Speculation: Remaining UFA goalies

Jersey Fan 12

Positive Vibes
Nov 20, 2006
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Was looking through the remaining goalies who had contracts last year that are still unsigned and other than Kevin Lankinen it appears there are not a lot of great options (Obviously Carter Hart is the most talented but given his legal issues he's not an option at this time).

Was wondering if AHL guys like Brandon Halvorson (Syracuse) or Adam Scheel (Chicago) get NHL camp tryout invites.
 
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ThirdPeriodTurtle

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Jul 13, 2022
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Blue Jackets don't really need a goalie - we have Tarasov, Merzlikins signed and Greaves ready to backup when called upon. Merzlikins might be the starter and we'll see how it goes this season, maybe he can put it back together. Coincidentally, I've entertained some thoughts that Lankinen would be good on the Blue Jackets but alas, not happening.

Lankinen should be good enough for a spot somewhere - afaik he played well in Nashville behind Saros.
 

Identity404

I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious
Nov 5, 2005
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Off the top of my head (not considering cap situations, just pure need) - Kings, Avs, Canes, Blue Jackets(?).

Lankinen has a lot of potential. It really surprises me that he's not signed yet. Wonder what kind of term and $$ he's asking for.
Canes don’t need a goalie. They have Kochetkov/Andersen as 1A/1B and Martin available as an injury replacement.
 

ameselare

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Mar 30, 2024
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Canes don’t need a goalie. They have Kochetkov/Andersen as 1A/1B and Martin available as an injury replacement.
And they're fine with that? Didn't work out too well for them this year, unless they're counting on Kochetkov taking a big step (which he certainly could)
 

Derailed75

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Jan 5, 2021
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And they're fine with that? Didn't work out too well for them this year, unless they're counting on Kochetkov taking a big step (which he certainly could)
Andersen struggled in the playoffs after having been out for most of the season. As a team the goal tending helped them to one of their top 5 finishes in the history of the franchise. How did that "not work out for them"
 

JKG33

Leafs & Kings
Oct 31, 2009
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I'm shocked Jones hasn't been signed yet. Two years in a row of being a 3rd string that's handled a starters load due to injuries. I would've thought a team like Tampa or Colorado would bring him in as the backup
 

Maurice of Orange

13:21 🏒🏒
Feb 5, 2016
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Was looking through the remaining goalies who had contracts last year that are still unsigned and other than Kevin Lankinen it appears there are not a lot of great options (Obviously Carter Hart is the most talented but given his legal issues he's not an option at this time).

Was wondering if AHL guys like Brandon Halvorsen (Syracuse) or Adam Scheel (Chicago) get NHL camp tryout invites.
Besides Lankinen the pickings looking slim on the UFA goalie market.

UFA Goalies:
G Lankinen - Nashville
G Raanta - Carolina
G Jones - Toronto
G Hellberg - Florida
G Stalock - Anaheim
G Tokarski - Buffalo
G Hutchinson - Detroit
G Subban - Columbus
G McIntyre - Minnesota
G Keyser - Boston
G Dell - Los Angeles
G Kinkaid - New Jersey
G Sawchenko - Vancouver
G Dansk - Calgary
G Makiniemi - San Jose
G Ingham - Los Angeles
G Saville - Vegas
G Salminen - Winnipeg
G Grigals - Nashville
G Petruzzelli - Toronto
G Appleby - NY Islanders < Signed with Charlotte AHL
G Cormier - Florida < Signed with Charlotte AHL
G Fanti - Edmonton < Signed with Syracuse AHL
G Jones - Minnesota < Signed with Laval AHL
G Prosvetov - Colorado < Signed with CSKA Moscow KHL
G Kallgren - New Jersey < Signed with Brynas IF SHL
G Holm - Colorado < Signed with Rogle BK SHL
G Francouz - Colorado < Retired
G Hart - Philadelphia < HC Investigation
 

Jersey Fan 12

Positive Vibes
Nov 20, 2006
7,194
3,122
Besides Lankinen the pickings looking slim on the UFA goalie market.

