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This summers goalie market


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A lot is up in the air in the goalie market this summer. Here is a take on what could be expected.

First Jaroslav Halak has essentially been taken off the market with his trade to the Isles, the ink is not on a contract yet, but it will be. Just a matter of time. Now Brian Elliott has signed with St. Louis.

UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS

Ryan Miller. The crème of the crop of this years free agent goalie class.

Tim Thomas. Solid for a team looking for a goalie who is a 30 start guy. Ego and salary may be an issue.

Martin Brodeur. He may retire, he may return to New Jersey or try to find a team to start for.

Ilya Bryzgalov. Really did a good job with the Wild but may be KHL bound.

Jonas Gustavsson. Had a hell of a year and was a primary reason the Wings made the postseason.

Chad Johnson. Backup in Boston may be due a big payday with a team looking for a starter.

Al Montoya. Meh backup had sparks last season, a solid backup.

Jonas Hiller. Was okay in Anaheim, pushed out by the kids.

Essentially Miller and Hiller certain to land starting jobs, someone will likely overpay for Johnson, and the rest are aging suspect veterans.

TRADE BAIT

Antti Niemi. San Jose has made it clear that they would love to move Niemi and go in a different direction.

M.A. Fleury. A longshot but whispers are that he may be dealt.

Petr Mrazak. Possibly the top AHL goalie prospect, rumors are the Wings would consider moving him to fill a hole on the blue line.

Cam Ward. Khubodin has taken the starting job in Carolina- if they can find a taker for Ward's contract they would be thrilled.

TEAMS THAT ARE LOOKING TO ADD A GOALIE

The Wild. Depending upon the health of Backstrom and Harding. They may consider a player such as Ward or Brodeur as a stop gap and insurance for Kuemper.

The Flames. The Flames goaltending is a mess, Hiller may be the answer.

The Oilers. They added Scrivens and Fasth, but they may be looking at a guy like Chad Johnson.

The Sabres. With Enroth and Grubauer they at least have 2 NHLish goalies in place, they may look at a young player such as Johnson or Mrazak as an upgrade.

The Capitals. If they decide that Holtby is not the answer they may make a play for Niemi or one of the free agents.

The Jets. They cannot possibly be considering Pavelec again can they? Brodeur or Ward may wind up here.

The Canucks. The odds on favorite to land Ryan Miller.

So in short about seven teams will have varying degrees of need for goaltending this offseason with it being a buyers market. Some such as the Oilers and Flames may be tire kickers and stick with what they have making actual buyers even less. It is a buyers market, guys like Hiller and Miller picked a poor time to hit the market.

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Chad Johnson. Backup in Boston may be due a big payday with a team looking for a starter.

 

This would be my choice for Emery's replacement. Not sure he has done enough to earn a BIG pay day but yes he is in line to earn more than the 600K he earned this past season in Beantown. Maybe 850K-925K2 1-2 year deal. By then Stolarz should be ready for backup duty.

 

Plus Boston has Svedberg ready to step in behind Rask. So i hope Hexy like this kid a jumps on him...well not literally cause then he would be scared to sign.

Edited by OccamsRazor
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This would be my choice for Emery's replacement. Not sure he has done enough to earn a BIG pay day but yes he is in line to earn more than the 600K he earned this past season in Beantown. Maybe 850K-925K2 1-2 year deal. By then Stolarz should be ready for backup duty.

 

Plus Boston has Svedberg ready to step in behind Rask. So i hope Hexy like this kid a jumps on him...well not literally cause then he would be scared to sign.

