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Geremy McFadden: The “Allaire Plan”
The “Allaire Plan”The Rise of the Colorado Avalanche Goaltending Depth
Nearly everyone knows who Francois Allaire is. Primarily known as the goalie guru who turned Roy into one of the best goalies in hockey history, Allaire is responsible for many goalies who have made it into the NHL. If you want to learn more about Allaire, google him as his biography is out there because this isn’t a biography on him. This article is aimed at focusing on the affect he’s had on the Avalanche goalie development system.
First some backstory on the Avalanche goalie development plan before Patrick Roy and Francois Allaire were brought on board. I promise it will be short because there was virtually no development plan. When the Avalanche traded for Semyon Varlamov in 2011, they were the only team in the NHL without a full time goalie coach. The Avalanche management at the time believed that a goalie could reach their potential by just working hard, having a mentor (JS Giguere) and having a goalie coach make a call once a month to offer advice.
Obviously this didn’t work out. Not only did Varlamov struggle in his first two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche; the Avalanche goalie development struggled as well. When Sami Aittokallio and Calvin Pickard made the jump to the AHL they were both 20 years old. Making the jump is hard enough, making the jump without proper guidance is the most difficult task to accomplish. It showed too. While the Lake Erie Monsters were never quite a good team, the two rookie goalies were never able to find consistency for any period of time.
That is because they had no goalie coach. They had no one to point out their flaws and teach them the proper way to deal with situations. Being self-taught can only take you so far. You need an outside set of eyes trained in noticing small flaws and issues. Most importantly of all, you need a goalie coach who forces you to think. Being told what to do is easy. Having to make in-game adjustments is a skill that separates the good from the elite. The best goalie coaches will challenge a goalie. They’ll give that goalies the tools and information needed to succeed but in the end it comes down to the goalie because that’s the way it is in game. The majority of head coaches or assistant coaches in the world are not capable of this because the goalie position is not the easiest to understand.
In fact, most head coaches would gladly tell you they don’t know a thing about goaltending.They’d much rather defer that kind of coaching to someone who is a goalie coach. Speaking from personal experience, the most common advice is: “Don’t go down early”, “Don’t wander out of the crease” and “Don’t let in weak goals”. As you can see, not the kind of teaching that would benefit a professional athlete.
So by the time the shortened 2013 NHL season had ended the Colorado Avalanche had a wealth of potential that was being wasted away. Expectations of Varlamov, Pickard and Aittokallio had plummeted. When the best goalie in your system at the end of the 2013 season is JS Giguerethen you have issues. It was in fact a huge issue and showed the flaw in the Managements’ plan.
Fast forward to the Joe Sakic promotion and the Patrick Roy hiring. Those two formed the core of the new Colorado Avalanche Front Office and here is where they start the creation of one of the deepest goaltending depth charts in the NHL. The first hire they make is Francois Allaire who had left the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2012.
With Allaire on board the Avalanche organization created a goalie development system that has hit its stride in 2016. The first part of Allaire’s plan for the Avalanche was having two goalie coaches in the organization. In a sense Francois Allaire’s goalie coach plan is comparable to a starter/back-up situation which is why the Avalanche then hired goalie coach Jean-Ian Filiatrault to work in the AHL.
Francois Allaire didn’t just get a say in the Filiatrault hiring. Allaire held a goalie camp in the summer in Switzerland for Semyon Varlamov and JS Giguere almost immediately. There is where Varlamov’s technique was refined and improved along with Giguere finding the fountain of youth.
Next up on the Francois Allaire plan for improving the Colorado Avalanche goalie development system was setting up a drafting plan. Francois Allaire knew that the Avalanche would need goalie prospects because at this time the Avalanche didn’t have a single goalie prospect outside of the pro system. Avalanche fans have now been introduced the prototypical Allaire goalie: big, athletic, a competitor and puck handler. In the case of the 2013 NHL Draft that Allaire goalie was Spencer Martin.
By the time the 2013/14 NHL season had started the “Allaire Plan” was well underway. Varlamov was the starter, Giguere the more then capable back-up, the rookies in Lake Erie were being set on the right path with Filiatrault and Spencer Martin getting into his Draft+1 year. It didn’t take long for fans and media alike to realize the affect that the “Allaire Plan” was having thanks to Varlamov and Giguere playing at elite levels.
Maybe a small and underrated part of the “Allaire Plan” is the set goalie scheduling by Francois Allaire. At the start of the 2013/14 NHL season this meant slowing easing in Varlamov while giving Giguere games Allaire knew Giguere could handle. As the season wore on the scheduling took on a new meaning. With a set schedule each goalie knew there were no mind games to be played by the coaches and could prepare in advance for teams. This is a small and underappreciated part of the “Allaire Plan”.
And something that isn’t small or underrated, at least by experienced goalies, is the constant communication through the organization for the goalies. As I mentioned above, goalie coaches are there to provide an outside view and to challenge the goalies under their tutelage. What the “Allaire Plan” has done is create a constant stream of information between all levels of the organization for the goalies. Thanks to Cheryl Bradley of BSN Avalanche in an interview with Spencer Martin recently (2016), it is confirmed that the Avalanche have constant contact with their goalies whether they are in the NHL, AHL, ECHL or even juniors (No idea if Pajpach also receives constant communication in Europe).
