Prospect Info: Ville Husso (2014 Draft - 94 Overall)

[Brian39]

Not a chance I bring Hutton back for that kind of money. There isn't another contending team in the NHL that I can find shelling out that kind of jack for a backup goalie in case their starter gets injured. The teams that have two goalies making more than $2.5M are either a 1A/1B situation (which is not the case here) or have been stuck with a guy (like Dallas has) and they just haven't been able to move him.

If you're doing it to protect against your starter going into a funk, well, then I would say you have the wrong starter.

I wouldn't give Hutton $2.5 mil, but a lack of other contenders doing it isn't the reason. Our starter is on the cheap side of things and paying a backup $2.5 mil would put our total goalie expenditure in line with plenty of good teams and still lower than about half the league. Most contenders have a very good backup, so I think price of your tandem is a better metric than price of your backup.

If Chicago misses the playoffs this year, the loss of Darling will likely be the biggest reason. There are other issues, but there is zero doubt in my mind that they would currently be a playoff team with Darling backing up Crawford this season. Chicago loses in the 1st round instead of winning the Cup in 2015 if Darling hadn't bailed out Crawford against Nashville. The Pens aren't back-to-back Cup champs without Murray AND Fleury. 3 straight seasons of Cup winners getting 'saved' by their #2 tells me that a quality backup is about more than insurance against injury or lack of confidence in the starter. Crawford is among the league's best and had a bad few nights. It happens. If spending $2.5 mil is the only way to get a quality backup, then I think it is worth it.

I wouldn't give Hutton that contract because I don't think we need to in order to get a quality backup. Elliott and Hutton were both unheralded UFAs that flourished on our team. Our D is pretty darn good and it will likely get a bit better next year. I also just don't trust "elite" backups to stay elite year to year. He had a .913 last year, which included a stretch where he posted above a .950 in 6 of his last 9 starts. Without a hot finish, he would have been a below average backup last year. He is a career .914 goalie at 32 years old and will almost certainly finish this season with significantly better numbers than he's ever had. That is a recipe for regression. I'm not saying he regresses to his career average next season, but there is a very good chance that he is 12th best backup in the league instead of being arguably the best. With our D and system, we can get that in free agency for half the cap hit.

 

[lakai17]

Husso with 38 saves tonight. 1 goal against, decent.

 

[MissouriMook]

Husso with 38 saves tonight. 1 goal against, decent.

And that goal came with 25 seconds left.

 

[ManyIdeas]

And that goal came with 25 seconds left.

I see someone informed him of how things are done at the NHL level in this organization

 

[stl76]

I see someone informed him of how things are done at the NHL level in this organization

Lehtonen development track, and whatnot...eh @Ranksu ?

 

[Ranksu]

Lehtonen development track, and whatnot...eh @Ranksu ?

Well Husso's style of play is pretty much same look like what Lehtonen is, calm, good rebound control and doesn't look flashy. Its totally different saying how some goaltender prospect playing style looks like and compare it to some NHL goalies then they have might have some ceiling and compare to prospects to them.

I've only compared Husso to Lehtonen on goaltending style not ceiling.

And I know its general joke here, Husso to Lehtonen, but what ever.

 

[stl76]

Well Husso's style of play is pretty much same look like what Lehtonen is, calm, good rebound control and doesn't look flashy. Its totally different saying how some goaltender prospect playing style looks like and compare it to some NHL goalies then they have might have some ceiling and compare to prospects to them.

I've only compared Husso to Lehtonen on goaltending style not ceiling.

And I know its general joke here, Husso to Lehtonen, but what ever.

I understand what you're saying Ranksu, just having a bit of fun.

 

[Ranksu]

Husso with a 29 save shutout in the 3-0 win.

Nice. 4th shutout of the year. Save% up to .929.

TheAHL.com


I've to say its darn impressive how well Husso has rebound from his injury and 'bad'ish start of season. I've knew he had great talent, but him training professionally now 2-years looks like he could develope NHL goaltender and knowing that he really has good pace and right path now. Getting more help from NHL level coaches will easily improve his game. 2-years training and what he was before that. Jeesus, impressive work.

