Breaking Down The Net, Part 2
Earlier this week, I broke down the net for ten teams. I have gone in order by who I deem to have significant strength in net.
Goalies are the key to everything, winning a championship without an outstanding goaltender is hard. A goalie is the anchor of the team, the player that keeps things in order when nothing is going your team’s way.
Today I will be breaking down the 11-20 spots in my rankings. This is one of the tougher rankings I have had to do, because numbers don’t always mean everything when it comes to being a good goalie. A good defense can skew the numbers and make even the average goaltender look great.
So without any further wait, we can dive into the 11 spot and start up right where we left off. If you happened to miss the first part, you can find it here.
11. Cory Schneider has proven his worth in the NHL in the last few seasons in Vancouver. The Canucks were ready to move Luongo as quickly as they could to make way for Schneider to take over in net. The Luongo contract may have played a part in it, but there’s no denying Schneider has the ability to play with the best of them in the NHL. Schneider has found his way to New Jersey after the jaw dropping trade on draft day, that sent him to New Jersey for a first round draft pick.
The Devils are going into this season as a bit of a question mark after losing Ilya Kovalchuk to the KHL this offseason. Schneider should be the starter over Martin Brodeur in net, but both will more than likely see their fair share of starts. Schneider started 30 games in the shortened season last year, and posted an impressive record of 17-9-4. He added a goals against average of 2.11 and a save percentage of .927%, including 5 shutouts. Schnieder is among the league’s best, and probably deserves to be higher on this list, but if he wants to prove he’s a better option than the ten goaltenders in front of him, he’s going to have to prove it this season with a mediocre Devils team.
Behind Schneider, presumably, is veteran goalie Martin Brodeur. Brodeur owns nearly every record in the book. He’s been around longer than I’ve been alive, and is the brick base of the Devils franchise. Age has become a factor, and the Devils have finally recognized that they need to look to the future in net. Brodeur battled injuries last season, but posted a record of 13-9-7. He held a goal against average of 2.22, and a save percentage of .901%. Brodeur should see his fair share of time on the bench this season. Schneider is the better option, and will likely get a good amount of playing time of Brodeur. Is this to be the last season of a historic legend?
12. Craig Anderson was well on his way to a Vezina Trophy last season, but unfortunately injuries came around, and he wasn’t able to play more than 24 games. But in the 24 games Anderson played, he was outstanding. He held down the fort for Ottawa when they should have been going into a spiraling land slide down the standings. Anderson proved he can be the go to goalie as long as he’s healthy last season, the numbers prove it, and the game he played proved it.
In the 24 games Anderson played, he had a record of 12-9-2, and posted a ridiculous goals against average of 1.69, and an extremely impressive save percentage of .941. Those numbers should earn any goalie a Vezina any day of the week, but due to the fact that he only started half of the games this season, it’s hard to hand out big name hardware like that.
Backing up Anderson in net will be Robin Lehner, who played well in the time he was given last season. After the trade of Ben Bishop to Tampa Bay, Lehner stepped in as the undisputed back up. He put up a record of 5-3-4, a goals against average of 2.20, and a save percentage of .936%. If the Senators can stay healthy this season, they could be a very scary team.
13. Corey Crawford can finally quiet his haters, well sort of. I might not be able to stay quiet, but at least I can’t pull the, “Niemi won a Cup, and Crawford didn’t” card anymore. Either way, Crawford is a good goalie, but he has his days where he doesn’t look quite as on as he should. And like I said earlier, numbers don’t always reflect a goaltenders skill level. Crawford’s numbers last season, were much in part a result of the Blackhawks puck control and dominance in the defensive zone.
Crawford had a good year last year, and even got the Blackhawks to over pay him for the next 6 years. Crawford posted a record of 19-5-5, with a goals against average of 1.95, and a save percentage of .926%. There’s no denying Crawford put up great numbers last season, but can he do it again? He’ going to be relied on a bit more this season with the departure of Ray Emery, and Crawford needs to rise to the occasion to avoid criticism of his contract before his extension even kicks in.
