No Stanley Cups. No league-leading stats. Not a future Hall of Famer. Not an elite goaltender. So after all of this, why is Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek still a goaltender we should take notice of? His dependability and stats when he was on awful teams make the fact that he does not get attention as an underrated goaltender amazing to me. After all, he has played better on a bad team than most other goaltenders play on a good team.
Blackhawks' Mrazek still shining between the pipes
Drafted by the Detroit Red Wings 141st overall in the 2010 NHL Draft, his brilliant career has taken him to almost 15 years in the league. While he played on some bad Red Wings teams, he still never got credit for the stats he put up behind such an average defense. He remained with the Red Wings for six seasons and never won a Stanley Cup, but left knowing he played well enough to deserve better.
The 32-year-old from Ostrava, Czechoslovakia, Mrazek then bounced around the league a bit, spending three years with the Carolina Hurricanes, and one year each with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Philadelphia Flyers. While switching from backup to starter to backup depending on the situation, he never gave up regardless of what was in front of him. He always played for the team and never gave up on a play. There were times, like any other goaltender, that he struggled mightily, but he would be between the pipes the next time to prove that he could still play.
On July 7, 2022, he may have got the call he needed to prove he can still be a number one goaltender. On that day, the Maple Leafs traded him, along with a first-round pick, to the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a second-round pick in 2022. This would be the chance he needed to succeed in the league again. This may be his last opportunity to grab a starter job and give quality minutes again. He was out to prove people wrong.
And that he did.
While he is not putting up elite numbers, his numbers are incredibly good for playing on a team that is in a rebuild with a subpar defense. This season, Mrazek is 7-11-1 with a 2.86 goals-against-average and a .905 save percentage. Pretty good stats for a 32-year-old goaltender playing on a team that is at the bottom of the league. For his career, he is 175-166-39, with a 2.80 goals-against-average, a .907 save percentage, and 25 shutouts.
This season is far from over, but Mrazek has the incredible stat that records him having only three losing seasons as a goaltender over his 13-year career. That is amazing considering the bad teams he has played on. While his consistency and dependability are not recognized, it should be known that he has not played in a single all-star game in his career.
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin has just signed a contract worth $11.5 million per season, while Mrazek is at $4.25 million per season. Considering his play between the pipes so far, this is a steal of a deal. He has kept the Blackhawks in many games they should not have been in and has even stolen a few this season.
A goaltender like Mrazek should not go unnoticed. Some have it easy based on the team they play on. Mrazek does not have that luxury, but he is out there every start playing well and keeping the game close on a nightly basis. He is not Marc-Andre Fleury underrated, but he should get credit for his above average stats on some pretty rotten teams during his tenure. He may even get to 200 career wins this season, as he is currently at 175.