Subj : Kraken Goalie Options Emerging in 2020 Playoffs
To : All
From : The Hockey Writers - Main
Date : Mon Sep 14 2020 04:40 am
There is no worse feeling than watching a goalie stay down after an opposing
player crashes the net. So much of a championship calibre team relies on the
goalie. The key saves, the steady confidence, and the knowledge that the
offense can take the odd risk because their goalie will shut the door if things
don';t work out. When the starter can';t play, all eyes turn to the guy who
normally wears a baseball cap.
There are many flavours of backup goalie. There are the career number twos, who
can step in, often without a warm-up, and make stops when the starter gets
pulled or needs the night off. He is who he is, unable to carry the mail over a
full 82-game schedule, but there when you need him. Then there';s the
new-comer, a younger goalie, recently up from the minors, who everyone hopes is
the "next one" but who hasn';t yet had a chance to prove his worth.The Second
Stringers are Making a Difference These Playoffs
The compact schedule of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, has made for great
television but has also been wearing on the goaltenders. It has offered a
preview of the backups who may be available when Seattle Kraken general manager
Ron Francis begins to select his team. In the expansion draft format, the
Kraken are required to select 14 forwards, nine defence, and three goalies. The
30 teams required to give up a player can only protect a single keeper each,
which means that the second-best goalie on every team will be available.Ron
Francis, NHL Seattle';s first general manager (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
While the picture hasn';t fully crystallized yet, some goalies will be free
agents after this unusual season finally ends and their destination may mean
other netminders on those teams will shake loose. We will therefore take a stab
at who the Kraken';s best option will be using today';s rosters. As you will
see, there are some teams who will have to make tough decisions in the next
year or risk losing their starter.Related: Hockey Goalies - A Breed Apart
We';ll focus on three specific teams for now, although more options have and
will emerge between now and Draft Day. The Vancouver Canucks, Dallas Stars and
Vegas Golden Knights have positional strength in net, and depending on how the
next ten months shake out, the Kraken could nab one from each pair. Vancouver
Has Interesting Options in Net
Only a couple hours north of Seattle, there is a goalie controversy brewing.
After putting up a Vezina-quality season, Jacob Markström gave the Canucks
their best shot at the Conference Finals in years. But it was rookie Thatcher
Demko who stole the show, and our hearts, as he fought to keep his team in it
after the starter went down. Posting an unreal save percentage, Demko almost
got the job done, only slipping in Game 7 and not until the back half of the
third period at that.Jacob Markstrom, Vancouver Canucks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey
Writers)
The rule of thumb is a starter shouldn';t lose their job because they got
injured, but rules are meant to be broken. Demko is younger, cheaper, and under
club control for longer, so the Canucks may decide that Markström has to move
aside. Whichever way the team decides to go, the other goalie, if he is still
in town when Francis is making his selections, might be catching a ride across
the border to join his new teammates at Climate Pledge Arena.Veteran Options
Available in Dallas
The Stars are still battling for the Cup, and while they may not be the Vegas
favorite to win, they';re a dangerous team and can';t be taken lightly. They
just sent the young and offensively gifted Colorado Avalanche home, and have
veteran grit and budding talent throughout their lineup. Longtime starter Ben
Bishop got hurt early on in the playoffs, and though he came back briefly, is
again on the shelf. Anton Khudobin stepped into the crease during the play-ins,
and again after Bishop reinjured himself, and while his goals-against average
is not great at 2.67 per game, he';s captured 11 wins so far.Ben Bishop, Dallas
Stars (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
Bishop is signed long-term and has a no-movement clause so the team is
obligated to protect him unless he waives that right. Khudobin on the other
hand is a free agent after the season and will either be unprotected in Dallas
or sign somewhere else where he will either bump another netminder from the
protection list or remain unprotected himself. Being in his mid-thirties, he
would likely be a placeholder while the Kraken build a competitive team, but
you could do worse, and it might make sense to have a veteran netminder
stopping pucks for a young expansion team.The Kraken Can Mine For Gold
If Seattle could clone Vegas'; expansion process from day one, they';d do it.
While it may be challenging to find a 40-goal scorer languishing in someone';s
bottom-six in a defensive role, the Kraken could select the same future Hall of
Fame goalie the Golden Knights picked not so long ago. Marc-Andre Fleury is
older, but still delivers the goods, and the former first-overall pick is a
great teammate and a proven winner.Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre
Fleury (AP Photo/David Becker)
If not Fleury, there is a very good option on the table. Robin Lehner has been
a stalwart this playoff season, creating the dreaded goalie controversy, with
some help from Fleury';s outspoken agent. Like Khudobin in Dallas, Lehner is a
UFA after this season although rumors of a long term deal abound, so he might
not available for Francis to take. But every move creates another potential
option for the Kraken, and if Lehner signs then Fleury will be available come
Draft Day.Related: Kraken Will Have Future NHL Talent in Their Own Backyard
There';s a hidden wrinkle to all of these predictions, beyond which goalie is
left available. Because teams can only protect a portion of their roster,
Seattle';s GM will have to decide between one of these available goalies, if
they';re on his list, or the possibility of selecting a skater from the given
team. A crafty manager, wanting to protect both of his goalies, might even
agree to leave a different player open who he might otherwise want to keep. We
won';t know for sure until the pick is in.
The post Kraken Goalie Options Emerging in 2020 Playoffs appeared first on The
Hockey Writers.
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