I think someone is going to overpay for Johnson based off of his numbers from this year which were through the roof. I really believe someone like Calgary or likely Winnipeg will offer something like 3 years at 5 million (not per year but length of contract) which I feel is too much. I think his numbers were crazy because of Boston's defense and while I see him as an okay prospect because most of the rest of the guys out there as potential starters/backups are about ready to qualify for their AARP cards, Johnson is in line for a nice payday. I have him rated number 3 among UFA goalies behind Hiller/Miller and ahead of the Geritol bunch.
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I think someone is going to overpay for Johnson based off of his numbers from this year which were through the roof. I really believe someone like Calgary or likely Winnipeg will offer something like 3 years at 5 million (not per year but length of contract) which I feel is too much. I think his numbers were crazy because of Boston's defense and while I see him as an okay prospect because most of the rest of the guys out there as potential starters/backups are about ready to qualify for their AARP cards, Johnson is in line for a nice payday. I have him rated number 3 among UFA goalies behind Hiller/Miller and ahead of the Geritol bunch.

I dunno. I suspect he will get a contract, but will it be over 1.5 million/year? Maybe. I guess I am expecting a 1.5 million/1 year contract for Stalock since talks are already favorable and it is a similar situation. Stalock is RFA as opposed to UFA though, and had twice as many starts against Playoff teams. I suspect it will be a "Prove yourself" 1 year contract, which, if Stalock does prove himself, becomes a lucrative opportunity in negotiations the next season.

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@yave1964

 

I just had an interesting thought. Since all signs point to Niemi being dangled for a late pick or something, might Doug Wilson offer a contract to Johnson similar to the one he gives Stalock?

 

Wilson said he wanted to get younger in net too and add another goalie after Stalock, and wanted to give Stalock the opportunity to win the starter job. Who better than another goalie in a similar situation? 2 goalies who did a great job as backup, duking it out for a starter job on one of the best regular season teams in hockey!

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I dunno. I suspect he will get a contract, but will it be over 1.5 million/year? Maybe. I guess I am expecting a 1.5 million/1 year contract for Stalock since talks are already favorable and it is a similar situation. Stalock is RFA as opposed to UFA though, and had twice as many starts against Playoff teams. I suspect it will be a "Prove yourself" 1 year contract, which, if Stalock does prove himself, becomes a lucrative opportunity in negotiations the next season.

My druthers I would take Stalock hands down between the two, but keep in mind there is a huge difference in leverage between an UFA and RFA. Johnson is in an ideal position. I am certain a lot of people will look at him as a potential Bernier type just in need of a starting job, rather than rehash the AARP squad. He is going to get paid.
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My druthers I would take Stalock hands down between the two, but keep in mind there is a huge difference in leverage between an UFA and RFA. Johnson is in an ideal position. I am certain a lot of people will look at him as a potential Bernier type just in need of a starting job, rather than rehash the AARP squad. He is going to get paid.

Bernier......Pffft.

Every year at work, Toronto fans come in naming the new goalie "The messiah". Reimer is going to win us the cup!! This year it is Bernier. Hehe. maybe we will end up trading them Niemi for a pick.

 

Toronto has the incredible ability to have a goalie either look better or worse than he actually is lol. Poor Toskala.......I felt so bad for him when we traded him to Toronto. But thanks for the Logan Couture pick for him and taking Bell's contract off our hands!

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@yave1964 re: Brodeur in Winnipeg

 

Honestly, if Brodeur agrees to go there, I would say he probably has taken one too many pucks to the face mask.

The Jets may very well need to upgrade from Pavelec, and I am sure they would LOVE Brodeur there, but from Marty's standpoint: WHY would he do it?

 

If he wants to continue to play somewhere, anywhere, and be the starter, then yea, ok, I can see that.

But if he wants to go out on a winning note, and possibly having a real shot at making the post season and competing for a Cup, then NO, NO, NO he doesn't end up there.

 

Jets have a myriad of issues they need to address all over the ice before they can be taken seriously as a playoff team, much less a SC Contender....that coupled with the fact the Jets would be in arguably the toughest division in the NHL next season (Blues, Hawks, Avs, Wild, Stars, Preds), plus Brodeur's age, well, that doesn't bode well for him going out 'on a high note'.

 

Personally, I would rather see Brodeur retire instead of even being a backup for his own NJ Devils.