In fact you could say that the communication might be the most impactful part of the “Allaire Plan”. It’s no secret that Francois Allaire works his goalies hard. So when a goalie not in the Avalanche pro system makes the jump to the pro system it can be slightly jarring. The communication that runs through the organization is critical in providing these young goalies preparation for when they receive training from Francois Allaire himself.
Before the season had ended another part of the “Allaire Plan” had fallen into place. Another Alliare-type goalie was brought into the organization. Swiss goalie Reto Berra was brought in via trade from the Calgary Flames. Unfortunately Berra had trouble adapting which was not a huge issue thanks to Giguere getting a 2nd wind for the last part of the season. There were also two small additions made to the team as the Avalanche signed former QMJHL goalie Roman Will and Max Pajpach who was drafted. Pajpach was then injured and lost a year in development during the 2014/15 season.
So a recap of the “Allaire Plan” one year in:
-Hired goalie coach for AHL team in Jean-Ian Filiatrault
-Works with Semyon Varlamov and JS Giguere in the off-season
-Drafts Allaire-type goalie in Spencer Martin
-Sets up schedule per week for goalie starts
-Brings in back-up goalie fitting the Allaire-type, Reto Berra
-Signs Roman Will from Europe to improve goalie depth
-Drafts Max Pajpach in 6th Round of NHL Draft
In Year 2 of the “Allaire Plan” we begin to see the improvement leak through to the AHL and beyond. The changes weren’t completely noticeable at the start of the season. Varlamov didn’t get off to his best start along with getting hit with an injury. Reto Berra started off well but was then hit with his own setback after being injured in a game against Ottawa. Last but not least in Calvin Pickard’s first taste of the NHL he didn’t have the easiest time.
It wasn’t until later in the season where Calvin Pickard received his 2ndcall-up of the season Avalanche fans and media alike saw the “Allaire Plan” and its effect in the AHL. Calvin Pickard won two games in a row where he came in relief of Reto Berra. After a short stint the Avalanche had shown the league its newest success of the “Allaire Plan”.
While Reto Berra didn’t have a strong middle part of the season, towards the end of the 2014/15 season Reto Berra put on a show. If we are allowed to use foresight we can see that Reto Berra’s late season play was in fact Berra adapting to the North American game at last. While it was never part of the plan, it’s always nice to see goalies score which is what Reto Berra did while on a conditioning stint in Lake Erie.
As always there is a small success as part of the “Allaire Plan”. The 1styear was the set scheduling for the NHL goalies. This year was Roman Will’s success in the ECHL. While he did struggle in the AHL, Roman Will became a fan favourite for the Fort Wayne Komets through his play. While Roman Will has a small chance at the NHL, he does have a shot at being the AHL veteran that the“Allaire Plan” has been asking for.
There was one last part of the “Allaire Plan” coming together in the 2014/15 season. That was Spencer Martin’s emergence in the OHL. While his Draft Year+1 wasn’t the best, Martin’s Draft Year+2 was where Spencer Martin made his presence known to Avalanche fans. Unfortunately for Martin his season was cut short when he incurred an ACL injury in his right knee that required surgery. Despite that his head coach from the Mississauga Steelheads head coach James Boyd had some great insight into Spencer Martin:
“In the first half, I thought we probably didn’t play to our potential, and relied an awful lot on our goaltender and, in spite of that, we were .500 around Christmas time. Then Spencer got hurt in the last game, December 18, before the Christmas break.”
“You can’t overstate the leadership qualities that a Spencer Martin brings to your lineup, or on the ice. Also, the fact that he was, night in and night out, one our best players…”
“He’s a fiery guy, he doesn’t like to lose games, he doesn’t like players not giving it their all. He really was a key part of that leadership group for us.”
Full Article: https://www.baytoday.ca/sports/blue...ssauga-steelheads-rise-to-the-challenge-18502
On the surface Year 2 of the “Allaire Plan” doesn’t appear to have had the effect that Year 1 had. No goalie suddenly went from struggling to Vezina Finalist. Instead there were a quite a few successes which involved Reto Berra finally adapting, Calvin Pickard becoming the top Avalanche prospect in net, Roman Will becoming the surprise of the ECHL and Spencer Martin making a name for himself in the OHL and among Avalanche prospect watchers.
Year 2 Recap:
-Calvin Pickard emerges as top Avalanche goalie prospect
-Reto Berra adapts to NA game
-Roman Will makes ECHL All-Rookie Team
-Spencer Martin has spectacular season that ends with ACL injury
With Year 3 of the “Allaire Plan” still going on we are seeing it still running as smoothly as ever. Semyon Varlamov is on top of his game. Reto Berra proved his effectiveness as a 1B goalie when Varlamov was struggling. Calvin Pickard has solidified himself in the NHL and is expected to be the back-up for next season right from the start. Spencer Martin is making the transition to pro and is succeeding. Then there is Roman Will who looks like he might be carving himself a spot in the AHL while Pickard is in the NHL.
There have been some hiccups as no plan is ever perfect. Reto Berra for a 2nd round pick was certainly an overpayment. Combine that with his play to end the 2013/14 season and middle of the 2014/15 season, it’s only natural that Berra and the move to bring him in have come under criticism. Another small failure of plan was Sami Aittokallio. Now we don’t know the reason why Aittokallio didn’t work out in North America, however his departure does hurt as he has lots of potential and is currently doing well back home in Finland. Lastly I believe something that Avalanche fans would like to see is the “Allaire Plan” doing away with Varlamov’s early season slumps and injuries.
