There are 30 NHL teams and it’s pretty amazing how many of them have question marks in goal. Whether it is injury, youth, or just lack of performance, teams have issues in net, and this makes things tough on a team seeing as though it is the most important position on a hockey team. Let’s take a look at some of the issues. We’ll start in the Eastern Conference this week.
•1. New York Islanders: In the off-season General Manager Garth Snow signed free agents Dwayne Roloson and Martin Biron. Islander fans may have been wondering why Snow would sign two Goalies seeing as though they had Rick DiPietro who was supposed to be ready for the regular season. Well, DiPietro wasn’t ready, and in his rehab start last weekend he developed stiffness in his leg and he is back on the shelf. The Isles have sent DiPietro to multiple specialists to figure out their next course of action. One thing for sure, it won’t be with the big club. This might be more devastating to the Islander had Biron been playing well as the plan was to trade him for draft pick or young players when DiPietro was ready to at least be a backup, but Biron has bombed so they weren’t going to get much for him right now anyway.
•2. Philadelphia Flyers: Starter Ray Emery is down for the next 6-8 weeks after undergoing abdominal surgery. Emery started off on fire for Philly but had been pretty awful for about a month now. Maybe that’s because he was trying to play through the injury or maybe it’s because he’s not all that good a backstop. His 11-8-1 record and 2.83 GAA and 90.1 save percentage are nothing to crow about. Brian Boucher will see the majority of the starts in his absence and if he can impress new Coach Peter Laviolette who is to say he can’t split the starts at the very least when Emery returns.
•3. Washington Capitals: Semyon Varlamov has been out for about a week now with a strained groin. What a shame it is because he was the number one Goalie in Washington and deserved to be so. His numbers are fantastic and he plays behind the top offensive team in the league. The last thing he needs is for veteran backup Jose Theodore to play well in his absence and steal further starts in the future.
•4. Boston Bruins: Last year’s Vezina Trophy winner has gotten off to a bit of a slow start so far this season and it has allowed Tuukka Rask to gather quite a few starts as he has out played Thomas by a wide margin so far this season. Now the Bruins haven’t given up on Thomas and he will still get his share of starts but sooner or later if he doesn’t start to play up to his potential they are going to have to go with the hotter player. There are also rumors out there that Rask could be on the trading block.
•5. Montreal Canadiens: Now if you want to talk about a player on the trading block, that would be Jaroslav Halak. Halak would be the backup to Carey Price, but he has let it be known that he wants to start in Montreal or be traded to a team that will allow him to do so. Price is the present and the future in Montreal so unless an injury occurs there is little to no chance that Halak starts here, question is what the market would bring for Halak? Price’s confidence is already a little shaky, the best option all around may be to deal Halak, rather than have him constantly looking over Price’s shoulder, ready to take his job.
•6. Ottawa Senators: Starter Pascal Leclaire has been out for three weeks and isn’t due back for another week at least. In his absence Brian Elliott has taken on the lion’s load, and after a slow start his play has increased dramatically. That being said it’s hard to think Leclaire or Elliott will take the Senators anywhere near where they want to go. Now they may not be a serious threat to win the Cup, but if there is a team in need of a true number on Goalie, the Senators are it.
•7. Toronto Maple Leafs: Hard to believe that Jonas Gustavsson underwent a heart procedure just two weeks ago and could be ready to play by this coming weekend. The Maple Leafs have dreams of making the playoffs and Gustavsson is a big part of those dreams. They may be a year ahead of themselves but Gustavsson is certainly a Goalie to keep an eye on, especially in keeper leagues.
 |