The man has NOTHING left to prove, has done everything a goalie could want to do at the NHL level (Cups, ASG, Vezinas), and has set goalie records.

He can go out with his head high NOW. His HOF induction is all but assured. No need for him to let fans remember him as a 'hanger-on'.

 

I know that is all easier said than done...seems great athletes often don't know when to call it a career, and the fire may very well still burn in him to compete.

But if he does want to keep playing, I would think someplace other than Winnipeg would suit him.

Call me nuts, but I would actually say he would be better off somewhere like Edmonton before Winnipeg.....The Oilers are due to figure out team defense....errr, aren't they?? :P

 

I do agree though, overall in the NHL, that the goalie market will get very interesting.

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I really believe someone like Calgary or likely Winnipeg will offer something like 3 years at 5 million (not per year but length of contract) which I feel is too much.

 

Well rain on my parade then....ok then i'll take Thomas Greiss then....a great plan B!!!!!!!!!

 

He'll be 29 in January still some thread on the tires.

 

Problem solved. :D

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Wilson said he wanted to get younger in net too and add another goalie after Stalock, and wanted to give Stalock the opportunity to win the starter job.

 

 

What about Harri Sateri kid will turn 25 this year....why not see if he can play.......if not now then when???

 

He's got a 129 games in the AHL under his belt it's time to find out if he can play or cut bait. 

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As a Devils fan, I think I would rather just see Brodeur retire than either be a backup for the Devils, or play somewhere else. It was clear after the Stadium Series disaster that he just doesn't have it anymore. He can still be okay at times, but the consistency is gone. You just never know if he's going to keep the team in the game, or give up a backbreaking softie. I love the guy to death (he's a big part of why I became a Devils fan), but it's just time to move on.

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As a Devils fan, I think I would rather just see Brodeur retire than either be a backup for the Devils, or play somewhere else. It was clear after the Stadium Series disaster that he just doesn't have it anymore. He can still be okay at times, but the consistency is gone. You just never know if he's going to keep the team in the game, or give up a backbreaking softie. I love the guy to death (he's a big part of why I became a Devils fan), but it's just time to move on.

Same. I actually thought Marty retired or was going to.

 

I cannot see him in another uniform

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@J0e Th0rnton  Johnson is gonna be a star. He's a fantastic young goalie. Sure, the Bruins defense can make a goalie look good, but Chad is the real deal. Great reflexes, great pads, great glove, great side to side movement. Whoever signs him will have a starter for next decade or so. I see him fetching 5 mill a year for 5 or 6 years...and I don't think it's an overpayment at all, it's a bargain for whoever is smart enough to invest in him.

 

 Disagree about the state of the Flames goalies. Kari Ramo was outstanding last year, especially the last few months. On a horrid team like the Flames, he had a 17-15-5 record, a very respectable 2.65 and a .911 save percentage. He is the future in Calgary. Their back up, whose name escapes me at the moment showed some signs of being an up and comer....although his stats were no where close, he was a rookie and I think he's about 21 or so...I don't see the Flames making any tending moves.

 

 I can see Ramo improving his stats next year, cutting his GGA to 2.25 or so...and a Save % of .920.....this kid finally got it last year, and I'm sure the Flames will give him more goal support as the youngsters mature and fill the net.

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Bernier......Pffft.

Every year at work, Toronto fans come in naming the new goalie "The messiah". Reimer is going to win us the cup!! This year it is Bernier. Hehe. maybe we will end up trading them Niemi for a pick.

 

Toronto has the incredible ability to have a goalie either look better or worse than he actually is lol. Poor Toskala.......I felt so bad for him when we traded him to Toronto. But thanks for the Logan Couture pick for him and taking Bell's contract off our hands!

 

 

Well i asked you about this guy and why he wasn't given a chance but now he isn't an option i guess...just wondered why Sharks never played him.

