Speculation: Jimmy Howard value as a UFA if he gets bought out.

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

So I have seen speculation on these boards from wings fans and fans in general that the wings will buy out Howard next month when the 2nd buy out window opens.

If they do that where does he go? what does get? most teams have their starters so does he accept a backup role?

or do you think they keep him?

Click to read more...

 

[StevenB]

If the leafs don't get enroth, I can see them offering 1-2m on a one year deal. He has a history with Babcock btw

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

If the leafs don't get enroth, I can see them offering 1-2m on a one year deal. He has a history with Babcock btw

I thought about that just not sure he will take a backup role

 

[DarthProbert]

No matter what he's worth on his own, there's just no market for goalies. His chance will come if a starter gets hurt.

 

[TheOctopusKid]

If he does get bought out (which I don't think the Wings will do) - he goes cheap ($2M AAV) on a 2-year contract to whatever team needs a starting goaltender and he is the undisputed starter. TOR would have been a likely choice given his relationship with Babs but with Andersson there now, I doubt that he would settle for a backup role.

ARZ or OTT come to mind.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

If he does get bought out (which I don't think the Wings will do) - he goes cheap ($2M AAV) on a 2-year contract to whatever team needs a starting goaltender and he is the undisputed starter. TOR would have been a likely choice given his relationship with Babs but with Andersson there now, I doubt that he would settle for a backup role.

ARZ or OTT come to mind.

Ottawa has Craig Anderson

 

[TheOctopusKid]

Ottawa has Craig Anderson

Too true. So ARZ it is

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Too true. So ARZ it is

ARZ has Mike Smith

 

[JKG33]

ARZ has Mike Smith

What's your point?

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

What's your point?

Their starter is also in place

 

[Bleedred]

I thought about that just not sure he will take a backup role

He better, or else he might find himself out of work. He's a terrible goaltender for the past 3 years, one of the league's worst. He might actually be worse than Pavelec over the last 3 years combined, much in part to Pavelec having a .920 season in there. If he doesn't accept whatever role he's given, he'll be unable to find work. Not completely knowing the Wings current cap situation, it might not be a big deal if he's kept there as a backup. But Blashill needs to know his role and not start him in playoff games or down the stretch with the playoffs on the line, as long as Mrazek's healthy. That almost cost them a playoff spot last year, Boston choked out on the final day, after mutilating the Wings with Howard in net in the game before.

Ottawa has Craig Anderson

Who is easily a better goaltender than the current Howard.

 

[KingsFan7824]

Probably crappy for him personally. You couldn't pick a worse time of year to be bought out as a goalie.

I don't think Detroit does it. From what I've seen, they don't need to buy him out, and it wouldn't be a cheap buyout either. It's a lot of money for 2 goalies though, when only 1 can play every game.

 

[JKG33]

Their starter is also in place

It's Mike Smith...

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

He better, or else he might find himself out of work. He's a terrible goaltender for the past 3 years, one of the league's worst. He might actually be worse than Pavelec over the last 3 years combined, much in part to Pavelec having a .920 season in there. If he doesn't accept whatever role he's given, he'll be unable to find work. Not completely knowing the Wings current cap situation, it might not be a big deal if he's kept there as a backup. But Blashill needs to know his role and not start him in playoff games or down the stretch with the playoffs on the line, as long as Mrazek's healthy. That almost cost them a playoff spot last year, Boston choked out on the final day, after mutilating the Wings with Howard in net in the game before.


Who is easily a better goaltender than the current Howard.

They are nearly 5 million above the cap

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

It's Mike Smith...

Yup and he has 3 years left at 5.6 per, he's the starter

 

[Bleedred]

Probably crappy for him personally. You couldn't pick a worse time of year to be bought out as a goalie.

I don't think Detroit does it. From what I've seen, they don't need to buy him out, and it wouldn't be a cheap buyout either. It's a lot of money for 2 goalies though, when only 1 can play every game.

I read in the other thread that the Wings are $4 million over the cap, is this true? If it is, maybe they do buy him out? If not, maybe the expansion team takes him next year if there's no better options. I don't think either TB goalie will end up exposed, nor do I think Fleury most likely will either. I'm thinking Mike Smith and maybe Niemi might be the most attractive guys to them, the best they'll get. Or Howard is a possibility.

