Rankings: Injury to Starter

Everyone puts together to the same old boring rankings for teams and players. They’re fun and all, but can get a little repetitive after awhile. So how about a ranking system for an all too real situation.

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Just ask the New York Rangers, they went through it last season. Today we’re going to rank teams by “injury to your starting goaltender”. Who is best situated to handle such a difficult scenario, and who can best continue a winning culture. Let’s go have a look.

1. Winnipeg Jets – Starter (Ondrej Pavelec)
Replacements – Michael Hutchinson and Connor Hellebuyck

Considering it’s a tandem that could probably compete in the NHL on its own already. Don’t be surprised when this is your duo moving forward after the 15-16 season. Hellebuyck’s performance at the World Championships for Team USA was spectacular. Answering which of these two have elite starter potential is a tough question. But the Jets look to have a couple gems here.

2. Ottawa Senators – Starter (Craig Anderson)
Replacements – Andrew Hammond and Matt O’Connor

Both are coming off stellar seasons. On the one hand, Andrew Hammond did single-handedly carry the Sens into the playoffs down the stretch. O’Connor spent last year at Boston U where he went 25-4-4 with a 2.18 GAA and .927 SV%. Might we have another goalie controversy brewing in Canada’s national capital?

3. Anaheim Ducks – Starter (Frederik Andersen)
Replacements – John Gibson and Anton Khudobin

There’s some teams that share this same luxury of having a young guy in the ready as starter. Andersen only beat out Gibson by arriving a year sooner. But you can’t force one of Gibson or Andersen to play backup. That’s what Anton Khudobin was brought in for. The Ducks have a couple years to figure out which one is their guy for the future.

4. Calgary Flames – Starter (Jonas Hiller)
Replacements – Karri Ramo and Joni Ortio

Arguably one of league’s best backups, Ramo played 34 games , going 15-9-3 with a 2.60 GAA and .912 sv%. Ortio played most his time in Adirondack last year, but enjoyed 6 games with the big club where he put up slightly better numbers than Ramo. When you’ve got these two guys, plus Providence standout Jon Gillies and CHL star Mason McDonald, you’ve gotta feel pretty good about your future in goal.

5. New York Rangers – Starter (Henrik Lundqvist)
Replacements – Antti Raanta and Mackenzie Skapski

The only knock on this pair in their lack of NHL experience. Otherwise, the skill-set is there for both. Raanta appeared in 14 games for the Blackhawks last year going 7-4-1 with a 1.89 GAA and .936 SV%. Skapski played in two games for the Rangers going 2-0-0 with 0.50 and .978 SV%. I’m sure this had nothing to do with the team in front of them, just like Cam Talbot’s excellent numbers. Yes that was sarcasm.

6. Dallas Stars – Starter (Kari Lehtonen)
Replacements – Antti Niemi and Jack Campbell

You’d think a team with a recent Cup winning goaltender might rank a little higher, but it’s the lack of depth beyond Niemi that hurts most. Oddly enough, Jack Campbell was once regarded as one of the most promising young goalie prospects in all of hockey. Now it’s starting to look like he could be a career minor-leaguer.

7. Tampa Bay Lightning – Starter (Ben Bishop)

Jun 10, 2015; Chicago, IL, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during a break in the second period in game four of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

Replacements – Andrei Vasilevskiy and Kristers Gudlevskis

The true reality is that the Lightning are without Vasilevskiy for a little bit, so it looks like Gudlevskis is getting some pro time either way. Truth is, in the next year or two Tampa needs to decide whether to move forward with Bishop or Vasilevskiy. Like Dallas just above, two guys that can carry a team, along with a third-stringer that could struggle at the pro level.

8. Detroit Red Wings – Starter (Petr Mrazek)
Replacements – Jimmy Howard and Tom McCollum

If Howard can’t overthrow Mrazek for the starting role back, then Jimmy’s time in Detroit could be nearing its end. Mrazek is due for a pay raise at seasons end, and Howard earns in the 5.2mil range. McCollum only appeared in 2 games for the Red Wings last year and went 1-0 with a 0.91 GAA and .960 SV%. One year from now, McCollum should make a pretty decent backup for Detroit.

