NHL Free Agency: 5 teams who should sign Braden Holtby
Longtime Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby will be testing NHL free agency. Which teams would make the most sense for him?
Braden Holtby has spent his entire career to this point in a Washington Capitals sweater. He’s been their starting goalie since the start of the 2012-13 season and has started at least 40 games in each season since then, and has only missed starting 50 games in two seasons since the start of the 2013-14 season. With the emergence of Ilya Samsonov, the Capitals are going to let Holtby test NHL free agency.
Thanks to having two straight down years, Holtby won’t be getting the huge deal he was projected to get. There likely isn’t a Sergei Bobrovsky offer out there for him. That said, Holtby has been about as durable as a goalie can be and his postseason resume is undeniably impressive, so there will still be suitors out there for him.
Even in a loaded goaltending market, Holtby won’t have a problem finding a new team to sign with. Here are five teams who should pursue him in free agency.
5. Chicago Blackhawks
If Holtby wants to be a starting goalie while still playing for a contending team, his best option might be the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks are pondering what to do with two-time Stanley Cup champion Corey Crawford. He might hit free agency just like Holtby.
With no starting goalies ready in their system, the Blackhawks are going to have to look for a new goalie if they part ways with Crawford. Holtby would be a nice fit for the Blackhawks for several reasons.
First of all, as I said earlier, their prospect pool is barren when it comes to goaltenders. Malcolm Subban is their most promising goalie and he has struggled mightily as of late. At best, he’s an NHL backup.
Secondly, the Blackhawks still have dreams of winning the Stanley Cup. Holtby’s postseason resume is one of the most impressive of any goalie in the salary cap era.
4. Ottawa Senators
If Holtby wants the best chance to be a starting goalie, without question, his best option is the Ottawa Senators. The Senators have a pretty impressive prospect pool, but one thing they lack are top-notch goalie prospects. Marcus Hogberg is an interesting prospect, but he’s 25. And Anders Nilsson‘s future is a bit murky at this point.
Holtby could help the Senators keep their net warm until they find a better option. There are reports Ottawa is very interested in drafting Yaroslav Askarov, the top goaltending prospect in the 2020 NHL Draft. If they draft him, Holtby would allow them to be patient with him.
Of course, Holtby probably wants to play for a contender. But there might not be too many contenders out there for him. Especially if he’d like to remain a starting goalie.
Just thinking outside the box, the Senators need to spend a lot of money just to get to the cap floor. Maybe a two-year deal with a high AAV would make sense for both sides? At least then the Senators would be using their cap space on someone who’s helping the team. That’s an easier pill to swallow than taking on someone’s contract and not have them play a significant role.
3. Carolina Hurricanes
At this stage in his career, Braden Holtby probably shouldn’t be a starting goalie. The numbers don’t lie, as his stats have been declining for the past three seasons. Depending on what the Carolina Hurricanes decide to do this offseason, Holtby could make quite a bit of sense for them.
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Of course, for Holtby to make sense for those bunch of jerks, the Canes would have to trade a goalie – either Petr Mrazek or James Reimer. Reimer is the more likely option because of the way his contract is set up. His salary is under $1 million ($850,000 to be precise), but his cap hit is $3.4 million. With many teams struggling financially, this makes Reimer rather appealing.
Holtby could form a very solid tandem with Mrazek. One has to imagine the Hurricanes are targeting a bigger fish. Should Robin Lehner hit the free agent market, I imagine Carolina will be very interested in him. The same goes for Anton Khudobin. But inevitably, there’s going to be a team stuck without a goalie, much like a game of “musical chairs”.
Also, keep in mind the Hurricanes likely aren’t bringing back Justin Williams. Carolina’s a fairly young team and Holtby knows what it takes to win the Stanley Cup. He’ll also be very motivated.
2. Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers banked on Mike Smith last season. Let’s just say it didn’t work out as planned. Smith was abysmal, especially in the play-in round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. You can bet the Oilers are going to look for an upgrade in net this offseason.
They already have Mikko Koskinen, who has proven to be effective in a tandem. The Oilers need to find him a reliable partner who can play about 30-40 games in an 82 game season (about 40% to 50% pro-rated if it’s not an 82 game season).
Holtby will likely be one of the cheaper goalies on the market, though of course, who can predict the market at this point? But assuming he is, the 2018 Stanley Cup champion would be a great fit for the Oilers.
He’d bring steadiness between the pipes, as he’s started at least 40 games in each full season of his career. Holtby also has a great postseason resume, which the Oilers would benefit from, as they’re trying to win a Stanley Cup. It’s worth pointing out he isn’t too far removed from being one of the NHL’s best goalies. Maybe a change in scenery would help him get back to that point.
1. Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames head into this offseason looking to make some big changes to their roster. They had yet another disappointingly early exit from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, losing in the first round to the Dallas Stars. The Flames haven’t made it out of the first round since 2015, so they’re going to be looking to shake things up.
For the second straight offseason, they’ll be looking to add a goalie, whether that be in free agency or the trade market. Last summer, the Flames signed former adversary Cam Talbot to a one-year deal. He was a very good backup behind starting goaltender David Rittich. Talbot started each of the Flames’ postseason games, posting a .924% save percentage.
It wouldn’t be surprising at all if the Flames re-signed Talbot. However, if they don’t, Braden Holtby could be their next best choice. If Rittich falters, Holtby has tons of experience as a starting goalie and could carry the Flames.
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Furthermore, the Flames are looking to do something in the postseason. Signing Holtby, who has won a Stanley Cup, could help them accomplish that goal. The Flames have some other priorities, but they could easily sell him on joining a very good team and playing relatively close to his hometown in Saskatchewan, which is only about five hours away from Calgary (and only about an hour away via flight).