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Colorado Avalanche: Philipp Grubauer ready to take the next step

By Dave Stevenson

DENVER, CO - APRIL 30: Goaltender Philipp Grubauer #31 of the Colorado Avalanche warms up prior to the game against the San Jose Sharks in Game Three of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 30, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - APRIL 30: Goaltender Philipp Grubauer #31 of the Colorado Avalanche warms up prior to the game against the San Jose Sharks in Game Three of the Western Conference Second Round during the 2019 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 30, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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Entering the 2019-20 season, Colorado Avalanche goaltender Philipp Grubauer will finally get his chance as a starting goaltender. Is he ready?

The Colorado Avalanche have had an impressive offseason. They’ve managed to upgrade their second line significantly by trading for Nazem Kadri. Even though the Avalanche had to part with Tyson Barrie to get him, young defenseman Cale Makar seems destined for stardom. However, Colorado’s most important player next season isn’t Nathan MacKinnon or Mikko Rantanen. Rather, it’s goaltender Philipp Grubauer.

Grubauer played in a career-high 37 games during the 2018-19 season. He appeared in 13 of the Avalanche’s 18 games after the start of March. Grubauer will be seeing a lot more playing time during the 2019-20 season.

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Last season, he was a part of a goaltending tandem with fellow former Washington Capitals goaltender Semyon Varlamov. This summer, Varlamov signed a long-term deal with the New York Islanders. This leaves Grubauer as the unquestioned starting goaltender going into the season.

The Avalanche will likely have 29-year-old Pavel Francouz, who posted a .918 save percentage last season in the AHL, as his backup goaltender. Francouz only has two games of NHL experience and both were relief appearances from last season. Though he did post a .948 save percentage in 61 minutes of playing time.

Grubauer will feel the pressure to be the starting goalie, something he has never been for a full season. It’s worth noting he has done terrific down the stretch in two consecutive seasons, helping lead the Capitals to the Stanley Cup in 2018 and the Avalanche to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2019. However, Grubauer now must do it for an entire season.

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One thing he must fix to be a starting goaltender is his tendency to start slow. In Grubauer’s career, he has posted a .902% save percentage in October (13 games) and a .905% save percentage in November (15 games). Both are notably lower than his career .921% save percentage in 138 games.

Last year, the Avalanche had Varlamov to help Grubauer when he started slow. Varlamov posted a .950% save percentage in October and a .905% save percentage in November while Grubauer posted a .916% save percentage in October and a .895% save percentage in November. This season, he won’t have as good of a backup to help him out.

Even if Francouz winds up being good, he’ll likely play in about 30 games, give or take. This means Grubauer will not only have to set a career-high in games played, but it also means he’ll have to clear his current high by over 33%.

Grubauer has posted outstanding numbers over the past three seasons. He has the fourth-highest save percentage among goaltenders who have played in at least 70 games. However, Grubauer hasn’t done this as a full-time starting goalie. He’s done it primarily as a backup, albeit as a member of a tandem.

It’s undeniable Grubauer is great as a backup goaltender. He’s proven he can be a very effective supporting member of a tandem. Now Grubauer must prove he can handle the load of a starting goaltender. It’ll be interesting to see how he handles it. Not every great backup can be a great starter. Or even a good one.

General Manager Joe Sakic is confident in Grubauer. His actions this summer reflect this. Sakic is comfortable going into the 2019-20 season with the fourth-lowest paid goaltending group in the NHL. Grubauer and Francouz combine for a $4,283,333 cap hit in 2019-20. To put this in context, 18 goaltenders are making more than those two combined.

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The Avalanche have put a lot of faith in Grubauer going into the 2019-20 season. Given his numbers the past three seasons, it’s hard to blame them. Goaltending can save a team’s season or it can run it. The Avalanche are hoping it’s the former.

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