With the analysis done from the start of Year 1 to the end of Year 2, we can wrap this up and make a verdict on the “Allaire Plan”. When the Colorado Avalanche hired Francois Allaire, it was on the heels of him leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs organization where Brian Burke had strong opinions about him:
“The position has evolved in the last three to five years,” Burke said. “Nobody plays the classic stand-up anymore either. Everything advances.”
Source:http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs...s_gm_brian_burke_blasts_francois_allaire.html
And those comments caused concern among Avalanche fans and some media. Was an already failing goalie depth chart about to hit rock bottom? With full confidence and looking back, everyone can safely say Allaire was the best thing to happen to the Colorado Avalanche Goaltending Depth. The “Allaire Plan” took weakness and turned it into arguably the strongest part of the Avalanche organization (and strongest in the NHL). Without a doubt the “Allaire Plan” is the goaltending development system that will be a staple in the organization for years to come and one in which goalies will excel in.
So now we are looking forward to a new addition to the plan as the Colorado Avalanche are expected to take a goalie in the upcoming NHL Draft. Only question which goalie the Avalanche are looking for. If it’s another Spencer Martin clone the Avalanche will most likely aim for Antoine Samuel or Evan Fitzpatrick. If the Avalanche are willing to bend on the size requirement then the Avalanche can take Zach Sawchenko or Troy Timpano.
Either way based on previous results of the “Allaire Plan” Avalanche fans can be sure to trust in the amateur scouts and Francois Allaire.
Original story: http://www.eurolanche.com/article.php?id=7699
The “Allaire Plan”The Rise of the Colorado Avalanche Goaltending Depth
Nearly everyone knows who Francois Allaire is. Primarily known as the goalie guru who turned Roy into one of the best goalies in hockey history, Allaire is responsible for many goalies who have made it into the NHL. If you want to learn more about Allaire, google him as his biography is out there because this isn’t a biography on him. This article is aimed at focusing on the affect he’s had on the Avalanche goalie development system.
First some backstory on the Avalanche goalie development plan before Patrick Roy and Francois Allaire were brought on board. I promise it will be short because there was virtually no development plan. When the Avalanche traded for Semyon Varlamov in 2011, they were the only team in the NHL without a full time goalie coach. The Avalanche management at the time believed that a goalie could reach their potential by just working hard, having a mentor (JS Giguere) and having a goalie coach make a call once a month to offer advice.
Obviously this didn’t work out. Not only did Varlamov struggle in his first two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche; the Avalanche goalie development struggled as well. When Sami Aittokallio and Calvin Pickard made the jump to the AHL they were both 20 years old. Making the jump is hard enough, making the jump without proper guidance is the most difficult task to accomplish. It showed too. While the Lake Erie Monsters were never quite a good team, the two rookie goalies were never able to find consistency for any period of time.
That is because they had no goalie coach. They had no one to point out their flaws and teach them the proper way to deal with situations. Being self-taught can only take you so far. You need an outside set of eyes trained in noticing small flaws and issues. Most importantly of all, you need a goalie coach who forces you to think. Being told what to do is easy. Having to make in-game adjustments is a skill that separates the good from the elite. The best goalie coaches will challenge a goalie. They’ll give that goalies the tools and information needed to succeed but in the end it comes down to the goalie because that’s the way it is in game. The majority of head coaches or assistant coaches in the world are not capable of this because the goalie position is not the easiest to understand.
In fact, most head coaches would gladly tell you they don’t know a thing about goaltending.They’d much rather defer that kind of coaching to someone who is a goalie coach. Speaking from personal experience, the most common advice is: “Don’t go down early”, “Don’t wander out of the crease” and “Don’t let in weak goals”. As you can see, not the kind of teaching that would benefit a professional athlete.
So by the time the shortened 2013 NHL season had ended the Colorado Avalanche had a wealth of potential that was being wasted away. Expectations of Varlamov, Pickard and Aittokallio had plummeted. When the best goalie in your system at the end of the 2013 season is JS Giguerethen you have issues. It was in fact a huge issue and showed the flaw in the Managements’ plan.
Fast forward to the Joe Sakic promotion and the Patrick Roy hiring. Those two formed the core of the new Colorado Avalanche Front Office and here is where they start the creation of one of the deepest goaltending depth charts in the NHL. The first hire they make is Francois Allaire who had left the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2012.
With Allaire on board the Avalanche organization created a goalie development system that has hit its stride in 2016. The first part of Allaire’s plan for the Avalanche was having two goalie coaches in the organization. In a sense Francois Allaire’s goalie coach plan is comparable to a starter/back-up situation which is why the Avalanche then hired goalie coach Jean-Ian Filiatrault to work in the AHL.
Francois Allaire didn’t just get a say in the Filiatrault hiring. Allaire held a goalie camp in the summer in Switzerland for Semyon Varlamov and JS Giguere almost immediately. There is where Varlamov’s technique was refined and improved along with Giguere finding the fountain of youth.
Next up on the Francois Allaire plan for improving the Colorado Avalanche goalie development system was setting up a drafting plan. Francois Allaire knew that the Avalanche would need goalie prospects because at this time the Avalanche didn’t have a single goalie prospect outside of the pro system. Avalanche fans have now been introduced the prototypical Allaire goalie: big, athletic, a competitor and puck handler. In the case of the 2013 NHL Draft that Allaire goalie was Spencer Martin.
