Lesser-known goalies in hunt for Vezina this season
Netminders Samsonov, Jarry and Kuemper among unsung heroes at league’s midpoint
What a weird year this has been for goalies.
As we look toward the NHL All-star Game, it’s time to fill out our ballots for the Professional Hockey Writers Association’s midseason awards. While John Carlson was a lock for the Norris Trophy, there was difficulty in deciding between Connor Mcdavid and Nathan Mackinnon for the Hart Trophy and whether Quinn Hughes or Cale Makar deserved the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.
Meanwhile, the Vezina Trophy for top goaltender might as well be called the “Breakout Player of the Year Award” this season.
Usually, the finalists are a who’s who of the league’s best goalies. This year, it’s more like “who is he?”
Washington rookie Ilya Samsonov, who made his debut and has played in 19 games, has a
.927 save percentage. Arizona’s Darcy Kuemper, a 29-year-old who is in just his second season as an NHL starter, has the thirdbest goals-against average. And Tristan Jarry, who began the year as Matt Murray’s backup in Pittsburgh, is ranked second in both categories.
In Columbus, someone named Elvis Merzlikins has three shutouts in his past four starts, as well as a .928 save percentage for a team competing for an unlikely playoff berth.
Combined, the four of them are earning US$4.375 million. That’s less than half of what Montreal’s Carey Price is making this season.
Of course, it’s not just Price who is being paid way too much.
From Henrik Lundqvist and Sergei Bobrovsky to Braden Holtby and Pekka Rinne, several big-name goalies have become big-name backups.
Even the goalies heading to the all-star game are not playing like all-stars.
Toronto’s Frederik Andersen and Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck were both considered Vezina Trophy candidates in November. Since then, Andersen has posted an .895 save percentage and Hellebuyck’s save percentage is down to .886.
Maybe things will change after the all-star game. Or maybe this is a sign that when it comes to goaltending, you don’t always get what you pay for.
TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT
There have been seven coaching changes this season. But not all changes are created equal. Toronto, which was on a 78-point pace under Mike Babcock, is playing at a 115-point pace under Sheldon Keefe. Calgary was playing at a 79-point pace with Bill Peters running the bench and is at a 109-point pace since Geoff Ward took over. But the same problems that plagued New Jersey (8-10-3 under new coach Alain Nasreddine) and San Jose (6-9-2 under Bob Boughner) remain, while Dallas’ bump equates to a three-point increase since
Jim Montgomery was fired. As for Nashville (3-3-0) and Vegas (1-1-1), it’s too early to tell if the changes will be positive, negative or negligible … I hate speculating on which coach would be fired next, but based on what has happened this year, all you have to look at is which bubble teams are on losing streaks. Unfortunately, that puts Winnipeg’s Paul Maurice on the hot seat … The Leafs are a mess defensively, but they have two things that make me think they can go all the way if they find their way into the playoffs: elite goaltending and offensive game-breakers. You can’t win without either. Just ask the Pittsburgh Penguins … At this time last year, Postmedia News declared Calgary as having Canada’s best chance to win a Cup. Based on the standings, that honour now belongs to Vancouver. Take a bow, Jim Benning.
EXPECT CANADIAN TEAMS TO BUY AT THE DEADLINE
It was on Jan. 28 last year when the Toronto Maple Leafs sent a first-round pick and a prospect to Los Angeles in exchange for Jake Muzzin.
In other words, don’t pay attention to the Feb. 24 trade deadline. The time to acquire players is now.
And with the exception of Vancouver, which is sitting in first place in the Pacific Division, the teams likely to be the biggest buyers are operating north of the border.
Toronto and Winnipeg, both outside a playoff spot, cannot afford to miss out on the post-season. The same goes for Edmonton and Calgary, which are barely hanging onto playoff spots in the overcrowded Western Conference.
Then there’s Montreal.
Are the Canadiens, nine points back of a playoff spot, buyers or sellers? After the recent acquisition of Ilya Kovalchuk, my guess is the former.
The pressure to make the playoffs is immense, especially after what the Blue Jackets did as a bubble team last year when they acquired Matt Duchene and Ryan Dzingel at the deadline and shocked the hockey world by sweeping the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round.
Make the post-season and anything can happen.
Expect Toronto to dangle Kasperi Kapanen or Andreas Johnsson for help on the depleted back end and in net. The same goes for Winnipeg, where the blueline has been a revolving door of injuries. The Oilers and Flames could both use a top-six winger. And Montreal could use all of the above if it’s going to take advantage of a rapidly closing window and leap past four teams. Maybe Ottawa, which could be the only Canadian team selling at the deadline and has a 21-goal scorer heading to the all-star game in Anthony Duclair, can provide what the others need.
ALL-STAR SWITCH
The Leafs announced Wednesday that an acute wrist condition will force forward Auston Matthews to bow out of on-ice activities at all-star weekend in St. Louis. His place is being taken by Ottawa Senators second-year forward Brady Tkachuk. Matthews will still attend the all-star festivities.