next month to see how it goes for him.

I haven't seen Miller yet and don't know how much of the Q I will get to see as it's going to be a busy year for my yt between Hutson, Fowler, Laval, Reinbacher. Not sure I will have much time for the CHL outside of some Xhekaj/Beck games most likely

I'm excited to see Miller tonight to get a sense of what we have.

Dobes Fowler and volokhin for me all have the stuff it's just seeing how it plays as they go up levels.

 

[HuGort]

I don't know what will happen with Primeau but I'm excited to see what this group of goalie prospects can do as I really like Dobes and cant' wait to see him in Laval and Fowler at BC as I assume Fowler is our best hope at finding a legit starter one day.

Then you have Volokhin who just based off his sick numbers and how Russians have been producing the best NHL goalies of late it seems, you can add him to the mix as very interesting.

But I am also very interested to see Croteau as I think he could be flying under the radar but I have barely seen him so I look forward to next month to see how it goes for him.

I haven't seen Miller yet and don't know how much of the Q I will get to see as it's going to be a busy year for my yt between Hutson, Fowler, Laval, Reinbacher. Not sure I will have much time for the CHL outside of some Xhekaj/Beck games most likely

Sorry to hear about Primeau. I thought once there he be good goalie. He had good college career and outstanding WJC.

 

[montreal]

Sorry to hear about Primeau. I thought once there he be good goalie. He had good college career and outstanding WJC.

we'll see what happens, I hate how they developed him but he could still find his way. If not it was still a good pick for a 7th rounder.

 

[Habs Halifax]

we'll see what happens, I hate how they developed him but he could still find his way. If not it was still a good pick for a 7th rounder.

NCAA numbers: Great

AHL numbers: Very solid

NHL numbers so far (21 games): Very bad.

I think he is a solid positional goalie but when he faces real NHL shooters who can snipe, he struggles. He has journeyman goalie status written all over him.

It's not over yet but I would prefer better numbers in some of his NHL sample size. You usually know what you have by this time in his development.

 

[HuGort]

we'll see what happens, I hate how they developed him but he could still find his way. If not it was still a good pick for a 7th rounder.

Goalies are a wildcard. Primeau may develop when he is 26-27. Where he once looked promising, there must be skill there. Monty just had his first good season last year. Then others are like Fucale. It's a roll of the dice

 

[dcyhabs]

NCAA numbers: Great

AHL numbers: Very solid

NHL numbers so far (21 games): Very bad.

I think he is a solid positional goalie but when he faces real NHL shooters who can snipe, he struggles. He has journeyman goalie status written all over him.

It's not over yet but I would prefer better numbers in some of his NHL sample size. You usually know what you have by this time in his development.

We'll see if he needs to see more NHL shots and adapt or if the NHL is just more than he can deal with. There are only a few dozen goalies in the world who can cope with NHL shots, so falling just short is still really impressive.

 

[the valiant effort]

Is there anything being done yet to address the near total collapse of Canadian goaltending?

 

[Treb]

NCAA numbers: Great

AHL numbers: Very solid

NHL numbers so far (21 games): Very bad.

I think he is a solid positional goalie but when he faces real NHL shooters who can snipe, he struggles. He has journeyman goalie status written all over him.

It's not over yet but I would prefer better numbers in some of his NHL sample size. You usually know what you have by this time in his development.

Primeau's problem is not athletic or technical, it's mental.

Also wouldn't qualify his AHL numbers as solid. He's had elite stretches but has been pretty average otherwise.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Is there anything being done yet to address the near total collapse of Canadian goaltending?

No, they had a segment about it on TSN and McLellan just thinks its cyclical.

Dude the last goalie we produced came out of the 2005 draft.. this ain't a cyclical issue.

 

[montreal]

Primeau in the NHL has had some pretty bad bluelines in front of him, so the hope is that with an improved blueline he might show a little more. He's got to find a way to get his save % as it's been between .849 and .868 the past 3 seasons which is not going to see him long for the NHL at that rate.

 

[Habs Halifax]

Primeau's problem is not athletic or technical, it's mental.

Also wouldn't qualify his AHL numbers as solid. He's had elite stretches but has been pretty average otherwise.

I would consider his AHL stats solid.

 

[KevSkillz4]

Fowler and Volokhin have great stats in their league. I think Habs scouts did very well to pick 3 good looking goalie.

 

[HuGort]

Play Monty 50-55 games this season. We need to see if he is #1 material

 

[Steve Shutt]

Do they give Primeau a few starts or are they strategically waiting for other teams to have their goaltending sorted out before trying to pass him through waivers to Laval?