By the time the 2013/14 NHL season had started the “Allaire Plan” was well underway. Varlamov was the starter, Giguere the more then capable back-up, the rookies in Lake Erie were being set on the right path with Filiatrault and Spencer Martin getting into his Draft+1 year. It didn’t take long for fans and media alike to realize the affect that the “Allaire Plan” was having thanks to Varlamov and Giguere playing at elite levels.
Maybe a small and underrated part of the “Allaire Plan” is the set goalie scheduling by Francois Allaire. At the start of the 2013/14 NHL season this meant slowing easing in Varlamov while giving Giguere games Allaire knew Giguere could handle. As the season wore on the scheduling took on a new meaning. With a set schedule each goalie knew there were no mind games to be played by the coaches and could prepare in advance for teams. This is a small and underappreciated part of the “Allaire Plan”.
And something that isn’t small or underrated, at least by experienced goalies, is the constant communication through the organization for the goalies. As I mentioned above, goalie coaches are there to provide an outside view and to challenge the goalies under their tutelage. What the “Allaire Plan” has done is create a constant stream of information between all levels of the organization for the goalies. Thanks to Cheryl Bradley of BSN Avalanche in an interview with Spencer Martin recently (2016), it is confirmed that the Avalanche have constant contact with their goalies whether they are in the NHL, AHL, ECHL or even juniors (No idea if Pajpach also receives constant communication in Europe).
In fact you could say that the communication might be the most impactful part of the “Allaire Plan”. It’s no secret that Francois Allaire works his goalies hard. So when a goalie not in the Avalanche pro system makes the jump to the pro system it can be slightly jarring. The communication that runs through the organization is critical in providing these young goalies preparation for when they receive training from Francois Allaire himself.
Before the season had ended another part of the “Allaire Plan” had fallen into place. Another Alliare-type goalie was brought into the organization. Swiss goalie Reto Berra was brought in via trade from the Calgary Flames. Unfortunately Berra had trouble adapting which was not a huge issue thanks to Giguere getting a 2nd wind for the last part of the season. There were also two small additions made to the team as the Avalanche signed former QMJHL goalie Roman Will and Max Pajpach who was drafted. Pajpach was then injured and lost a year in development during the 2014/15 season.
So a recap of the “Allaire Plan” one year in:
-Hired goalie coach for AHL team in Jean-Ian Filiatrault
-Works with Semyon Varlamov and JS Giguere in the off-season
-Drafts Allaire-type goalie in Spencer Martin
-Sets up schedule per week for goalie starts
-Brings in back-up goalie fitting the Allaire-type, Reto Berra
-Signs Roman Will from Europe to improve goalie depth
-Drafts Max Pajpach in 6th Round of NHL Draft
In Year 2 of the “Allaire Plan” we begin to see the improvement leak through to the AHL and beyond. The changes weren’t completely noticeable at the start of the season. Varlamov didn’t get off to his best start along with getting hit with an injury. Reto Berra started off well but was then hit with his own setback after being injured in a game against Ottawa. Last but not least in Calvin Pickard’s first taste of the NHL he didn’t have the easiest time.
It wasn’t until later in the season where Calvin Pickard received his 2ndcall-up of the season Avalanche fans and media alike saw the “Allaire Plan” and its effect in the AHL. Calvin Pickard won two games in a row where he came in relief of Reto Berra. After a short stint the Avalanche had shown the league its newest success of the “Allaire Plan”.
While Reto Berra didn’t have a strong middle part of the season, towards the end of the 2014/15 season Reto Berra put on a show. If we are allowed to use foresight we can see that Reto Berra’s late season play was in fact Berra adapting to the North American game at last. While it was never part of the plan, it’s always nice to see goalies score which is what Reto Berra did while on a conditioning stint in Lake Erie.
As always there is a small success as part of the “Allaire Plan”. The 1styear was the set scheduling for the NHL goalies. This year was Roman Will’s success in the ECHL. While he did struggle in the AHL, Roman Will became a fan favourite for the Fort Wayne Komets through his play. While Roman Will has a small chance at the NHL, he does have a shot at being the AHL veteran that the“Allaire Plan” has been asking for.
There was one last part of the “Allaire Plan” coming together in the 2014/15 season. That was Spencer Martin’s emergence in the OHL. While his Draft Year+1 wasn’t the best, Martin’s Draft Year+2 was where Spencer Martin made his presence known to Avalanche fans. Unfortunately for Martin his season was cut short when he incurred an ACL injury in his right knee that required surgery. Despite that his head coach from the Mississauga Steelheads head coach James Boyd had some great insight into Spencer Martin:
“In the first half, I thought we probably didn’t play to our potential, and relied an awful lot on our goaltender and, in spite of that, we were .500 around Christmas time. Then Spencer got hurt in the last game, December 18, before the Christmas break.”
“You can’t overstate the leadership qualities that a Spencer Martin brings to your lineup, or on the ice. Also, the fact that he was, night in and night out, one our best players…”
“He’s a fiery guy, he doesn’t like to lose games, he doesn’t like players not giving it their all. He really was a key part of that leadership group for us.”
