Your Ideal Back Up Netminder

[GrandmaSlices51631]

Debated whether this was worthy of it's own thread. Since a lot of the other threads are focusing on possible trades and line combos i'll get to the point, Who should the Isles sign and why?

This past season we were disappointed in Johnson, and thats an understatement . We've seen how fatigue has effected Jaro mentally and having a reliable back up would improve our team alot. On that note, the best options to me seem to be: Dubnyk and Ramo. Dosen't mean we will get them as I think MN resigns Dubnyk.

I think Neuvirth walks and it doesn't bother me at all.

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[PK Cronin]

Neuvirth would be a fine backup, but he'll try and get a starting gig somewhere else. I'd need to see the list of UFA backup options. There are a lot of goalies, so finding one shouldn't be too hard.

 

[Quicklime]

All three mentioned so far would be good; I'd even give Neuvirth a chance to bounce back, if it didn't mean out loyal, rabid, bloodthirsty fanbase would go insane over giving yet another second chance.

Not sure what I'd do, less sure of what other teams would do, but if I could pull someone out of Edmonton or Anaheim, I'd have to think for a few minutes (mostly this pertains to Anaheim) if a deHaan +/Andersen swap was in the pipeline. Unfortunately, that's pretty unlikely.

Really, no clue. I've been too busy with a new job to add up who's available and who isn't.

Can anyone supply a list of probables?

 

[IslesRock4]

I'm not sure where Neuvirth is realistically going to get a starting job. Dubnyk will stay around to be the #1 in Minnesota, Ramo and Niemi are more likely to get chances at starting somewhere. I also see a solid amount of goalies being traded this month.

Wonder if they try to trade for a younger goalie from a team with a surplus (Lack/Markstrom? Reimer? Raanta? Gudlevskis?). Otherwise, I'd go for Neuvirth or Greiss.

 

[PK Cronin]

There's no reason for us to trade for a goalie. There are far too many of them, so trading for one makes little since (unless it's some prospect we'll never see).

I think it's a scenario of seeing where the chips land once all the starting jobs are locked up.

 

[blitzkriegs]

There's no reason for us to trade for a goalie. There are far too many of them, so trading for one makes little since (unless it's some prospect we'll never see).

I think it's a scenario of seeing where the chips land once all the starting jobs are locked up.

Yeah, Isles don't need to trade for a backup.
There's a glut of 1Bs as UFAs.

 

[Konk]

I'm thinking it will be a guy like Jonas Gustavsson. Capable, often over-looked, and cheap.

 

[First Blood]

Dubnyk will cost to much, Ramo is unknown depends how much it will cost because he can be a starter elsewhere.

Dubnyk established himself as a #1 goalie with Minnesota, and Ramo is a 1B as he showed in Calagry. Would love to add Ramo in as a 1B next to Halak. But he might be pricey as well.

Halak was not injured that much this year, but we still need to invest in a 1B goal tender just in case.

Ideally I would adore Garth Snow resigning Michal Neuvirth because he fits that role to a tee, it may not happen since there has been no contract talks between his agent and Snow.

I would settle for:

Viktor Fasth
Karri Ramo
Thomas Greiss
Jhonas Enroth

These are all 1B guys that could come in and be a competent starter should Halak go down. Then there is also Kevin Poulin(RFA), who did not look that bad on a horrible Bridgeport team. And there is also Stephen Williams who looked good in a small sample size down in Bridgeport as well.

The only reason why I mentioned those two is because if they are invited in camp and are allowed to play in the pre-season they can be cost contained for pretty cheap, allowing us to be more aggressive if we no longer have an internal cap. People like to **** on Poulin, but that Bridgeport team looked awful this year. Like really bad. We only saw him in action once on the NYI this year and it was an OTL. I would not mind giving him another chance, or at least see how he does in pre-season.

However if we sign anyone of the mentioned above UFA goalie's, they would give us a legit 1B option and given Halak's questionable health up until this year that would be our best option.

 

[First Blood]

I'm thinking it will be a guy like Jonas Gustavsson. Capable, often over-looked, and cheap.

I would have Gustavsson on my list and I considered him but he gets injured at a far to frequent level for my liking. That would be a horrible scenario if hypothetically both him and Halak were to go down. Pretty catastrophic because then we would be forced to sign a UFA, or call up someone from Bridgeport.

 

[PK Cronin]

Dubnyk will cost to much, Ramo is unknown depends how much it will cost because he can be a starter elsewhere.

Dubnyk established himself as a #1 goalie with Minnesota, and Ramo is a 1B as he showed in Calagry. Would love to add Ramo in as a 1B next to Halak. But he might be pricey as well.

Halak was not injured that much this year, but we still need to invest in a 1B goal tender just in case.

Ideally I would adore Garth Snow resigning Michal Neuvirth because he fits that role to a tee, it may not happen since there has been no contract talks between his agent and Snow.

I would settle for:

Viktor Fasth
Karri Ramo
Thomas Greiss
Jhonas Enroth

These are all 1B guys that could come in and be a competent starter should Halak go down. Then there is also Kevin Poulin(RFA), who did not look that bad on a horrible Bridgeport team. And there is also Stephen Williams who looked good in a small sample size down in Bridgeport as well.

The only reason why I mentioned those two is because if they are invited in camp and are allowed to play in the pre-season they can be cost contained for pretty cheap, allowing us to be more aggressive if we no longer have an internal cap. People like to **** on Poulin, but that Bridgeport team looked awful this year. Like really bad. We only saw him in action once on the NYI this year and it was an OTL. I would not mind giving him another chance, or at least see how he does in pre-season.

However if we sign anyone of the mentioned above UFA goalie's, they would give us a legit 1B option and given Halak's questionable health up until this year that would be our best option.