9. Vancouver Canucks – Starter (Ryan Miller)
Replacements – Jacob Markstrom and Richard Bachman

Well the Panthers gave up on their prized prospect a couple years back. A lesson in impatience. Markstrom is coming off a huge year in Utica where he went 22-7-2 with a 1.88 GAA and .934 SV%. I think the only other AHL goalie who put up more dominant numbers was Pens prospect Matt Murray. Bachman has been a decent dependable career backup. He’s done a lot of bouncing around though.

10. Nashville Predators – Starter (Pekka Rinne)
Replacements – Carter Hutton and Marek Mazanec

If the Preds two replacements had a little more NHL experience, then this duo might rank a little higher. Hutton enjoyed an 18 game stint with the big club last year going 6-7-4 with a 2.61 GAA and .902 SV%. Mazanec only played two games for the Preds going 0-1 with a 2.26 GAA and .915 SV%. Carter Hutton could be one of those guys that teams start to covet like they did Cam Talbot.

11. Carolina Hurricanes – Starter (Cam Ward)
Replacements – Eddie Lack and Drew McIntyre

Eddie Lack is probably one of the best anointed backups heading into the 15-16 season. Last year, he played 41 games for the Canucks going 18-13-4 with a 2.45 GAA and and .921 SV%, which topped Ryan Miller across the board. It’s Drew McIntyre that drops the Canes down a bit. He was only ever a decent AHL goalie back in Toronto, and nothing has changed in Carolina.

12. St. Louis Blues – Starter (Jake Allen)
Replacements – Brian Elliott and Jordan Binnington

Even though Elliott did appear in more games last season, there’s no question that young Jake Allen is the starter. Last season, Elliott played 46 games going 26-14-3 with a 2.26 GAA and .917 SV%. Jordan Binnington is one the Blues top 10 prospects. He played last year in Chicago of the AHL where he went 25-15-4 with 2.35 GAA and .916 SV%. Binnington is only 22, and is almost NHL ready.

13. Pittsburgh Penguins – Starter (Marc-Andre Fleury)
Replacements – Matt Murray and Jeff Zatkoff

If you’re starter wasn’t Marc-Andre Fleury, there’s a legitimate shot this guy could compete for the starter role this year. Instead, he’ll be relegated to another year in Wilkes-Barre. Only problem, there’s really no more room for growth with Matt Murray. It’s hard enough to put up good numbers in the AHL, let alone going 25-10-3 with 1.58 GAA and .941 SV% like Matt did. If the Penguins don’t want him, you can be sure they’ll be a handful of teams lined up to acquire his services. Jeff Zatkoff is a bit of an unknown, only making one appearance last year (a solid one at that). The belief is that he could be a quality backup for years to come, but he still needs to show us before these two rank higher.

14. San Jose Sharks – Starter (Martin Jones)
Replacements – Alex Stalock and Tony Grosenick

Some Sharks fans actually thought Alex Stalock could be the answer after the departure of Antti Niemi. The jury is still out on that one. The potential is here for the Sharks to skyrocket up this list, but it’s the lack of experience and nothing else that drop them to fourteen. Stalock appeared in 22 games going 8-9-2 with a 2.62 GAA and .902 SV% with the Sharks last season. Grosenick appeared in 2 games for the Sharks going 1-1 with a 1.53 GAA and .948 SV%.

15. Colorado Avalanche – Starter (Semyon Varlamov)
Replacements – Calvin Pickard and Reto Berra

A similar situation to that of Jack Campbell, except that Pickard is finally starting to find himself at 23 years old with the Avalanche. With Lake Erie in the AHL, Pickard went 23-17-9 last year with a 2.61 GAA and .917 SV%. He also enjoyed a 16 game stint with Colorado where he went 6-7-3 with a 2.35 GAA and .932 SV%. Reto Berra played 19 games for the Avs last year going 5-4-1 with a 2.65 GAA and .918 SV%. Berra will likely open the season as backup. You’d prefer your more talented young guys to get the extra starts in the AHL.