Full Article: https://www.baytoday.ca/sports/blue...ssauga-steelheads-rise-to-the-challenge-18502
On the surface Year 2 of the “Allaire Plan” doesn’t appear to have had the effect that Year 1 had. No goalie suddenly went from struggling to Vezina Finalist. Instead there were a quite a few successes which involved Reto Berra finally adapting, Calvin Pickard becoming the top Avalanche prospect in net, Roman Will becoming the surprise of the ECHL and Spencer Martin making a name for himself in the OHL and among Avalanche prospect watchers.
Year 2 Recap:
-Calvin Pickard emerges as top Avalanche goalie prospect
-Reto Berra adapts to NA game
-Roman Will makes ECHL All-Rookie Team
-Spencer Martin has spectacular season that ends with ACL injury
With Year 3 of the “Allaire Plan” still going on we are seeing it still running as smoothly as ever. Semyon Varlamov is on top of his game. Reto Berra proved his effectiveness as a 1B goalie when Varlamov was struggling. Calvin Pickard has solidified himself in the NHL and is expected to be the back-up for next season right from the start. Spencer Martin is making the transition to pro and is succeeding. Then there is Roman Will who looks like he might be carving himself a spot in the AHL while Pickard is in the NHL.
There have been some hiccups as no plan is ever perfect. Reto Berra for a 2nd round pick was certainly an overpayment. Combine that with his play to end the 2013/14 season and middle of the 2014/15 season, it’s only natural that Berra and the move to bring him in have come under criticism. Another small failure of plan was Sami Aittokallio. Now we don’t know the reason why Aittokallio didn’t work out in North America, however his departure does hurt as he has lots of potential and is currently doing well back home in Finland. Lastly I believe something that Avalanche fans would like to see is the “Allaire Plan” doing away with Varlamov’s early season slumps and injuries.
With the analysis done from the start of Year 1 to the end of Year 2, we can wrap this up and make a verdict on the “Allaire Plan”. When the Colorado Avalanche hired Francois Allaire, it was on the heels of him leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs organization where Brian Burke had strong opinions about him:
“The position has evolved in the last three to five years,” Burke said. “Nobody plays the classic stand-up anymore either. Everything advances.”
Source:http://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs...s_gm_brian_burke_blasts_francois_allaire.html
And those comments caused concern among Avalanche fans and some media. Was an already failing goalie depth chart about to hit rock bottom? With full confidence and looking back, everyone can safely say Allaire was the best thing to happen to the Colorado Avalanche Goaltending Depth. The “Allaire Plan” took weakness and turned it into arguably the strongest part of the Avalanche organization (and strongest in the NHL). Without a doubt the “Allaire Plan” is the goaltending development system that will be a staple in the organization for years to come and one in which goalies will excel in.
So now we are looking forward to a new addition to the plan as the Colorado Avalanche are expected to take a goalie in the upcoming NHL Draft. Only question which goalie the Avalanche are looking for. If it’s another Spencer Martin clone the Avalanche will most likely aim for Antoine Samuel or Evan Fitzpatrick. If the Avalanche are willing to bend on the size requirement then the Avalanche can take Zach Sawchenko or Troy Timpano.
Either way based on previous results of the “Allaire Plan” Avalanche fans can be sure to trust in the amateur scouts and Francois Allaire.
Original story: http://www.eurolanche.com/article.php?id=7699
Flanagan
Registered Loser
Nice write-up, I always enjoy your stuff.
But didn't we have Kirk McLean as a goalie coach before Allaire?
But didn't we have Kirk McLean as a goalie coach before Allaire?
Gigantor The Goalie
Speak for the Goalies
Does Kirk McLean really count? I mean his interactions with the goalies was a phone call once a month.
EurolancheDavid
Registered User
Geremy McFadden: Importance of a Goaltending Pipeline
Let’s cut right to the issue of why a goaltending pipeline is important and the difficulties of creating one.
Having a goaltending pipeline is more than just drafting or signing free agent prospects then sticking them in the system. There’s development, putting them in positions to learn, and making sure you never put all your eggs into one basket.
Because I am a Colorado Avalanche fan I will be using the Avalanche as the main example to illustrate my various points. So let’s begin.
We’ll look at what is the point in even having a goaltending pipeline. You look at teams that have young starters such as the Avalanche, the Canadiens or even a consistently elite goalie like the Rangers have in Henrik Lundqvist. You see them and think to yourself, what’s the point of even drafting a goalie when I have this top 5 goalie in the NHL already? Price, Varlamov, Holtby, etc. they aren’t just going to fall off of a cliff, so what is the point?
The point is you need depth at every position in the NHL and since goaltending is arguably the most important position in the game then you definitely need depth there. The NHL is too competitive to just declare a season to be over because you lost your starter. Losing your starting goalie should no longer be an excuse for a team to just fall down the standings at an alarming rate. And most NHL GM’s realize that which is why there has been a movement towards the ideal goalie depth chart:
NHL Starter>1B NHL Backup>Young AHL Starter>AHL Vet>Newly Turned Pro in ECHL>One Euro/NCAA based goalie & One Junior Goalie
Why is this the ideal goaltending depth chart? Because you have safeguards at both the pro and junior level. No matter what happens theoretically there is a replacement for whatever goalie either goes down with an injury or starts to falter. Going back to the Avalanche here is there depth chart when all goalies are healthy:
Varlamov>Berra>Pickard>Will>Martin>Pajpach
As seen here by the Avalanche depth chart they are as close as possible to the ideal goaltending depth chart. This isn’t a surprise however as the Avalanche have been dedicated to creating an elite goalie development system within the organization since Francois Allaire was brought on board. The only weaknesses in the Avalanche goalie depth chart is there is no AHL veteran to take the pressure off of the young starter and the Avalanche currently only have one goalie out of the pro system in Max Pajpach.