 

Sharks goalie Sateri bolts to KHL

 

After four years with San Jose’s AHL affiliate in Worcester, Harri Sateri is heading to Russia.

The Sharks farmhand has agreed to a deal with KHL club Vityaz Podolsk, per the league website. Sateri, 24, was San Jose’s fourth-round pick (106th overall) at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and spent this past season in Worcester after losing out on the gig as Antti Niemi’s backup to Alex Stalock in the preseason.

Stalock, of course, went onto appear in a career-high 24 games this season and briefly replaced Niemi in the playoffs, starting Game 6 of the club’s first-round collapse against the Kings.

While losing a third-string goalie that never played at the NHL level won’t shake the club to its core, Sateri’s departure really doesn’t help San Jose’s uncertainty in goal. Niemi is no sure thing to return for next season, especially after GM Doug Wilson suggested roster changes would be in store, and it’s unclear if the organization sees Stalock as a legitimate No. 1, given he turns 27 in July and only has 27 games of NHL experience on his resume.

 

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2014/05/19/sharks-goalie-sateri-bolts-to-khl/

 

Oh good ol KHL......

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Well i asked you about this guy and why he wasn't given a chance but now he isn't an option i guess...just wondered why Sharks never played him.

 

Sharks goalie Sateri bolts to KHL

 

After four years with San Jose’s AHL affiliate in Worcester, Harri Sateri is heading to Russia.

The Sharks farmhand has agreed to a deal with KHL club Vityaz Podolsk, per the league website. Sateri, 24, was San Jose’s fourth-round pick (106th overall) at the 2008 NHL Entry Draft and spent this past season in Worcester after losing out on the gig as Antti Niemi’s backup to Alex Stalock in the preseason.

Stalock, of course, went onto appear in a career-high 24 games this season and briefly replaced Niemi in the playoffs, starting Game 6 of the club’s first-round collapse against the Kings.

While losing a third-string goalie that never played at the NHL level won’t shake the club to its core, Sateri’s departure really doesn’t help San Jose’s uncertainty in goal. Niemi is no sure thing to return for next season, especially after GM Doug Wilson suggested roster changes would be in store, and it’s unclear if the organization sees Stalock as a legitimate No. 1, given he turns 27 in July and only has 27 games of NHL experience on his resume.

 

http://prohockeytalk.nbcsports.com/2014/05/19/sharks-goalie-sateri-bolts-to-khl/

 

Oh good ol KHL......

Sateri just was not that good for us in the AHL. Nobody ever expected him to make the big team really. Stalock was outplaying him, and this season in Worchester, Grosenick outplayed him.

Edited by J0e Th0rnton
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Sateri just was not that good for us in the AHL. Nobody ever expected him to make the big team really. Stalock was outplaying him, and this season in Worchester, Grosenick outplayed him.

 

 

Ok makes sense. Sharks need depth in goal in the system noone really there.......a weak spot for the club.

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Ok makes sense. Sharks need depth in goal in the system noone really there.......a weak spot for the club.

Definitely. Always has been.

Nabokov had his moments, but I cannot for the life of me think of a time when a goaltender just stole a series for us,

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Definitely. Always has been.

Nabokov had his moments, but I cannot for the life of me think of a time when a goaltender just stole a series for us,

 

 

Yeah well Stalock may sign with the Sharks but if i'm the Sharks i try to move Niemi at the draft and sign a free agent to compete with Stalock. Cahd Johnson would be a good option i'd like the Flyers to sign him but he may won't a better chance to win a starters job with Mason entrenched...San Jose could give him that.

 

Halak? Hiller? Even a return of Greiss maybe. I just wouldn't go with Niemi again.

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Definitely. Always has been.

Nabokov had his moments, but I cannot for the life of me think of a time when a goaltender just stole a series for us,

 

I'm just not seeing it, honestly.

 

I don't see where Niemi was "the problem" in San Jose.