It's Mike Smith...

While I agree that Mike Smith is a mediocre starting goalie in the NHL and in the lower echelon of starters (bottom 6-8), he's still been better than Howard over the last 3 years combined.

Seriously, Howard has been one of the worst goaltenders in the league for the last 3 years. .910, .910, .906, these numbers are probably acceptable for a backup but not an NHL starter. The other guys that are perennial .910 or lower goaltenders are the bottom 3 starters in the league.

 

[KingsFan7824]

I read in the other thread that the Wings are $4 million over the cap, is this true? If it is, maybe they do buy him out? If not, maybe the expansion team takes him next year if there's no better options. I don't think either TB goalie will end up exposed, nor do I think Fleury most likely will either. I'm thinking Mike Smith and maybe Niemi might be the most attractive guys to them, the best they'll get. Or Howard is a possibility.

I believe that's with counting Franzen and Vitale, who will be on LTIR. Even if it wasn't, I don't think only buying Howard out gets the Wings under the cap.

$5m+ for Howard on the cap for 3 years. I don't think Vegas would take him, even with just 2 years left by the time of the draft. It's an expansion team, but if I were running it, I wouldn't take a bad contract just because I'm an expansion team, even for 1 year, let alone more. If the Wings want to give me something extra, ok, maybe.

 

[GoldiFox]

Bill Peters was around Detroit for some of Howard's best years and the Cane's current goaltending group is weak. If they could ship out Lack to a team looking for a backup they might be interested in Howard as a UFA. All depends on what Peters thinks.

 

[SniperHF]

Most teams are set in net and already spent their money. He'd get a 1 year prove it contract for 1.5 somewhere.

Yup and he has 3 years left at 5.6 per, he's the starter

Yep, they are married to Smith. Plus they locked down Domingue for 2 years too.

 

[lanceuppercut75]

TOR - $2.5 million or less
NAS - $2.0 million or less
SJS - $3.0 million or less

Anyone else would have to trade a goalie or put their backup on waivers and into the AHL. Vasilevskiy, Murray and Gibson are waiver exempt but won't be demoted IMO.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

So I have seen speculation on these boards from wings fans and fans in general that the wings will buy out Howard next month when the 2nd buy out window opens.

If they do that where does he go? what does get? most teams have their starters so does he accept a backup role?

or do you think they keep him?

Holland isn't buying out Howard we would need to sign a cheap back up if we did that. And we wouldn't be saving all that much. If we were to buy out some one it's most likely Ericsson not Howard.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Holland isn't buying out Howard we would need to sign a cheap back up if we did that. And we wouldn't be saving all that much. If we were to buy out some one it's most likely Ericsson not Howard.

Funny you say that because You're actually one of the people I am refering to in the OP

 

[Man Bear Pig]

I'd take him on a really cheap 1 year deal as a backup. I can't see any team willing to give him more than a year and the starters role. The market for mediocre goalies just isn't very good. Teams are set.

 

[Number1RedWingsFan52]

Funny you say that because You're actually one of the people I am refering to in the OP

At the very earliest Holland wouldn't buy out Howard until next summer, And that's if Holland leaves Howard unprotected and he will. And Vegas say chooses MAF instead then it's possible that he could be bought out but i would be shocked if it happened now.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Holland isn't buying out Howard we would need to sign a cheap back up if we did that. And we wouldn't be saving all that much. If we were to buy out some one it's most likely Ericsson not Howard.

There would be a couple years where the savings isn't substantial but this year, it's 3.8 mil saved if bought out in the second window. If they just brought up Coreau to back up in Howard's place, it's about 3.2 million saved this year and about 2.7 mil next season. That's enough to get you a solid top four d-man in a lot of cases. It would certainly make it a lot easier to get a guy like Fowler if that's what they're going for. If he's not going to buy out Howard, I have a hard time believing he'd buy out Ericsson instead. There's more savings in buying out Howard than there is in Ericsson although Ericsson does have a slightly less cap hit after the first year.