Behind Crawford is veteran netminder, Nikolai Khabibulin. Khabibulin has spent 17 seasons in the NHL, including 4 in Chicago. He signed with the Blackhawks this offseason, and will likely see limited time behind Crawford. Khabibulin is aging, and won’t be a top notch goalie like we’ve seen him be in the past.
14. We’ve all seen what the lockdown goalie that Cam Ward can be in Carolina. Due to the falling out the Hurricanes have had the last few seasons, Ward’s numbers haven’t been great. But from what I’ve seen, his play hasn’t been outstanding either. Last season, Ward fell victim to the injury bug, and Carolina spiraled out of control in the standings. The offense is there, but with no defense, Cam’s job hasn’t been the easiest in the league.
Ward only saw 16 starts last season due to the injuries he was dealing with. During the time on the ice, he was able to put up a record of 9-6-1, with a goals against average of 2.84, and a save percentage of .908%. Ward’s numbers reflect the defense in Carolina, but his numbers over his career have never been knock out oustanding. He’s a solid goalie to have, and he has a nice paycheck coming in every week to prove it.
Backing up Ward in Carolina is the newly signed Anton Khudobin. Khudobin spent last season backing up Tuukka Rask in Boston, and put up a record of 9-4-1 in 14 stars, with a goals against average of 2.32, and a save percentage of .920%. Khudobin will look to spell Ward this season, and hopefully help him avoid any further injuries.
15. Jonas Hiller is still the man in Anaheim, but with the emergence of Viktor Fasth last season, it might not be long before Hiller is the odd man out in Anaheim. He’s entering the final year on his current contract, and very well could end up in a very saturated goalie market next season. Fasth played great last year, and can earn himself a starting job with another year like last year. Anaheim’s goaltending situation isn’t a bad thing, being able to throw either of your two goalies in net any night of the week is a great feeling.
Hiller battled an injury last season, but the time in net he did get, he recorded a goals against average of 2.36, a save percentage of .913%, and a record of 15-6-4. Hiller played well for the Ducks, and held up his end of the deal in the playoffs when the Ducks fell to the Red Wings in 7 games. Fasth stepped in for Hiller and played extremely well last season. He held a record of 15-6-2, with a goals against average of 2.18, and a save percentage of .921%. Fasth also recorded 4 shutouts on the season.
Fasth and Hiller give coach Bruce Boudreau an awesome chance at winning the division this season. If both can be at the top of their game, Anaheim is going to be a scary team. Fasth and Hiller both have something to prove this season, Hiller wants a contract, whether it be here or somewhere else. Fasth should prove that he deserves a starting job. I expect both goalies to be top notch this season.
16. Kari Lehtonen‘s career had some what of a slow start after being drafted by the mess of an organization in Atlanta. He found his way to Dallas and has shown just how well he can play. His numbers dipped a little this last season, but the Stars goalie still looks good on a regular basis. The Stars are poised for a good season after adding a handful of talent during the offseason, and if Lehtonen can continue to play at the level he’s expected, the Stars might be able to finally get back into the playoffs.
Lehtonen started in 35 games last season, and made an appearance in 36. he held a record of 15-14-3 with one shutout, and held a goals against average of 2.66, with a save percentage of .916%. Lehtonen’s numbers should look a little more like his numbers from 2011-2012 with the addition of some defensive talent. The Stars signed former veteran Carolina goaltender, Dan Ellis who should be able to help spell Lehtonen in net.
Ellis is a solid back up who has spent a good amount of time in the NHL. Originally drafted by the Stars, Ellis never blossomed into the goalie they expected, but he’s more than capable of stepping in every few games and playing well enough to help his team win.
17. James Reimer finally came out last season and showed just how good he could play. The Leafs finally seemed happy with their goalie situation, and then this summer, the Leafs traded for Los Angeles Kings back up goalie Jonathan Bernier. The trade had numerous reactions, and the Leafs caught a bit of heat for the trade, but I wouldn’t be too judgmental of the move just yet. The Leafs may not have been entirely sold on Reimer’s abilities, for whatever reason, but now they have what could be the best one-two punch in net in the entire NHL.