The 1B NHL back up goalies is a new and emerging trend in the NHL. Not only are the Avalanche employing this new goalie, there are many other teams as well such as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, and the Montreal Canadiens. It’s also a successful trend where if the starter is injured the 1B goalie is able to step in and provide the goaltending needed for a team to win.
Possibly the most underrated part of the goalie depth chart is having two goalies outside of the pro system at all times. Sooner or later your young AHL goalie will need a chance to make the NHL or be moved out of the system which leaves an open spot in either the AHL or ECHL for a new goalie to come up in the pro system due to their junior eligibility running out.
It’s a constant cycle regarding the goalie position because there is only so much ice time to go around at every level. You can’t have three young goalies with a high potential fighting over one starting spot in the AHL. It’s a gamble that could leave one goalie in the dust due to one of the other goalies getting the AHL starting job and running with it. It’s also not a good idea due to the fact they are young goalies and therefore are susceptible to being inconsistent. That is where an AHL veteran can take over the crease for the time being and not affecting the team’s overall performance.
Which means you need to stagger the drafting of your goalies and where you draft a goalie from. Going back to the Colorado Avalanche as an example we have Spencer Martin playing in his first pro season. That leaves Max Pajpach as the only goalie right now that can replace Martin when in three seasons Spencer Martin is either no longer apart of the Avalanche organization or in the NHL.
And while I have no opinion on whether or not Pajpach can ever become a NHL goalie, you never put all your faith into one goalie. Especially a 19yo goalie who has lost a whole year of development. So at the next draft a goalie needs to be drafted by the Avalanche in order to avoid a worst case scenario where they have no back-up plan for either Varlamov or Pickard.
Once you start developing gaps in your goaltending pipeline you end up in situations like the Avalanche did after Patrick Roy retired. Or you end up like the Edmonton Oilers who needed to make a trade for Laurent Brossoit in order to solidify their goaltending pipeline because they didn’t start one when they first started their rebuild.
While it can seem crazy to be planning that far out, as a fan you can look back on any teams history and see where a proper goaltending pipeline either worked out or would have come in handy. If you look back a decade ago at the Avalanche all you had was false hope. Now you are looking at a wealth of riches in the crease with Semyon Varlamov, Reto Berra, Calvin Pickard and Spencer Martin. That is the difference when you actually focus on goaltending rather than just assuming goalies are voodoo and sooner or later one will turn into a star.
So in conclusion success in net starts with constructing the ideal goaltending pipeline and from there is where you start placing the pieces. No more can you just draft and hope for the best. You need a plan, you need to develop and you need to select the proper goalies to fit your vision. I’ve covered the first part in this article. The other two items (develop and drafting/signing) will be coming later.
Let’s cut right to the issue of why a goaltending pipeline is important and the difficulties of creating one.
Having a goaltending pipeline is more than just drafting or signing free agent prospects then sticking them in the system. There’s development, putting them in positions to learn, and making sure you never put all your eggs into one basket.
Because I am a Colorado Avalanche fan I will be using the Avalanche as the main example to illustrate my various points. So let’s begin.
We’ll look at what is the point in even having a goaltending pipeline. You look at teams that have young starters such as the Avalanche, the Canadiens or even a consistently elite goalie like the Rangers have in Henrik Lundqvist. You see them and think to yourself, what’s the point of even drafting a goalie when I have this top 5 goalie in the NHL already? Price, Varlamov, Holtby, etc. they aren’t just going to fall off of a cliff, so what is the point?
The point is you need depth at every position in the NHL and since goaltending is arguably the most important position in the game then you definitely need depth there. The NHL is too competitive to just declare a season to be over because you lost your starter. Losing your starting goalie should no longer be an excuse for a team to just fall down the standings at an alarming rate. And most NHL GM’s realize that which is why there has been a movement towards the ideal goalie depth chart:
NHL Starter>1B NHL Backup>Young AHL Starter>AHL Vet>Newly Turned Pro in ECHL>One Euro/NCAA based goalie & One Junior Goalie
Why is this the ideal goaltending depth chart? Because you have safeguards at both the pro and junior level. No matter what happens theoretically there is a replacement for whatever goalie either goes down with an injury or starts to falter. Going back to the Avalanche here is there depth chart when all goalies are healthy:
Varlamov>Berra>Pickard>Will>Martin>Pajpach
As seen here by the Avalanche depth chart they are as close as possible to the ideal goaltending depth chart. This isn’t a surprise however as the Avalanche have been dedicated to creating an elite goalie development system within the organization since Francois Allaire was brought on board. The only weaknesses in the Avalanche goalie depth chart is there is no AHL veteran to take the pressure off of the young starter and the Avalanche currently only have one goalie out of the pro system in Max Pajpach.
The 1B NHL back up goalies is a new and emerging trend in the NHL. Not only are the Avalanche employing this new goalie, there are many other teams as well such as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, New York Islanders, Detroit Red Wings, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, and the Montreal Canadiens. It’s also a successful trend where if the starter is injured the 1B goalie is able to step in and provide the goaltending needed for a team to win.
