Eklund: Is Notion of "Stanley Cup Goalie" Outdated?

Being a goalie is so easy. Anyone who has size can flail around and have 90%-91% of pucks hit them. If you eat you're wheaties Ek maybe you could be a goalie. I was a goalie when I was a boy but my lack of size affected me as at least 30% of shots I faced made me cry so I had to quit.

I want the Isles to aquire Chara and Jumbo Joe and morph their bodies into one giant one and lay the monster in front of the net.

Being a goalie is so easy. Anyone who has size can flail around and have 90%-91% of pucks hit them. If you eat you're wheaties Ek maybe you could be a goalie. I was a goalie when I was a boy but my lack of size affected me as at least 30% of shots I faced made me cry so I had to quit.

I want the Isles to aquire Chara and Jumbo Joe and morph their bodies into one giant one and lay the monster in front of the net.
- Dgmilazz

Minus the fact that it's the most physically demanding position, sure.

Yes. Team infront is more important than the goalie. Bhawks won with strong goaltending but not elite three times.

Just need above average to average goaltending. Having one steal games is of course great, but not required.

I've been saying this since the salary cap was first instituted. Money is better spent on defense than a 'Stanley Cup Goalie.' Here are just a couple teams would be in much better shape if they didn't sign their top goalie to a ridiculous contract.

Boston - Rask 8 years @ 7 million AAV. Cap hell forced them to trade Johnny Boychuk for nothing. They're currently looking for at least one puck moving defenseman.

NYR - Lundquist 7 years @ 8.5 million AAV. Should have kept Cam Talbot instead for half the price. Even 'the best' can't win the cup by himself.

LA Kings - Quick 10 years @ 5.8 million AAV. Probably the most overrated goalie in the NHL. Unfortunately, we'll never know if Martin Jones (3 years @ 3 million AAV) was capable of taking them to a Stanley Cup final. :/

Yes. Team infront is more important than the goalie. Bhawks won with strong goaltending but not elite three times.
- Danformo

Take any top goalie and put him on a team like Edmenton and see how they do. Sure some goalies are better than others but a slightly above average goalie could look amazing on a good team with a solid defensive system.

This is not saying a goalie can't play out of his mind for a stretch and carry a team. But over a large sample size team defense directly affects a goalies numbers.

In recent years, the likes of Corey Crawford (twice) and Antti Niemi have won Cups.
- Eklund

crawford is not like niemi. 3 of the last 4 seasons, crawford has posted vezina worthy numbers. it's not like the hawks are winning with a stiff in net.

Yes. Team infront is more important than the goalie. Bhawks won with strong goaltending but not elite three times.
- Danformo

This.

Speaking as a Habs fan, Price is incredible, but I don't think he'll ever be able to win a cup with the team in front of him. Which is unfortunate, because management seems to have that drawn up as the plan.

An average goalie with a great de is almost a hall of fame best example is chris Osgood.

crawford is not like niemi. 3 of the last 4 seasons, crawford has posted vezina worthy numbers. it's not like the hawks are winning with a stiff in net.

On the contrary, the Hawks are winning with a stiff in net. They're that good.

By no means should teams waste a lot of cap sapce on goalies. If a team is wasting 7mill+ on goalies, especialyl for only ONE goalie, then I think that is overdoing it.

For teams like Pittsburgh and San Jose with insane forward talent, you can win with just above average goaltending. For most teams you still need a stud to go far.

The NHL has had plenty of kids backstop their teams to great cup run... Including Patrick Roy. He wasn't anybody when he showed up and took the Habs to the promised land. Murray looks like a future stud so it's not like the Penguins have a weak goalie. While I'm less sold on Martin becoming a star he's also quite capable.

Conversely, who's won the cup with below average goaltending?

Patrick Roy. Martin Brodeur. Cam Ward.

See a trend?

For teams like Pittsburgh and San Jose with insane forward talent, you can win with just above average goaltending. For most teams you still need a stud to go far.

The NHL has had plenty of kids backstop their teams to great cup run... Including Patrick Roy. He wasn't anybody when he showed up and took the Habs to the promised land. Murray looks like a future stud so it's not like the Penguins have a weak goalie. While I'm less sold on Martin becoming a star he's also quite capable.

Conversely, who's won the cup with below average goaltending?
- Queenie_5_hole

The Pens last Cup was the last time, I believe.

Patrick Roy. Martin Brodeur. Cam Ward.

See a trend?
- GoosePuck

They play in net??

The Pens last Cup was the last time, I believe.
- Blackstrom2

Yes Pens last cup was the last time they won the cup....

The Kings have done it twice with the same goalie. Once strictly because of his performance and once in spite of it.

We go through this every year. If it's high priced goalies like it was last year you need a high priced goalie. This year it's "goalies? (frank) those guys! Where's the trash can?".

The Pens last Cup was the last time, I believe.
- Blackstrom2

He was still the first overall pick though. And making pretty good money at the time. $5M cap hit, but only $3.5M in salary. But $5M cap hit at that time was a good chunk of change.

I liken it to RB in the NFL. You need the production but can't get married to or kill your cap over a goaltender.

Since the lost season:
Ward, Giguere, Hasek, Fleury, Niemi, Thomas, Quick 2x, Crawford 2x, Jones or Murray.

A lot of ways to skin a cat now.

I've heard for 7 years that Marc Andre Fleury is a Stanley Cup Winning, Elite goaltender. Funny how it takes Matt Murray to get the Pens back to a final.... Guess that answers the whole thing about "stanley Cup Goaltender".... BTW, when was the last time Cam Ward was relevant?

I liken it to RB in the NFL. You need the production but can't get married to or kill your cap over a goaltender.

Since the lost season:
Ward, Giguere, Hasek, Fleury, Niemi, Thomas, Quick 2x, Crawford 2x, Jones or Murray.

A lot of ways to skin a cat now.
- BuddySpitz

It was Osgood not Hasek.

Neither of these teams makes the finals w/o these goalies -
esp in the case of SJ - MJ from all the games I saw was a very calming influence and allowed the team to be more aggressive and take more chances throughout the year and playoffs - He beat Quick / Rinne and was better than both Blues goalies -
As for Pit - I've always been of the mindset that MAF cannot win you a series if he has to where as I think MM def can -
question does the team D make the goalie or does the goalie make the team D ?

Superstar no, but to think A LOT are capable of winning it is absurd.

Yes Pens last cup was the last time they won the cup....
- Fruitcakenipple

Ironically, he had the god-like season and post season stats the year they lost.