If they play him and he looks good = little hope he clears waivers and they'll need to solve this via a trade
If they play him and he looks bad = loses some value and more likely to pass through waivers
If they play him and he looks average = continue to need to strategically time the demotion or continue looking for a trade partner

 

[morhilane]

No, they had a segment about it on TSN and McLellan just thinks its cyclical.

Dude the last goalie we produced came out of the 2005 draft.. this ain't a cyclical issue.

Technically Lindgren is an NHL backup now, but he wasn't drafted.

I think the main issue has been that the Habs have left their goalies in the AHL because they were not "good enough" to be Price's backup. But with the league gap in term of shot quality and speed of execution, goalies have to see rubber in the NHL now.

 

[Grate n Colorful Oz]

There's no magic solution to getting a good goalie. Try to draft well and draft many and let the chips fall where they may.

 

[WeThreeKings]

Technically Lindgren is an NHL backup now, but he wasn't drafted.

I think the main issue has been that the Habs have left their goalies in the AHL because they were not "good enough" to be Price's backup. But with the league gap in term of shot quality and speed of execution, goalies have to see rubber in the NHL now.

I was talking about Canada - not the Habs specifically.

 

[morhilane]

I was talking about Canada - not the Habs specifically.

I wasn't too sure, 2005 confused me. Saying, that for Canada in general the problem is what they focus on (size over athleticism/agility/talent/technic) well before Junior. It's not even my conclusion, it's something that came out of a discussion I had with the dad of an NHL prospect goalie last year.

Still, the AHL -> NHL gap is real for all of them.

 

[Gustave]

No, they had a segment about it on TSN and McLellan just thinks its cyclical.

Dude the last goalie we produced came out of the 2005 draft.. this ain't a cyclical issue.

Skinner is getting KILLED in Edm right now...

So far... MAF is still one the best canadians... and Monty. Levi might be it, but I don't like throwing young g's to the Wolves like Buf is doing...

 

[WeThreeKings]

I wasn't too sure, 2005 confused me. Saying, that for Canada in general the problem is what they focus on (size over athleticism/agility/talent/technic) well before Junior. It's not even my conclusion, it's something that came out of a discussion I had with the dad of an NHL prospect goalie last year.

Still, the AHL -> NHL gap is real for all of them.

It's part of it for sure. The biggest issue is that goalie development in Canada isn't really a thing until junior where it's too late.

Goalies don't get better being shooter tutors for individual skater drills in practice.

The other piece is kind of baked into your point, they also tend to specialize into hockey/goaltending and don't develop athletes. Canada is focusing on technique when they do develop goalies (outdated at that) and don't develop athletes first then work on technique later.

 

[Lafleurs Guy]

It's part of it for sure. The biggest issue is that goalie development in Canada isn't really a thing until junior where it's too late.

Goalies don't get better being shooter tutors for individual skater drills in practice.

The other piece is kind of baked into your point, they also tend to specialize into hockey/goaltending and don't develop athletes. Canada is focusing on technique when they do develop goalies (outdated at that) and don't develop athletes first then work on technique later.

For what it’s worth i remember some stories of players saying that Price had the hardest slapshot on the team when he wasn’t wearing the pads.

 

[morhilane]

For what it’s worth i remember some stories of players saying that Price had the hardest slapshot on the team when he wasn’t wearing the pads.

Price can dangle better than some of the habs forwards when not in goalie gear.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

One of our goalies is bound to pan out at some point.

 

[WeThreeKings]

One of our goalies is bound to pan out at some point.

I can't tell you who will be the one out of the bunch, but I like Fowler, Volokhin, Dobes and Miller.

Fowler has the winning pedigree. High hockey IQ. Positioning and rebound control. Battles as well.

Volokhin has that Russian athleticism with his frame and understanding of modern goalie systems.

Dobes is the freak athlete who is explosive and can make the big saves. Just needs to get the finer details, concentration and consistency.

Miller really impressed with his positioning and ability to read the play.

 

[Pompeius Magnus]

I can't tell you who will be the one out of the bunch, but I like Fowler, Volokhin, Dobes and Miller.

Fowler has the winning pedigree. High hockey IQ. Positioning and rebound control. Battles as well.

Volokhin has that Russian athleticism with his frame and understanding of modern goalie systems.

Dobes is the freak athlete who is explosive and can make the big saves. Just needs to get the finer details, concentration and consistency.

Miller really impressed with his positioning and ability to read the play.

It's certainly one of the better group of goalie prospects we've had talent wise, maybe not all time best, but it's up there. There's some legit diamonds in the rough to polish. Primeau was a very good goalie prospect at some point, but at his core he was a 7th rounder without a ton of tools who sorta overachieved. I'm hoping we'll hit the tools AND attitude jackpot with one of these kids.