NHL Free Agency: Top 5 teams who should sign Thomas Greiss
With Thomas Greiss likely hitting the NHL free agency market this offseason, here are 5 teams who would be a great fit for him.
The goaltending market this offseason is going to be nuts. It’ll be even deeper with the addition of Thomas Greiss. After spending the last five seasons with the New York Islanders, he will most likely be hitting NHL free agency. At least that’s what his agent thinks, according to Pierre LeBrun.
Though his agent also said Greiss would love to stay with the Islanders, it’s probably not going to happen. The Islanders already have Semyon Varlamov signed to a long-term deal and top prospect Ilya Sorokin has been signed to an NHL deal. They could always carry three goalies, but the last time they did, it didn’t end well.
At 34 years old, Greiss will be one of the oldest goaltenders on the free agent market. But he’s coming off two straight strong seasons with the Islanders. In 2018-19, he split the William Jennings Trophy with Robin Lehner, posting a .927% save percentage in the process.
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Last season, though his save percentage fell to .913%, that was still above the league average and he was pretty good in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, posting a .929% save percentage in four games.
Greiss shouldn’t have any trouble finding suitors. Today’s NHL requires you to have at least two goalies who can be the number one. Greiss has proven he’s a perfectly capable short-term option as a starter and has had a lot of success in his career working in a tandem.
Because of his age, he likely won’t be getting a huge deal. Two years is probably the maximum term any team will go with him. Let’s take a look at five teams who should be interested in the veteran netminder.
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals will likely be losing Braden Holtby to free agency. Though they have young phenom Ilya Samsonov, the team would reportedly like to add a veteran goalie. Currently, Pheonix Copley is penciled in as the Capitals backup.
Greiss would be an undeniable upgrade there. He’d have to be willing to take a discount because the Capitals don’t have much cap space, but if he wants to join a winner, the Capitals would be a great fit for him.
Vancouver Canucks
The Vancouver Canucks are in the same boat as the Capitals. They have a very talented young goalie in Thatcher Demko, but they’re likely going to lose Jacob Markstrom in free agency. Demko was phenomenal against the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but he might not be ready to take on the full load as a starting goalie.
Enter Thomas Greiss. Greiss has been in a tandem in each of the past two seasons. He did quite well with Lehner and Varlamov. Signing Greiss would allow the Canucks to ease Demko into a starting role. Greiss could start about 30 to 40 games for the Canucks in an 82 game season.
Calgary Flames
For the second straight offseason, the Calgary Flames are likely going to look at free agency to add a goalie. They could re-sign Cam Talbot, but if that doesn’t work out, Greiss would be a very solid option for them. He has experience in a tandem and would likely come at a very reasonable price.
With David Rittich, Greiss wouldn’t need to be the starter, but as they say, you don’t know how important having a good backup goalie is until you need one.
Edmonton Oilers
Geez, what is it with Western Canadian teams and needing goalies? Though the Edmonton Oilers already have Mikko Koskinen signed to a deal with two years left and a $4.5 million annual cap hit, they still need to add a goalie. Mike Smith simply didn’t cut it as their backup. If the Oilers want to employ a tandem next season, signing Greiss would make a ton of sense.
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Dallas Stars
Perhaps no team loves goalie tandems more than the Dallas Stars. Ever since they signed Ben Bishop during the 2017 offseason, Bishop has started 53, 45, and 43 games respectively. The Stars will likely make re-signing Anton Khudobin their top priority this offseason, but if they aren’t able to, Greiss would be a very nice fit in Dallas. With Bishop’s injury concerns, they need to keep him rested and fresh. Greiss would help them do that.