Blues Goaltending

[Stupendous Yappi]

Blues place goaltender Chad Johnson on waivers

Man Husso really wasted an opportunity this year. There was a spot in the NHL ready for the taking. Ok Binnington, what can you do?

 

[cardinalnation]

I don't see how this helps. This team is getting run 5 on 5. Why in the world would you want to put a young, unproven goaltender into the shooting gallery? Trying to put the cart before the horse in my opinion. The only way this makes any sense to me is if this is just the opening salvo to big changes being made. Armstrong has just shown that he is willing to cut bait on what was clearly a bad signing. Maroon, Bozek and Perron better pick it up fast. People grouse about the signings and how close thee Blues are to the salary ceiling but keep in mind that you can still move these guys and their contracts at any time. These players did not cost any assets so anything you get for them in a trade is a plus. To me that actually makes them easier to trade than a player you gave assets to acquire. Nothing wrong with admitting mistakes were made and the sooner you do that the better. My point is that mistakes can always be corrected if you have the guts to own up to them. In this sense releasing Johnson is a good sign.

 

[Ranksu]

Man Husso really wasted an opportunity this year. There was a spot in the NHL ready for the taking. Ok Binnington, what can you do?

Bluesy thing would be we'll eventually trade Husso for some pick and Husso florish in the other team and become #1 starter in NHL.

 

[Ranksu]

It’s unfortunate that Husso has played poorly/on a team that has played poorly.

But JB has logged over 160 games for us in the AHL so, he is due. Excited to see what he’s got!

He's pending RFA so he has show to Blues is he worth of giving contract. He's also 2-year older then Husso. Feels like people forget some Small details when comparing Binnington vs. Husso.

 

[Itsnotatrap]

I don't see how this helps. This team is getting run 5 on 5. Why in the world would you want to put a young, unproven goaltender into the shooting gallery? Trying to put the cart before the horse in my opinion. The only way this makes any sense to me is if this is just the opening salvo to big changes being made. Armstrong has just shown that he is willing to cut bait on what was clearly a bad signing. Maroon, Bozek and Perron better pick it up fast. People grouse about the signings and how close thee Blues are to the salary ceiling but keep in mind that you can still move these guys and their contracts at any time. These players did not cost any assets so anything you get for them in a trade is a plus. To me that actually makes them easier to trade than a player you gave assets to acquire. Nothing wrong with admitting mistakes were made and the sooner you do that the better. My point is that mistakes can always be corrected if you have the guts to own up to them. In this sense releasing Johnson is a good sign.

He’s 25. He isn’t an asset we have to protect. This is the only shot he was going to get. He might be awful, he might not, but part of being terrible is that you have no reason to not try him and find out.

 

[DudeLebowski]

He's pending RFA so he has show to Blues is he worth of giving contract. He's also 2-year older then Husso. Feels like people forget some Small details when comparing Binnington vs. Husso.

Agreed 100%

 

[cardinalnation]

It is Binnington turn no doubt. I am just questioning the timing of this being how poor the defense has been this year. It's a tough spot to be called into.

 

[MissouriMook]

I feel like both Binnington and Husso should each be getting 8-10 starts from here on out so we can see what we have with each of them. That leaves 34-38 starts for Allen on top of the 22 games he has under his belt already.

 

[Itsnotatrap]

It is Binnington turn no doubt. I am just questioning the timing of this being how poor the defense has been this year. It's a tough spot to be called into.

It definitely is. I don’t think any goalie would look too great in front of this team right at this moment.

This is the only shot he is getting, though, and I much prefer this vs having Johnson continuing to get lit up like a Christmas tree. If Binnington shows something, we may have a backup to use next season. Even if the odds are slim, it is worth it now. If he is awful, we increase our odds of keeping our pick. I see no reason not to find out.

