Blues next goalie

[LogosBlue]

I'd try and pry Oscar Dansk from Vegas.

 

[DatDude44]

I've had enough of Jake Allen. Too inconsistent.

I'm looking for your thoughts on who our next goalie should be, assuming no Jake.

I want Robin Lehner.



Lehner is 6'4" 240lbs and likes to scrap. I want this.

Lehner isn't good and is a horrible teammate. Last guy i want

 

[Brockon]

I'm not married to Jake Allen, but I don't see the point in spending assets for anything that isn't a clear upgrade.

I never thought I'd see the day where Lehner was being discussed as the remedy to inconsistency. Lehner is going to make as much or more than Allen as an RFA (it will cost $4 mil to qualify him and he'll be a UFA the next summer unless you give more money to get term) and he's also had some staggeringly bad stretches. Maybe it's just from being in Buffalo, but in my limited viewing of him he seems to thrive in high shot environments and has trouble maintaining focus (sound familiar?). I don't want to pay assets for a gamble.

I'm also not at all in favor of having Husso backup in the NHL. He's never played more than 41 games in a season as a pro. He needs to learn how to handle an NHL-caliber starting workload in the AHL so that his first time ever playing 50 games isn't coming as he is also adjusting to the NHL.

I either want to see a veteran backup who can handle 30-35 starts so that we aren't treating Allen like an elite level, 60+ start goalie or I want to see a backup who we intend on starting 20 times with a plan to bounce Husso up and down and spot start him in the NHL between AHL starts. I firmly believe that a decent amount of Allen's inconsistency stems from Hitch and Yeo both putting him on pace to start 60-65 games each year. Teams are moving away from that formula and the worst thing you can do to a goalie with mental/consistency issues is overwork him. I think we see a better version of Allen if he is getting an extra game off every 10-12 days than the version who fell apart after being on pace to start 65 games through the first 3 months of the year. I'd prefer that over spending assets for what is likely a very lateral move.

Assuming Toronto is willing to part with either Sparks or Pickard for a reasonable cost (Pickard was acquired for a 7th), how would you feel about giving one of them a shot at back up duties, with the intent of giving Husso the call ups for a little NHL seasoning to give something resembling a 50/20-25/5-10 starter workload out?

Pickard as a pending RFA needs about 1 mil for a qualifying offer, and Sparks has 1 season remaining before he's due a qualifying offer as an RFA.