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Best fit for Philipp Grubauer? |
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Follow me on Twitter @ToddCordell
In a recent article at The Athletic examining off-season trade candidates, Craig Custance quoted an NHL executive who suggested Washington backup Philipp Grubauer is “getting moved for sure."
In this edition of the hotstove, we discuss which team would be the best fit for him.
Todd Cordell
Over the last two seasons, 45 goaltenders have logged at least 2,400 minutes at 5v5. Grubauer ranks 1st with a .939 save percentage, which is well above his expected save percentage of .919. That ~2% difference is the 2nd largest among eligible goaltenders, behind only Sergei Bobrovsky.
Any team looking for help between the pipes would be smart to make a play for Grubauer. I think the Islanders make the most sense, though.
Lou Lamoriello always prioritizes getting a quality goaltender and I doubt things will be any different this time around. The Islanders have plenty of assets – two 1sts and two 2nds this year, for example – and the cap space necessary to make a meaningful commitment to Grubauer.
Adam French
This screams Islanders to me especially with Lou in charge.
He has lifted Andersen and Schneider from their roles as perennia young split starter in the past and this is a very similar scenario. Grubauer has been a very capable backup and this season was starting to really show starting potential. That's all it is at this point. Potential. History favours the Islanders making the play. Samsonov is the best goalie prospect in the game and should be fine in a backup role to Holtby. Whether a second German goalie on the team can solve the problems is a difficult question.
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