16. Chicago Blackhawks – Starter (Corey Crawford)
Replacements – Scott Darling and Michael Leighton

Like Eddie Lack, some experts would probably suggest that Scott Darling could be one of the top backups in the NHL. He showed it to us last season and through the NHL playoffs, to a point where he almost pushed Corey Crawford out of the crease. Darling played 14 regular season games going 9-4-0 with a 1.94 GAA and .936 SV%. He also played 5 games in the post-season going 3-1 with a 2.21 GAA and .936 SV%. Darling’s unexpected emergence made the Antti Raanta deal to NYR possible. Michael Leighton is a guy who keeps finding ways to get back into the NHL. Other than his one great stint with the Flyers, there’s nothing else good to say about him.

17. Boston Bruins – Starter (Tuukka Rask)
Replacements – Malcolm Subban and J.Smith/or J.Gustavsson

Feb 18, 2015; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Boston Bruins goaltender Malcolm Subban (70) skates during warmup against the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports

Here’s another goalie situation that could get very interesting in the near future. If the Bruins fall flat on their face this season, I could see them moving out all the vets and starting fresh with Subban in goal. If the strange moves made by GM Don Sweeney somehow work, then you could see Subban on his way out. Either way they’ve got a starter if one goes down (I know Subban’s only NHL appearance was an ugly one). Whether it’s Jeremy Smith or Jonas Gustavsson, the third option is pretty lousy. Mix that with Subban’s inexperience and that’s why the Bruins fall to seventeen.

18. Washington Capitals – Starter (Braden Holtby)
Replacements – Philipp Grubauer and Justin Peters

Grubauer spent last season with Hershey of the AHL going 27-17-5 with a 2.30 GAA and .921 SV%. He only played one game for the Caps. Peters has been a mediocre career backup, spending most his time in Carolina. Last year in Washington, he played 12 games going 3-6-1 with a 3.25 GAA and .881 SV%.

19. Edmonton Oilers – Starter (Cam Talbot)
Replacements – Anders Nilsson and B.Scrivens/or L.Broissoit

The goaltending situation in Edmonton is a little dicey. Talbot should be pretty safe and secure as a starter, but Anders Nilsson believes he has starter potential. He’s gonna have to prove that though. Ben Scrivens played the majority of games last season and was atrocious. While there’s a chance he could backup Talbot, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s backing up Laurent Broissoit this year. With Oklahoma City of the AHL last year, Broissoit went 25-22-4 with a 2.56 GAA and .918 SV%, so he may be your next best option after Cam Talbot.

20. Minnesota Wild – Starter (Devan Dubnyk)
Replacements – Darcy Kuemper and L.Irving/B.Hoffman

Rewind one season, and things were pretty murky in goal for Minnesota. After the Nicklas Backstrom situation, Darcy Kuemper took over the starter’s role. That was until Devan Dubnyk came and stole the show. Kuemper is a pretty solid backup, but the murkiness beyond Kuemper is what drags the Wild down in these rankings.

21. Philadelphia Flyers – Starter (Steve Mason)
Replacements – Michael Neuvirth and Jason Labarbera

Perhaps the oldest duo of replacements on this list. Both are career backups. Michael Neuvirth is an above average backup who shows flashes of brilliance. Jason Labarbera has proved a dependable backup for different franchises throughout his career. Neither could hold down a starter’s role for an extended period of time without some bad results.

22. Toronto Maple Leafs – Starter (Jonathan Bernier)
Replacements – James Reimer and Antoine Bibeau

There’s still some fans in Leafs nation who believe in James Reimer. Those people clearly don’t watch enough hockey. James has some of the worst rebound control I’ve seen in recent history. He’s already proven he can’t get it done as a starter, so if you ask him to take the reins with a guy who has no NHL experience in Antoine Bibeau, well things could be a lot uglier than Leafs fan realize.