 

Last season he put up 1.87/.930 in the playoffs - and in the second round the Sharks scored more than two goals in a game once - a 4-3 loss. They were shutout twice and won three 2-1. There aren't a whole lot of teams that get to a Game 7 with that sort of offense.

 
In 11-12, they opened with a 3-2 win and then scored 0 goals, 3 goals, 1 goal, 1 goal.

 

This season the team was up 3-0 and then scored 3 goals, 0 goals, 1 goal, 1 goal. Losing four in a row wasn't really either goalie's "fault."

 

San Jose has three of the top 20 scoring forwards in the game this season. If there's a common denominator at the root of the continual playoff collapses in San Jose, how can it possibly not lie primarily with them??

 

Blame the coach, blame the goalie, blame the coach, blame the goalie.

 

I've heard it all before... :D

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Definitely. Always has been.

Nabokov had his moments, but I cannot for the life of me think of a time when a goaltender just stole a series for us,

1994 your damn Sharks led by Arturs Irbe as a number 8 seed knocked off my damn Wings in a series they had no business even being in. Freak. Freaking Freak. Freaking freakity freaking Irbe. Freak freak freak.

20 years and I am still mad. Osgood. Irbe.

Freak.

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1994 your damn Sharks led by Arturs Irbe as a number 8 seed knocked off my damn Wings in a series they had no business even being in. Freak. Freaking Freak. Freaking freakity freaking Irbe. Freak freak freak.

20 years and I am still mad. Osgood. Irbe.

Freak.

 

To riff on my earlier point - the Sharks scored 5, 4, 6 and 3 in their wins in that series. Then they had 1, 3, 2, 2 in four losses in the next round.

 

Scoring wins hockey games, series doubly so.

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1994 your damn Sharks led by Arturs Irbe as a number 8 seed knocked off my damn Wings in a series they had no business even being in. Freak. Freaking Freak. Freaking freakity freaking Irbe. Freak freak freak.

20 years and I am still mad. Osgood. Irbe.

Freak.

I was a Bruins fan back then Yave :)

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To riff on my earlier point - the Sharks scored 5, 4, 6 and 3 in their wins in that series. Then they had 1, 3, 2, 2 in four losses in the next round.

 

Scoring wins hockey games, series doubly so.

Rad, I know you hear "Blame the goalie" a lot, but watching the games was a different matter than reading the scores. Yes the Sharks had trouble responding in the last 3 games when a goal was let in, but other than the OT win and a couple of saves in game 7(his one shinning moment was OT game 3), Niemi let in some pitiful backbreaking, confidence ruining goals. I am talking Mcsofties, and never came up with a big save to give anyone confidence. Every time he left the net to handle the puck, I could see players trying to cross their fingers with their gloves on because he is HORRIBLE at puck handling, and often just gave the puck to an LA player.

 

Did I have some words for the coach and GM and players too? Hell yes. But I watch a decent amount of Sharks games and I was far more comfortable with Stalock. In fact, Stalock made a bunch of huge saves in the game he played before the implosion due to the goal that should have been waived off.

 

Take it from a guy who watched Niemi play a lot and usually berates players before the goalie.

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Yeah well Stalock may sign with the Sharks but if i'm the Sharks i try to move Niemi at the draft and sign a free agent to compete with Stalock. Cahd Johnson would be a good option i'd like the Flyers to sign him but he may won't a better chance to win a starters job with Mason entrenched...San Jose could give him that.

 

Halak? Hiller? Even a return of Greiss maybe. I just wouldn't go with Niemi again.

I actually suggested that earlier, but others shot it down, convinced Johnson is going to get a big payday.

 

Definitely. Always has been.

Nabokov had his moments, but I cannot for the life of me think of a time when a goaltender just stole a series for us,

I actually just thought of a time Nabokov looked amazing for us...........When we were swept by the Hawks. We got outplayed on all levels in that series and Nabokov was literally under siege from all angles. The poor guy was in fetal position at the end of the series.

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