Possibly the most underrated part of the goalie depth chart is having two goalies outside of the pro system at all times. Sooner or later your young AHL goalie will need a chance to make the NHL or be moved out of the system which leaves an open spot in either the AHL or ECHL for a new goalie to come up in the pro system due to their junior eligibility running out.
It’s a constant cycle regarding the goalie position because there is only so much ice time to go around at every level. You can’t have three young goalies with a high potential fighting over one starting spot in the AHL. It’s a gamble that could leave one goalie in the dust due to one of the other goalies getting the AHL starting job and running with it. It’s also not a good idea due to the fact they are young goalies and therefore are susceptible to being inconsistent. That is where an AHL veteran can take over the crease for the time being and not affecting the team’s overall performance.
Which means you need to stagger the drafting of your goalies and where you draft a goalie from. Going back to the Colorado Avalanche as an example we have Spencer Martin playing in his first pro season. That leaves Max Pajpach as the only goalie right now that can replace Martin when in three seasons Spencer Martin is either no longer apart of the Avalanche organization or in the NHL.
And while I have no opinion on whether or not Pajpach can ever become a NHL goalie, you never put all your faith into one goalie. Especially a 19yo goalie who has lost a whole year of development. So at the next draft a goalie needs to be drafted by the Avalanche in order to avoid a worst case scenario where they have no back-up plan for either Varlamov or Pickard.
Once you start developing gaps in your goaltending pipeline you end up in situations like the Avalanche did after Patrick Roy retired. Or you end up like the Edmonton Oilers who needed to make a trade for Laurent Brossoit in order to solidify their goaltending pipeline because they didn’t start one when they first started their rebuild.
While it can seem crazy to be planning that far out, as a fan you can look back on any teams history and see where a proper goaltending pipeline either worked out or would have come in handy. If you look back a decade ago at the Avalanche all you had was false hope. Now you are looking at a wealth of riches in the crease with Semyon Varlamov, Reto Berra, Calvin Pickard and Spencer Martin. That is the difference when you actually focus on goaltending rather than just assuming goalies are voodoo and sooner or later one will turn into a star.
So in conclusion success in net starts with constructing the ideal goaltending pipeline and from there is where you start placing the pieces. No more can you just draft and hope for the best. You need a plan, you need to develop and you need to select the proper goalies to fit your vision. I’ve covered the first part in this article. The other two items (develop and drafting/signing) will be coming later.
EurolancheDavid
Registered User
Eurolanche interviewed Adrian Dater on the current situation in the Colorado Avalanche organization. The questions were sent to Adrian last week.
Patrick Roy said after the Blues game „I love this team, this is a really special group, they gave me a great effort tonight“. Why do you think he said especially after one of those games that had nothing with an effort?
It's a good question. The next day, though, he started to really dump on his players. I think he realized overnight he sounded ridiculous saying that, and moved to rectify it.
What is the overall atmosphere in the Avalanche organization in these days when it is almost for sure they are not going to make the playoffs?
It's a defeatist attitude, full of excuses and woe-is-me and all kinds of sad loser stuff.
You tweeted that Joe Sakic is not unhappy with Roy. Then who is not going his job good? Who is responsible for the failure?
The management blames the "core" players, guys like Duchene and Varlamov and Landeskog.
You also tweeted you expect „changes“ in the line up in the offseason. Do you think it may include trades of core players? If yes, can you name them or can you name those players who will not be traded for sure?
I think there's a 50-50 chance Duchene is traded for a good defenseman. Also wouldn't be shocked if Varlamov is traded.
What do you think should happen in the offseason for improvement of the next season? Do you think the Avs can make the playoffs next year?
They need to blow things up again, in my opinion. These core guys have proven they can't win, so ship them out and start over again.
source: http://eurolanche.com/article.php?id=7855
Patrick Roy said after the Blues game „I love this team, this is a really special group, they gave me a great effort tonight“. Why do you think he said especially after one of those games that had nothing with an effort?
It's a good question. The next day, though, he started to really dump on his players. I think he realized overnight he sounded ridiculous saying that, and moved to rectify it.
What is the overall atmosphere in the Avalanche organization in these days when it is almost for sure they are not going to make the playoffs?
It's a defeatist attitude, full of excuses and woe-is-me and all kinds of sad loser stuff.
You tweeted that Joe Sakic is not unhappy with Roy. Then who is not going his job good? Who is responsible for the failure?
The management blames the "core" players, guys like Duchene and Varlamov and Landeskog.
You also tweeted you expect „changes“ in the line up in the offseason. Do you think it may include trades of core players? If yes, can you name them or can you name those players who will not be traded for sure?
I think there's a 50-50 chance Duchene is traded for a good defenseman. Also wouldn't be shocked if Varlamov is traded.
What do you think should happen in the offseason for improvement of the next season? Do you think the Avs can make the playoffs next year?
They need to blow things up again, in my opinion. These core guys have proven they can't win, so ship them out and start over again.
source: http://eurolanche.com/article.php?id=7855
InjuredChoker
Registered User
katfude
Registered User
- Sep 25, 2015
- 7,086
- 11,024
I dunno. 6 losses in a row with a totally open door to get in the playoffs.
