The Detroit Red Wings have a tough decision between the pipes

The Detroit Red Wings have a long history of great goaltenders but, more importantly, they have had great goaltending duos.

The duos have included Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek along with the duo of Osgood and Mike Vernon. Those duos have won the William M. Jennings trophy for allowing the fewest goals in the regular season.

Fast forward to the present and the Red Wings netminders are playing well, just not the best in the league.

The Detroit Red Wings have a lot of outstanding goaltenders to choose from

The Detroit Red Wings are looking for security in the net. The goaltending duo of Ville Husso and James Reimer have been good at times but Alex Lyon has been exceptional.

Husso likely remains the starter for the rest of the season unless he gets injured or is traded. He has been decent since arriving in Detroit as he started out red-hot last season but cooled off tremendously.

His 2023-24 statistics include a 7-3-1 record with a 3.47 goals-against-average and a .888 save percentage. Husso came to the Red Wings in a trade with the St. Louis Blues in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft (Aleksanteri Kaskimaki).

James Reimer came to the Detroit Red Wings this off-season as a free agent after signing a one-year deal on July 1, 2023.

His stats this season are a 2-2-2 record, a 2.30 GAA, and a .917 save percentage with one shutout. He has been good this season, mixing a good game with a bad one right after. He is the backup to Husso for now.

Alex Lyon also came to the Red Wings as a free agent this off-season, signing a two-year deal on July 1, 2023. This season, he is 2-1 with a GAA of 1.35, a save percentage of .952, and one shutout.

Although Husso has more wins because of more games played, it is Lyon who has the best GAA and save percentage of the three. He gives Detroit a new energy and the team plays with more confidence when he is between the pipes.

Regardless of what happens with this situation, Lyon has proven over his career that he is capable of being a starter or backup and can be pivotal in the Red Wings’ success going forward.

His calm demeanor and confidence have given life to the goaltending position as he is never out of place in the crease, challenges the shooter, and is positionally sound when called upon.

While Reimer has more experience, we can not ignore the fact that Lyon deserves a backup job for the Detroit Red Wings.

Detroit had the luxury of carrying three goaltenders to start the season. Reimer could be traded as he has a one-year deal with a favorable AAV and several teams are looking for help between the pipes.

The goaltending duo in Detroit should be Husso and Lyon unless they give us a reason not to believe in their abilities.

Reimer could be had for a decent draft pick from a team that is looking for help like the Edmonton Oilers or Carolina Hurricanes. Edmonton’s general manager is former Red Wings general manager, Ken Holland so it could happen.

Lyon has played himself into a role where he cannot lose and be counted on to play a solid game. Yes, this is a small sample size in Detroit but he was part of the Florida Panthers team that went on a lengthy winning streak which led them to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final.

There is a battle for the backup spot right now. At this point, it feels like there is a clear option. That option is Alex Lyon.