Reimer went 19-8-5 last season with 4 shutouts, a goals against average of 2.46, and a save percentage of .924%. Reimer impressed everyone, having the best season in his short career. He kept the Leafs alive as long as he could in the playoffs, but couldn’t do much about the, eventual Eastern Conference champion, Boston Bruins. Reimer has to prove himself again this season, with a back up goalie like Bernier behind him.
Bernier has had a bit of hype over the last few seasons, but has been overshadowed by the Kings starter Jonathan Quick, and with good reason. But Bernier gets a fresh start in Toronto and the chance to overthrow Reimer. Bernier held a record of 9-3-1, a goals against average of 1.87, and a save percentage of .922%. Both Reimer and Bernier have something to prove and will be battling for the starting job in the Leafs net this season. It should be interesting to see who rises to the occasion.
18. The Minnesota Wild had to lean on the aging back of Niklas Backstrom a little bit more than they would have liked last season. Backstrom started 41 games last season in net, and did all he could to keep Minnesota in the playoff race. Minnesota snuck into the playoffs in the eight spot, but when Backstrom went down, so did the Wild’s chances of getting past the Blackhawks. Backstrom should be better off this season, but his aging body isn’t getting any younger, and his reflexes aren’t getting much faster at this point.
Backstrom held his own in all the time he spent on the ice last season. In his 42 appearances, he was able to post a record of 24-15-3 with 2 shutouts, a goals against average of 2.48, and a save percentage of .909%. Backstrom’s numbers have dipped a bit over the last couple seasons, but Minnesota showed their faith in him by giving him a new 3 year deal this offseason.
Josh Harding will be back this season to back up Backstrom, and we can all hope and pray that he is able to stay healthy enough to play. Harding’s story is a great one, and I love that he’s still putting all of his effort into hockey even after all that has happened. Harding stepped in for Backstrom in the playoffs and did all he could, but the Blackhawks over powered the Wild in five games.
19. Ryan Miller‘s fall from grace has been a tough one, but not all of the blame can be placed on his shoulders. Miller is a victim of a franchise that’s struggled through the past few seasons. Miller’s numbers haven’t been the same since he carried the U.S. olympic team to the gold medal game in 2010. Miller also won the Vezina that season, but his numbers have toppled since, and Buffalo’s team has spiraled since.
Miller started 39 games last season, and appeared in 40, putting up a record of 17-17-5, a goals against average of 2.81, and a save percentage of .915%. The question isn’t about how well the Sabres will do this year in their rebuilding stage, but how well will Miller do when and if he gets traded? Miller has been a hot topic in the NHL this last season, as the Sabres have been in talks with a few teams about moving him. Miller is entering his final year on his current contract, and if it isn’t done during the season, I don’t have any doubt he’ll be gone next summer.
Backing up Miller in Buffalo is Jhonas Enroth. Enroth appeared in 12 games last season and posted a record of 4-4-1. He held a goals against average of 2.60, and a save percentage of .919%. Enroth is a sturdy back up, but if Miller is gone during the season, I’m not sure Enroth will be able to anchor the back end.
20. Sorry Penguins fans, but Marc-Andre Fleury has earned his place on this list. Fleury has fallen even harder than Miller. Fleury turned into swiss cheese once again once it hit crunch time, and thankfully the Penguins were prepared for it this time with Tomas Vokoun on their bench. Fleury hasn’t been awful in the regular season, but he hasn’t been outstanding either, and the regular season isn’t what matters in the NHL.
Fleury put up a record of 23-8-0 last season, and a goals against average of 2.39, with a save percentage of .916%. Although Fluery never quite lived up to his 1st overall draft potential, he does have a Stanley Cup under his belt. But, when you put up numbers like he has in the playoffs the past two seasons, it doesn’t matter. All that matters in sports is what you do today. Yesterday doesn’t matter.
Tomas Vokoun recently had a blood clot removed, and will be out indefinitely. This could be good for Fleury if he can prove that he still knows how to play, but it could also be disastrous for the Penguins if he can’t. Vokoun was he better goalie in Pittsburgh last season, and without him, they may be in trouble, being forced to play Fleury a lot more than they want.