23. New York Islanders – Starter (Jaroslav Halak)
Replacements – Thomas Greiss and Kevin Poulin

After spending the majority of his career as backup for the Sharks, Greiss is coming off a season with the Pittsburgh Penguins where he appeared in 20 games going 9-6-3 with a 2.59 GAA and .908 SV%. He should make for a quality backup option to Halak. You wouldn’t want Halak going down though. Greiss clearly couldn’t fill in long-term in a starter role, and it’s rather unlikely Kevin Poulin could either considering his only NHL appearance last season didn’t go very well.

24. New Jersey Devils – Starter (Cory Schneider)
Replacements – Keith Kinkaid and Scott Wedgewood

Keith Kinkaid appeared in 19 games for the Devils last season going 6-5-4 with 2.59 GAA and .915 SV% showing decent potential. Wedgewood played in Albany of the AHL last year going 13-14-6 with a 2.74 GAA and .899 SV%. Combine these two guys number with the quality of team in front of them, and that’s why the Devils come in at twenty-four.

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25. Columbus Blue Jackets – Starter (Sergei Bobrovsky)
Replacements – Curtis McElhinney and Anton Forsberg

McElhinney is another career backup type goalie who most definitely couldn’t handle the load of a starters role. I’d expect you see split time between him and Forsberg. Anton played for Springfield of the AHL last year going 20-8-1 with a 2.01 GAA and .927 SV%. It was once thought that international defector Oscar Dansk could challenge Sergei Bobrovsky for the starter role, but I think some people are wondering the same about Anton Forsberg now. Lack of experience hurts the Blue Jackets in these rankings though (particularly Forsberg).

26. Buffalo Sabres – Starter (Robin Lehner)
Replacements – Chad Johnson and Andrey Makarov

I’m not sure why Sabres fans are so concerned over their starter Robin Lehner. The problem isn’t Lehner, the problem is if Lehner goes down with injury. Chad Johnson enjoyed a stint with the Islanders last season appearing in 19 games going 8-8-1 with a 3.08 GAA and .889 SV%. Makarov only appeared in one game for the Sabres. Neither are suitable options as starting goaltending, although the jury is still out on Makarov’s potential.

27. Florida Panthers – Starter (Roberto Luongo)
Replacements – Al Montoya and Mike McKenna

Two career backups right here. Montoya enjoyed a couple stretches on the island in New York and Winnipeg where he was given extended starts, but he’s proven to be nothing more than a mediocre backup. McKenna is a guy that’s struggles to stay in NHL his entire career and would be of little to no help to the Panthers.

28. Los Angeles Kings – Starter (Jonathan Quick)
Replacements – Jhonas Enroth and J-F Berube

Enroth is definitely one of the better backups in the league. Like many backups he has proven he can’t hold down a starters role in any extended period of time. J-F Berube is a guy who’s a bit of an unknown and needs some time to prove himself. He’s likely not ready to make any NHL appearances, so the Kings will have to hope for continued durability from Quick.

29. Montreal Canadiens – Starter (Carey Price)
Replacements – Dustin Tokarski and Mike Condon

Perhaps one of the worst backup performances last season. Tokarski appeared in 17 games for the Canadiens going 6-6-4 with a 2.75 GAA and .910 SV%. To the untrained eye, the numbers aren’t that bad. But the Canadiens do a better job of keeping the puck out of their net than most other teams, and Tokarski put up some ugly performances last year. Mike Condon spent his time in Hamilton of the AHL last year going 23-19-6 with a 2.44 GAA and .921 SV%. He may actually be the better option if Price were to ever go down. Although I’m not sure I want to be stuck in that situation with these two guys.

30. Arizona Coyotes – Starter (Mike Smith)
Replacements – Anders Lindback and Louis Domingue

It’s pretty sad when you get brought into a franchise to help them lose, and then the guy goes on to put up decent numbers. The same can’t be said for the rest of Anders Lindback career. Once a big time Preds prospect, he bounced around the league before finally finding a home behind Mike Smith to start this season. It’s more so the quality of team that helps bring this tandem down a bit, as Lindback could fill in as a starter for a little bit. Louis Domingue is a young guy with some potential, but a major lack of experience coupled with the fact that he’s still 2 or 3 years away from being ready.

Next: Power Ranking all 30 teams for 2015-2016

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