Remember that Army trade away Polak for Gunnar and pick what we got Husso. That's genius work by Army have to admit.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

I would like to find a way to get Husso an NHL start this season. It’s gonna be tough given how hard this last bit of schedule is for us, but I think he’s earning one.

Two years ago Saros got a start, but was “blocked” from the backup role in Nashville by... Carter Hutton. They gave Saros the backup reigns the next season, but still needed Marek Mazanec as an insurance goalie for 4 games, and that gap cost them games. This year is similar, they’re still metering Saros quite a bit, but they swapped Mazanec for Lindback, although they’ve yet to actually need him in a game.

If we move on from Hutton this offseason, I would imagine we won’t just let Binnington-Fitzgerald be the pairing in San Antonio, much less so if Binnington doesn’t return for another season with us. We would have to go out and get another veteran backup with a decent enough track record to handle most of the workload in San Antonio, while Fitzpatrick or Binnington get a game a week or so, and Opilka (if he can even play anymore) works in Tulsa. Or if we sign another goalie like Dhillon, he and Fitzpatrick would swap in and out of Tulsa or something. Either way, if Husso is the backup in STL, I doubt we’d run with two/three rookie goaltenders in San Antonio.

So what’s better? Another year of Allen/Hutton in STL with Husso getting 50+ starts in San Antonio, or going with Allen/Husso in STL and hoping that both can stay healthy and competent so we don’t have to call up or trade for another goalie mid-season? The first option seems like a much safer bet and therefore the most Blues-y option, but Vegas also showed this year that you can get by with some pretty cheap goaltending in the short term if you need to. I hope either way we find a way to start rotating in Husso soon so that we at least know what he can do in the big show.

 

[The Note in MI]

I get the feeling if Hutton would extend here for a team friendly deal then we do so. However the way he’s playing this season some team in need of a goalie is going to throw money at him to be a starter and we can’t afford that.

Given that, chances are we either run prospects in the A (binnington has played well in providence so I’m ok with this) or we sign a veteran FA to 50/50 with Binnington and we ride that veteran if injuries occur.

 

[Alklha]

I'm not sure that Armstrong will offer Hutton a 2 year deal, and he is obviously going to get that in UFA. His age and past contracts put him in a position where he has to be more inclined to follow the security.

If Hutton goes, then what happens is all on Husso. It will be a fight between him and the new guy to be the backup next season. It might not be a fair fight, but he'll have the chance to claim the roster spot.

 

[Halak Ness Monster]

I'm not sure that Armstrong will offer Hutton a 2 year deal, and he is obviously going to get that in UFA. His age and past contracts put him in a position where he has to be more inclined to follow the security.

If Hutton goes, then what happens is all on Husso. It will be a fight between him and the new guy to be the backup next season. It might not be a fair fight, but he'll have the chance to claim the roster spot.

I'd prefer Husso stay down in the AHL and be the clear #1 starter and start 50 games rather than come up here and get 20-25 games as a backup.

He hasn't been playing very much in the AHL these last two seasons. Of course he is doing so well this year he may not need to play down there much more. But it'd be nice to get him used to a starter's workload.

 

[PiggySmalls]

I'd prefer Husso stay down in the AHL and be the clear #1 starter and start 50 games rather than come up here and get 20-25 games as a backup.

He hasn't been playing very much in the AHL these last two seasons. Of course he is doing so well this year he may not need to play down there much more. But it'd be nice to get him used to a starter's workload.

I would agree with that assessment if it wasn't for the unsurety that Allen brings. Two seasons in a row where he has hit a major low. I'm not so sure next season Yeo will be as trust worthy of Allen to have a full starter load. If Allen can not regain composure this year I would not be surprised to see if there is any interest in moving him this off-season. Offer Hutton or a seasonable vet a 2 year deal and if and when Husso passes him in performance he rolls back into his backup role.

 

[Ranksu]

What would Be best option for Husso's develope?

1) play backup role at NHL level
2) play #1 at AHL and get some games at NHL If injures

I believe Husso's only goal is to play next season at NHL level (and Even fight #1 spot).

 

[The Note in MI]

I think he would benefit from a full schedule in the AHL more than a bench warmer in the NHL.

 

[EastonBlues22]

I think he would benefit from a full schedule in the AHL more than a bench warmer in the NHL.

Husso will have two years of waiver eligibility left after this season.