UFA Goalies:
G Lankinen - Nashville
G Raanta - Carolina
G Jones - Toronto
G Hellberg - Florida
G Stalock - Anaheim
G Tokarski - Buffalo
G Hutchinson - Detroit
G Subban - Columbus
G McIntyre - Minnesota
G Keyser - Boston
G Dell - Los Angeles
G Kinkaid - New Jersey
G Sawchenko - Vancouver
G Dansk - Calgary
G Makiniemi - San Jose
G Ingham - Los Angeles
G Saville - Vegas
G Salminen - Winnipeg
G Grigals - Nashville
G Petruzzelli - Toronto
G Appleby - NY Islanders < Signed with Charlotte AHL
G Cormier - Florida < Signed with Charlotte AHL
G Fanti - Edmonton < Signed with Syracuse AHL
G Jones - Minnesota < Signed with Laval AHL
G Prosvetov - Colorado < Signed with CSKA Moscow KHL
G Kallgren - New Jersey < Signed with Brynas IF SHL
G Holm - Colorado < Signed with Rogle BK SHL
G Francouz - Colorado < Retired
G Hart - Philadelphia < HC Investigation
Agreed. And I wasn't even considering the guys you mention who are already signed to play in Europe.


I'd be curious to see if any European free agents are signed this summer.
 

Maurice of Orange

13:21 🏒🏒
Feb 5, 2016
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Agreed. And I wasn't even considering the guys you mention who are already signed to play in Europe.


I'd be curious to see if any European free agents are signed this summer.
It would seem that Colorado and Tampa Bay would be in need of some depth as both of those teams only have 3 goalies under contract at this time.
 

Porter Stoutheart

Seen Stamkos?
Jun 14, 2017
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Surprised by Lankinen as well. Did he lose out on goalie musical chairs?
I suspect that is exactly what happened. He has been solid for the Preds and probably the team wanted him back. But he probably wanted a little more term or opportunity so wanted to check out the July 1 market. Except with that, the Preds couldn’t afford to wait, they had to put other offers out there in case Lankinen moved on. And Wedgewood took one of those offers.

Things move fast on July 1. Lankinen should be playing in the league, ideally in his old spot with the Preds, but I guess he/his agent misjudged how much time they might have had to shop around or mull offers? :dunno:
 

Identity404

I'm not superstitious, but I am a little stitious
Nov 5, 2005
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Washington DC
And they're fine with that? Didn't work out too well for them this year, unless they're counting on Kochetkov taking a big step (which he certainly could)
Kochetkov and Andersen played excellent as a tandem down the stretch. IMO Andersen fell apart in the playoffs because he can’t be relied to be a true #1… I think the coaching staff was stubborn to stop the tandem that was working and pick a single guy because it’s the playoffs.
 

Maurice of Orange

13:21 🏒🏒
Feb 5, 2016
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I don’t think Philly should just go with Fedotov and Ersson. Both have almost no nhl experience. Lankinen would be a nice veteran for those two…
Ersson has 63 games to his career, he’s not entirely green in net.

Lankinen would be a good fit with Colorado to prevent Georgiev from being run into the ground.
 

Brodeur

Registered User
Feb 27, 2002
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Using CapFriendly for maybe the last time, here's the goalies signed to NHL contracts (another poster's previous post also listed some goalies signed to AHL only deals). Most teams will want 5-6 guys signed in case of injury so it seems like a few teams will be adding a depth guy eventually.

Off hand Colorado only has three goalies signed so that might be the best landing spot for somebody like Lankinen. Not sure if the Avs plan was to have Justus Annunen as the NHL backup, but I'd imagine they'd want a veteran #3 as insurance.

Barring injury, it seems like every NHL spot is spoken for at the monent. We'll see what happens in Nashville with Askarov. Maybe Tampa could use an upgrade over Johansson? Maybe Calgary depending on how Daniel Vladar's recovery from hip surgery is going?

