Before every NHL regular season comes to an end, I like to reflect on the progression of goaltending from a league wide perspective, as compared to this point last year. It’s a good way to formulate a solid scope of what we might expect in the playoffs, while also taking a snapshot of the goaltending position, one that constantly evolves.
The current state of Edmonton Oilers goaltending is a somewhat gloomy and shallow affair. There are a few bright spots in the organization, but overall, the depth chart is considered a weak one. This season could even be viewed as a small disaster, as Nikolai Khabibulin’s back problems have kept him out of the lineup for most of the year. That led to him making the news recently for another unfortunate reason – an intoxicated run-in with the Arizona authorities.
I often find myself frustrated and confused by many of the coaching decisions related to starting certain goaltenders. It would help if I had more insight on every coach’s motives and decision-making process, or if I had more access to their pre and post-game comments, but I don’t. Nevertheless, there are too many others that still leave me perplexed.
I’ll use Toronto as my main example, where Ron Wilson has been splitting minutes in an aggravating fashion since March started. J-S Giguere was extremely rusty in a 5-1 loss to Carolina, but started the next game two days later (March 4) and rebounded well, but still dropped a 2-1 contest to the Bruins. Jonas Gustavsson got the call two nights later, and in the first game of a back-to-back, made 22 saves for a 2-1 victory over Ottawa.
Remember back in October when I broke down the issues goalies were having with intense traffic in front, numerous deflections and re-directions? Well, after the first week back from the Olympics, I can safely say we’ve witnessed an exact replica of what transpired in the first month of the season.
We’re literally back at square one. It’s déjà vu all over again, and not just with the goaltending. Hits to the head are also a hot issue, so with the GM Meetings taking place this week, it looks like changes are certainly on their way.
Since we’re transitioning from the Olympic aftermath to the onset of March Madness, today’s lecture will reflect on a number of goaltending dynamics that were revealed to me over the last two weeks. I think these trends will not only affect how your fantasy goalies play this week, but if the Olympics were any indication of what the NHL’s playoff push will be like, they could impact your goalie’s long-term potential as well.
It took just 30 ticks for Martin Brodeur to mishandle a puck behind his net and 11 more for him to needlessly go paddle-down on a routine Brian Rafalski slap shot. A tiny redirection sent the puck just over Brodeur’s blocker and like a sudden slap in the face, Team USA struck first for an early 1-0 lead in both team’s final preliminary game.
As of today, it’s no longer about the goalie with the most wins, saves or shutouts. It’s not even about the goalie with the most experience or the fastest reflexes. As of today, it is only about the goalie with the most focus, confidence and situational awareness. Finally, the long-awaited 2010 Winter Olympics and ice hockey tournament is here and I’m excited to be tracking the men’s goaltending every single step of the way.
While looking over this week’s NHL schedule, I couldn’t help but wonder about the different goalie stories and surprises that will pop up before the Olympic break. The fate of a fantasy manager is much more sinister than it is serene, so taking a risk or two could go a long way in getting your pound of flesh before the two week NHL hiatus.
The big moves in goal between Toronto and Anaheim may come as no surprise, but the impact will still send shockwaves through both systems. On the heels of Jonas Hiller’s new four-year deal, the Ducks finally found a way to reunite J-S Giguere with Francois Allaire and Brian Burke. All is well that ends well I guess, as the fan’s favorite scapegoat, Vesa Toskala, was released from Leafs prison and will now probably end up as a free agent this summer.
Of all the topics that surface while discussing goalies, maybe the most intriguing one to ponder is Demeanor. In fact, if I had to give you one piece of solid fantasy scouting advice, it just might be to never underestimate the revealing power a goalie’s demeanor has on their fantasy value.