Poulin has been poop for a long time now. We've had an extended look at him and I'm not sure he's provided any reason to think he could be a capable backup at the NHL level.

 

[DktrFaustus]

not ideal, but i wouldn't be upset if we brought neuvirth back. i don't think the likes of ramo, dubnyk, niemi, etc. are going to come here to play 1B/backup. i also don't see griess, fasth, or enroth as being much of an improvement. i never want to see poulin in an isles uniform ever again.

 

[BillD]

I'm not sure where Neuvirth is realistically going to get a starting job. Dubnyk will stay around to be the #1 in Minnesota, Ramo and Niemi are more likely to get chances at starting somewhere. I also see a solid amount of goalies being traded this month.

Wonder if they try to trade for a younger goalie from a team with a surplus (Lack/Markstrom? Reimer? Raanta? Gudlevskis?). Otherwise, I'd go for Neuvirth or Greiss.

^ This. I wouldn't mind Neuvirth, he is better than what he showed us.
Not as good as he was in Buffalo, but more like what he was in Washington.
The going rate for a back-up was $1.5MM last year. With Jaro needing more rest than other goalies, a back-up could count on around 27 starts ideally. Give a good one $1.85MM and 1 year or $1.6MM for 2 years.

 

[stranger34]

I'd like Neuvirth back. He didn't look good with us but showed a lot of promise in Buffalo.

 

[Felix Unger]

Enroth.

 

[YesCubed]

Thomas Greiss, please.

 

[Brunomics]

Dubnyk will cost to much, Ramo is unknown depends how much it will cost because he can be a starter elsewhere.

Dubnyk established himself as a #1 goalie with Minnesota, and Ramo is a 1B as he showed in Calagry. Would love to add Ramo in as a 1B next to Halak. But he might be pricey as well.

Halak was not injured that much this year, but we still need to invest in a 1B goal tender just in case.

Ideally I would adore Garth Snow resigning Michal Neuvirth because he fits that role to a tee, it may not happen since there has been no contract talks between his agent and Snow.

I would settle for:

Viktor Fasth
Karri Ramo
Thomas Greiss
Jhonas Enroth

These are all 1B guys that could come in and be a competent starter should Halak go down. Then there is also Kevin Poulin(RFA), who did not look that bad on a horrible Bridgeport team. And there is also Stephen Williams who looked good in a small sample size down in Bridgeport as well.

The only reason why I mentioned those two is because if they are invited in camp and are allowed to play in the pre-season they can be cost contained for pretty cheap, allowing us to be more aggressive if we no longer have an internal cap. People like to **** on Poulin, but that Bridgeport team looked awful this year. Like really bad. We only saw him in action once on the NYI this year and it was an OTL. I would not mind giving him another chance, or at least see how he does in pre-season.

However if we sign anyone of the mentioned above UFA goalie's, they would give us a legit 1B option and given Halak's questionable health up until this year that would be our best option.

I think your pretty much spot on with the goaltending options. I would look at two options as well that I think are obtainable:

Calvin Pickard(Varlamov is the long term starter there and I think a deal could be swung)

Kristers Gudlevskis(The skill is absolutely there and I think he can do big things in the NHL despite bleh AHL numbers)

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

Fasth
Greiss
Ramo
Neuvirth
Enroth
Gustavsson

Any of those guys would be fine. Ramo and Enroth would be the best options for us.

 

[Deadweight]

ideal for me is somebody around 24 who can potentially fight for a starter role next year.


Lack
Lehner
Markstrom

also would take
Ramo
Fasth

 

[BroadwayJay*]

Is Antti Raanta UFA?

 

[airbus220]

Neuvirth wouldn't be bad to keep but it seems he's too expensive for Isles.
I would take McElhinney, he's cheap and not too old. He's not good when he has to play every game if Halak goes down, but this is the thing, Halak should be given enough rest and McElhinney enough starts to keep both focused. McElhinney is pretty good when not playing every game, he wouldn't be bad for 30 games, made 650k last season.

 

[CaptDenisPotvin]

How I see Snow playing it is....wait and see who end up without a seat so he has the leaverage to pitch possibly a starting caliber goalie 25-30 starts, 1.5-2mill for 1 year. If a starter like Niemi (example) is on the market after all the starter roles are filled we would be a enticing option for said goalie to prove they can play quality minutes, even with a HEALTHY Halak the backup is getting 25-27 starts. If disaster strikes the backup can find himself back stopping a playoff team.

 

[First Blood]

Poulin has been poop for a long time now. We've had an extended look at him and I'm not sure he's provided any reason to think he could be a capable backup at the NHL level.

He is only 25 yrs old.

 

[SLAPSHOT723]

Is Antti Raanta UFA?

Not sure, but he'd be a great goalie to go after too. Can't imagine he'd cost more than a 4th round pick through trade anyway. Darling is clearly better, and they have a logjam.

EDIT: One year left, $800k salary $750k cap hit.

 

[BillD]

Not sure, but he'd be a great goalie to go after too. Can't imagine he'd cost more than a 4th round pick through trade anyway. Darling is clearly better, and they have a logjam.

EDIT: One year left, $800k salary $750k cap hit.

Done. Send him our address and tell him to report for trying camp in top condition.

 

[GrandmaSlices51631]

Done. Send him our address and tell him to report for trying camp in top condition.

I've incited the discussion before, but i'm a little skeptical. We all thought we had a prize in Johnson but he was a product of playing behind an elite Defense. Not saying Darling is the same, but I would expect his numbers to drop a little. That being said, i'd be content if we could get him for a good price.

As far as Poulin, it's time we move on. He's too mentally fragile and his technical skill is not good enough to put him in a 1B role.