If he has any hopes of being a starter here, they're going to need to see him play (and succeed) at the NHL level for an extended period before he loses waiver exemption. That generally means starting as the backup goaltender or getting an extended time as an injury call-up. Ideally you're seeing him for more than one year, honestly, since it's really hard to know what you have after 30 starts in a rookie season. Seeing how a player prepares and adjusts for his second NHL season can tell you a lot about his future in the league.

If they don't, they risk backing themselves into the same sort of corner that they did with Bishop where they can't send him back to the AHL, but they also can't just hand him a roster slot because the team's competing and he hasn't really been given the chance to establish himself at the NHL level. It was one thing to do that with Bishop since Elliott and Halak were both young themselves and they were putting up stupid numbers. It's another thing entirely given the current situation, IMO.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Yep, agreed. Get the kid some games.

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

Husso for backup next year, platooning with whoever we sign after Hutton (a backup that would clear waivers).

Binnington I think gets traded at the TDL, making the plan for next year to be Fitzpatrick as the backup to Husso in the A if Husso gets sent down.

It’s time to get Husso some backup duty; giving him a full year in the A isn’t as useful because while it gets him a starter’s workload, he won’t be a starter for another two years at least - and the latter of those he will have to be a back-up again. So the conditioning won’t be aplicable at that time. Two years of back-up behind Allen should be good for all involved.

 

[MissouriMook]

Husso for backup next year, platooning with whoever we sign after Hutton (a backup that would clear waivers).

Binnington I think gets traded at the TDL, making the plan for next year to be Fitzpatrick as the backup to Husso in the A if Husso gets sent down.

It’s time to get Husso some backup duty; giving him a full year in the A isn’t as useful because while it gets him a starter’s workload, he won’t be a starter for another two years at least - and the latter of those he will have to be a back-up again. So the conditioning won’t be aplicable at that time. Two years of back-up behind Allen should be good for all involved.

There is absolutely no good reason to trade Binnington. He has virtually no value by himself and doesn't really add value as an add-on to a deal. We are nowhere near our 50 contract limit, so he should be back next year since he is a RFA. There is obviously a gamble that his good showing this year in Providence causes us to lose him to a waiver claim after training camp next year, but I don't see him being ready for anyone's NHL roster (including ours) so that seems remote as anyone claiming him would have to keep him in the NHL or risk losing him.

 

[MortiestOfMortys]

Just for the sake of talking, two goalies who have worked with coach Alexander are Kristers Gudlevskis, who’s in Bridgeport playing for Tage’s dad now, and Adam Wilcox, who’s in Rochester. Wilcox has also worked with our goalie development coach Dave Rogalski. Neither are, like, terrific options, but either would be a good stand in in the event that we lose both Hutton and Binnington, or even if we hang on to Binny and just want Fitzpatrick to do his thing in Tulsa for awhile.

Again, just talking out loud here

 

[Stealth JD]

If Jake can't survive the playoffs this year, does anyone see a Hutton/Husso split come mid-next year at the latest?

 

[Vincenzo Arelliti]

There is absolutely no good reason to trade Binnington. He has virtually no value by himself and doesn't really add value as an add-on to a deal. We are nowhere near our 50 contract limit, so he should be back next year since he is a RFA. There is obviously a gamble that his good showing this year in Providence causes us to lose him to a waiver claim after training camp next year, but I don't see him being ready for anyone's NHL roster (including ours) so that seems remote as anyone claiming him would have to keep him in the NHL or risk losing him.

I think he will be included in a deal for Hoffman. Both Ottawa and NYI could use Binnington.

 

[PiggySmalls]

If Jake can't survive the playoffs this year, does anyone see a Hutton/Husso split come mid-next year at the latest?

If Hutton will agree to a 2 year deal yes.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

Hutton will likely cash in on possibly his last contract after the season he is having.

 

[EastonBlues22]

If Jake can't survive the playoffs this year, does anyone see a Hutton/Husso split come mid-next year at the latest?

If this organization couldn't commit to Elliott to be the starter over Allen after his continued run of excellence, I don't see how they're going to turn around and commit to Hutton simply because Allen had one bad year and Hutton popped off a good one. They won't forget that Allen was gangbusters down the stretch and through the playoffs last year that quickly.