ANA: Gibson - Dostal - Clang - Suchanek - Buteyets
CGY: Vladar - Wolf - Cooley - Ignatjew
EDM: Skinner - Pickard - Delia - Rodrigue - Ungar
LAK: Kuemper - Rittich - Copley - Portillo
SEA: Grubauer - Daccord - Stezka - Kokko - Ostman
SJS: Blackwood - Vanecek - Chrona - Romanov
VAN: Demko - Silovs - Patera - Tolopilo
VGK: Hill - Samsonov - Schmid - Lindbom - Vikman

ARZ: Ingram - Vejmelka - Villalta - Stauber - Thornton
CHI: Mrazek - Brossoit - Soderblom - Commesso
COL: Georgiev - Annunen - Miner
DAL: Oettinger - DeSmith - Poirier - Kraws
MIN: Gustavsson - Fleury - Wallstedt - Grosenick - Hlavaj
NSH: Saros - Wedgewood - Askarov - Murray
STL: Binnington - Hofer - Zherenko - Ellis - Cranley
WPG: Hellebucyk - Kahkonen - Comrie - Milic - DiVincentis

BOS: Swayman - Korpisalo - Bussi - DiPietro
BUF: Luukkonen - Reimer - Levi - Sandstrom
DET: Husso - Talbot - Lyon - Cossa - Campbell - Gylander - Alexander
FLO: Bobrovsky - Knight - Driedger - Guzda - Black
MON: Montembeault - Primeau - Dobes - Hughes
OTT: Ullmark - Forsberg - Sogaard - Merilainen - Mandolese
TBL: Vasilevskiy - Johansson - Tompkins - Alnefelt
TOR: Woll - Stolarz - Murray - Hildeby - Peksa - Akhtiamov

CAR: Andersen - Kochetkov - Martin - Perets
CLB: Merzlikins - Tarasov - Greaves - Lalonde
NJD: Markstrom - Allen - Daws - Poulter - Brennan
NYI: Sorokin - Varlamov - Skarek - Hogberg - Tikkanen - Lennox
NYR: Shesterkin - Quick - Domingue - Lindbom - Garand - Boyko
PHI: Fedotov - Ersson - Petersen - Kolosov
PIT: Jarry - Nedeljkovic - Larsson - Blomqvist - Gauthier
WSH: Lindgren - Thompson - Shepard - Stevenson - Gibson - Bjorklund
 

scholl

Registered User
Jun 26, 2019
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I suspect that is exactly what happened. He has been solid for the Preds and probably the team wanted him back. But he probably wanted a little more term or opportunity so wanted to check out the July 1 market. Except with that, the Preds couldn’t afford to wait, they had to put other offers out there in case Lankinen moved on. And Wedgewood took one of those offers.

Things move fast on July 1. Lankinen should be playing in the league, ideally in his old spot with the Preds, but I guess he/his agent misjudged how much time they might have had to shop around or mull offers? :dunno:
He probably wanted a bigger opportunity because behind Saros it's not so easy. Teams, however, have seen how important it's to have a solid starter (Shesterkin, Bobrovsky, Saros, Hellebuyck...) and a 1B type of a goaltender isn't needed. I guess Stolarz got that deal what Lankinen wanted.
 
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LeafalCrusader

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Ersson has 63 games to his career, he’s not entirely green in net.

Lankinen would be a good fit with Colorado to prevent Georgiev from being run into the ground.
Annunen had solid numbers in limited action there. 2.25 gaa and a .928 save percentage. I'd imagine they want to see what he's got this year as he'll need waivers to be sent down.
 

LeafalCrusader

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Oct 3, 2013
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Winnipeg
I'm shocked Jones hasn't been signed yet. Two years in a row of being a 3rd string that's handled a starters load due to injuries. I would've thought a team like Tampa or Colorado would bring him in as the backup
If he wants to keep playing as a 3rd stringer splitting time between the AHL and NHL I'd imagine he could find a spot somewhere. Teams are always looking for depth in goal.
 

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