JSG let us know there's people in that locker room that pretty much don't care. After the last couple seasons, I bet they weren't Stastny and ROR.
We know Roy ain't going anywhere. So we either keep it together and hope a switch flips or bust out the demo hammer and renovate this sucker. Dunno about you, but I've got my safety glasses on.
JSG let us know there's people in that locker room that pretty much don't care. After the last couple seasons, I bet they weren't Stastny and ROR.
We know Roy ain't going anywhere. So we either keep it together and hope a switch flips or bust out the demo hammer and renovate this sucker. Dunno about you, but I've got my safety glasses on.
Cousin Eddie
You Serious Clark?
- Nov 3, 2006
- 40,161
- 37,363
It's well known that O'Brien was the main guy behind that. There was speculation of Jones also being a co-pilot. Those two were shipped out for vets two months later.
Foppa2118
Registered User
- Oct 3, 2003
- 52,476
- 31,800
In all honesty wasn't it all just speculation based on SOB being the most likely guy? I don't remember hearing anything concrete but I could be wrong.
tigervixxxen
Optimism=Delusional
ROR was in the SOB clique. But was he to blame, no.
Dater doesn't understand how a team is built. He never had any mind for prospects and the minor league system. He called the AHL a "no talent league" once. They are supposed to blow it up and start again with what? Draft picks? Or does he think we'll make a series of hockey trades and presto, a new core!
Dater doesn't understand how a team is built. He never had any mind for prospects and the minor league system. He called the AHL a "no talent league" once. They are supposed to blow it up and start again with what? Draft picks? Or does he think we'll make a series of hockey trades and presto, a new core!
Dater may have sources, but I can never take his opinions on hockey seriously, especially given that horrible Q+A he did on twitter yesterday. Some real head scratching opinions.
- Dec 4, 2002
- 10,716
- 1,673
The Avs may very well have to blow this up and rebuild again, but IMO it wouldn't be wholly for the reasons Dater stated.
Alex Jones
BIG BOWL 'A CHILI!!
Avs44
Registered User
- May 16, 2011
- 21,744
- 10,361
I would agree on that front. My first choice would be to fire a certain individual and maintain the course, but just moving out a few pieces and hoping the rest of the core+the new additions will lead us to the promised land is foolish IMO. If Roy and Sakic are here to stay, I want the whole thing torn down. Let them build the team the way they want it, because I have the feeling they currently have no idea in which direction to take this club.
tigervixxxen
Optimism=Delusional
If we are pulling the plug then it ENTIRELY needs to be pulled. EVERYONE gone. I'm taking from Sakic down to the equipment guys. A complete extermination. Get in an actual "new" regime to build this team. Enough of the old Avs org endless recycle. Keeping Sakic and Roy through a full reset would be stupid. That would require Kroenke actually having to figure out who to hire and start the franchise over with though.
Cousin Eddie
You Serious Clark?
- Nov 3, 2006
- 40,161
- 37,363
I don't really want to see Sakic/Roy slashed but if it means they're being replaced by Maloney and Julien I would be one happy camper.
Iceberg
Registered User
- May 4, 2002
- 4,789
- 1,121
They should blow it up and start over, but i can't see Roy doing this.
If i had to bet, i would say they'll make a trade trying to bring a top pairing D, but in reality that Dman will be just a little upgrade on Holden, and they'll pretend once again that this team is close.
If i had to bet, i would say they'll make a trade trying to bring a top pairing D, but in reality that Dman will be just a little upgrade on Holden, and they'll pretend once again that this team is close.
I'm getting more on board with this.
Enough with the highlight packages, enough with Haynes fanboying out over anything old Avs.
[Mod Edit] The guy is basically Eklund but Avs version. He just throws whatever comment he wants at the wall and hopes something sticks so he can say I told you. The guy has been fading from relevance, so he'll say whatever just to get some attention.
I put about 1% thought into Dater's stock. We all know Roy isn't going anywhere, I'd be shocked if they moved any one of Duchene, Landeskog or MacK. There are going to be changes, how could there not be after back to back failure seasons, but these changes are probably not going to be as high scale as people think. People seem to forget that it takes two to tango, and we're not stupid we're not going to sell a superstar player for pennies on the dollar. So basically we will have to find a team that is willing to move big name players as well if anything big goes down, and I think the likelihood of finding a team that has what we need, and is willing to move it is not very high.
I put about 1% thought into Dater's stock. We all know Roy isn't going anywhere, I'd be shocked if they moved any one of Duchene, Landeskog or MacK. There are going to be changes, how could there not be after back to back failure seasons, but these changes are probably not going to be as high scale as people think. People seem to forget that it takes two to tango, and we're not stupid we're not going to sell a superstar player for pennies on the dollar. So basically we will have to find a team that is willing to move big name players as well if anything big goes down, and I think the likelihood of finding a team that has what we need, and is willing to move it is not very high.
Last edited by a moderator:
Bubba Thudd
is getting banned
Foppa2118
Registered User
- Oct 3, 2003
- 52,476
- 31,800
Blowing up this team right now is an impatient fan thing to do, not a professional managers reaction. They have too many good pieces in every position who are either still in, or have yet to reach their prime. Plus a glaring hole in the lineup on the backend that needs addressing first. Hitting reset before fixing that issue would be monumentally dumb.
InjuredChoker
Registered User
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