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With many fans wondering what exactly may be in store for the Calgary Flames this off-season, Brian Burke spoke to the Calgary Chamber this morning and offered a few things.
First thing I’d like to comment on is Burke advised that the team is in the market for a backup goaltender for next year. What interests me here is the fact that it appears the team has more or less decided on, or confided in, Karri Ramo who was the starter during the 2013-14 regular season.
Given that this past season was Ramo's first since 2008, I wondered how the team felt about his performance or role moving forward. Any fan who watched the games could tell you that the netmidner did a fantastic job, all things considered, but our goalie judgments can only go so far. What I personally saw from this man was someone who can seemingly remain calm, stand strong in his crease, and challenge the shooter quite effectively.
Where I saw some need for improvement, however, was toward his rebound control, and overall puck playing abilities. That said, and as I mentioned several times throughout the year, I was impressed with Ramo and feel that he will likely be the guy between the pipes for a good couple years.
With that established, and knowing that the Flames have a few young goaltender prospects, Calgary will allegedly looking for a backup to replace veteran netminder Joey MacDonald who is clearly either not being extended because of his abilities, or due to contractual negotiations. Whatever the reason, Burke generally doesn’t made public statements like that unless he has an ulterior motive.
I digress.
Of the goalies available on the market, here are a few who I think could be strong targets. First up is Justin Peters from the Carolina Hurricanes.
Peters, 27, will be entering his 6th NHL season as a backup and will be looking for a new contract as he remains unsigned by the Canes. Justin signed a two year, $1.05M deal with Carolina two years ago and with Anton Khudobin currently backstopping Cam Ward, the Canes are not likely to extend the tender.
Peters posted a respectable 2.50GAA and .901SV% last season with Carolina in 21 games played. He is very much accustomed to the backup role and could be the perfect candidate to grow with the young Calgary team as a short term or possible long term solution, stats dependent. While he’s not likely the first or even second name to come to many fans minds, at 27 he is still young and could be a cheap bargain for Calgary.
Second on the list is Al Montoya.
While Montoya may be a little older at 29 years than is Peters, their level of NHL experience is rather similar. Montoya will also be entering his 6th NHL season, however he has logged more games per year than has Peters over the past three seasons.
In addition to the above, Al’s most recent numbers with the Winnipeg Jets are slightly better than Peters with a 2.30GAA and 0.920SV% throughout 28 games. To note, both netminders played for struggling teams over the past few years and as such, there shouldn’t be too much stock placed into their stats. That said, I personally like either of the two above options for the Flames, if they are looking to stay young.
Conversely, if the thought is to get an experienced, veteran netminder, there could be the option of Evgeni Nabakov from the New York Islanders who will finally be released of his duties come July 1st. For those who I’ve just confused, Nabakov more or less threw a fit when the Islanders plucked him off waivers and refused to play for the organization. He later reported and has played with the Islanders for the past three seasons.
Soon to be 39 years old, Evgeni would be the definition of a veteran tender for the Flames. Not likely expected to play more than 20-30 games max, Nabokov could be a decent option if the Flames are looking to bring in some veteran presence on the bench, as that is where he will spend most of his time.
While nearing 40 is considered quite old, certain goaltenders have played well into their 40’s. That said, Nabokov is no Brodeur, so it’s tough to gauge how much juice he has in the tank. Last year he posted a 2.74GAA and .905SV% with the 26th place Islanders. Not likely my first choice for a backup position, he would be one of few goalies who would step in and accept his backup position but also have much experience as a starter.
Last on the list, at least for me, is Ilya Bryzgalov who is somewhat in the middle of the aforementioned goalie options. Bryzgalov is 33 years old(soon to be 34), has 457 NHL games under his belt both as a starter and a backup.
The issue with Ilya is that it will be tough to say what you will be receiving in signing the Russian goalie. Will you get a strong second option between the pipes who can be relied upon, or just another media distraction?
While the former would outweigh the latter, I have a feeling that Brian Burke and the Calgary organization may steer clear of this particular goalie, despite his numbers (2.56GAA, .909SV% averaged out between EDM and MIN), and his experience.
Outside of the above, Burke spoke a little more about acquiring free agents. He offered that most if not any free agent which a team can typically pick up will make any dramatic difference. With those words, I don’t envision the Flames going after any big names, so to speak, on the market this summer.
There may be a few role players or young project type players acquired, but don’t think of names like Vanek when considering options for the Flames.
That’s all for today folks, thanks for reading!