Is the Zatkoff era nearing an end?

[Hossa die Waldfee]

Ah, the Jeff Zatkoff Era. Up there with the William Henry Harrison Era in significance.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness...

 

[Sheriff66]

I don't think the organization ever saw Zatkoff as more than a cheap stopgap. He did an alright job at that. It's not his fault the Pens had an awful first 30 games so they now need points from those back-to-backs. Now Murray has developed better and faster than anyone expected. It's not a big deal though. Murray will play some b2b down the stretch, and then go back down for the WBS playoff run while Zatkoff warms the bench in our playoffs games.

Next season Zatkoff is gone and Murray will be Fleury's understudy, with Jarry taking over as WBS starter and probably Maguire as his backup. With goalies being so unpredictable I don't think it makes right now sense to plan much further ahead.

Well said, my exact thoughts

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I don't think the organization ever saw Zatkoff as more than a cheap stopgap. He did an alright job at that. It's not his fault the Pens had an awful first 30 games so they now need points from those back-to-backs. Now Murray has developed better and faster than anyone expected. It's not a big deal though. Murray will play some b2b down the stretch, and then go back down for the WBS playoff run while Zatkoff warms the bench in our playoffs games.

Next season Zatkoff is gone and Murray will be Fleury's understudy, with Jarry taking over as WBS starter and probably Maguire as his backup. With goalies being so unpredictable I don't think it makes right now sense to plan much further ahead.

100% agreed, and the fact that Zatkoff opened last year in the minors, the first year of a two-year deal, is pretty convincing evidence of that being true. He was seen as, and has mostly been, a fringe NHL back-up that was as cheap as they come. I never got the idea that Zatkoff was seen as anything more than that.

Murray has also passed MAF in my book too.

Well, I spit on your book. That's lunacy.

I fully expect Murray to supplant Fleury at some point, but let's at least give him a year as a back-up to earn the starting job first. I wouldn't be surprised if Murray gets two years in the back-up role, frankly. You have to be 100% sure that the kid is not just the future, but the present as well before you kick Fleury to the curb.