 

[Brockon]

I don't see how this helps. This team is getting run 5 on 5. Why in the world would you want to put a young, unproven goaltender into the shooting gallery? Trying to put the cart before the horse in my opinion. The only way this makes any sense to me is if this is just the opening salvo to big changes being made. Armstrong has just shown that he is willing to cut bait on what was clearly a bad signing. Maroon, Bozek and Perron better pick it up fast. People grouse about the signings and how close thee Blues are to the salary ceiling but keep in mind that you can still move these guys and their contracts at any time. These players did not cost any assets so anything you get for them in a trade is a plus. To me that actually makes them easier to trade than a player you gave assets to acquire. Nothing wrong with admitting mistakes were made and the sooner you do that the better. My point is that mistakes can always be corrected if you have the guts to own up to them. In this sense releasing Johnson is a good sign.

He's not getting released, he wasn't placed on unconditional waivers. If unclaimed Johnson goes to San Antonio, and saves us approximately 698k against the cap (1.11 mil minus 412k) remaining for the year. If claimed, then we get more cap relief to make potentiel waves if the team shows signs of life and is in the race for a wildcard spot near the deadline (I'm not holding my breath)...

Potentially Johnson picks up his play, or at least can help Husso out with a better pro approach to his game as a veteran NHL Journeyman. Beyond that, and seeing what Binnington has to offer at the NHL level, I'm failing to see any major implications for the Blues in the short term.

Edit: Though, between firing Yeo and waiving Johnson it's starting to look like he's feeling the need to start making moves in the interest of either saving face or getting this team back on track. It's just a shame that DA waited so long to act, this post-season is likely just out of reach any moves made now without long term implications will cost us our first this year - though arguably, giving the youngsters a better environment to learn in and develop could be worth giving up said first as it will pay divends in future seasons.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

It is Binnington turn no doubt. I am just questioning the timing of this being how poor the defense has been this year. It's a tough spot to be called into.

If not now, when?

 

[Blueston]

I feel like both Binnington and Husso should each be getting 8-10 starts from here on out so we can see what we have with each of them. That leaves 34-38 starts for Allen on top of the 22 games he has under his belt already.

Husso needs to start playing well in AHL before he deserves promotion.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

I’m glad Binnington is going to get a chance. It’s his dream to be an NHL goalie. At least if he fails, it will be because he didn’t perform on the big stage. He won’t have to go through the end of his career wondering if he would have been able to do it.

Remember when Suraj had Binnington rated higher than Allen in the prospects list?

 

[Brian39]

I feel like both Binnington and Husso should each be getting 8-10 starts from here on out so we can see what we have with each of them. That leaves 34-38 starts for Allen on top of the 22 games he has under his belt already.

If Husso's play improves and Binny doesn't earn the backup spot with his play, then I agree. But Husso shouldn't sniff the NHL until he earns it. He has an .881 for San Antonio while Binny has a .914 through almost the same number of games (13 vs 15). Unless an injury forces your hand, you shouldn't be giving a guy NHL starts when he is playing like that in the AHL.

I'm optimistic Husso will turn it around, but he needs to actually do that before we start talking about giving him NHL starts.

 

[Brockon]

Well... I guess this season is going to ride on a combination of Allen and the rookies in the crease.

This is probably a best choice for the tank, unless Binnington or Husso come out and steal the #1 job, because Allen hasn't been consistent enough to anchor that down thus far - though admittedly Allen (and the team) have played much better every second game since the start of November.

 

[Brockon]

I'll add that I'd like to see Binnington get a few practices in with the team before he gets his first start. Just a little time to adjust to systems and better shots coming at him.

 

[Brian39]

Up until the Vancouver game, Allen had posted a .926 since November 1st. With the Vancouver game, that number is .919 since November 1st. 8 of his 12 starts have been 'quality starts' and only one of those 12 starts was a really bad game. The other 3 non-quality starts were games where he allowed 5 of 45, 3 of 33, and 4 of 31. That's undisputedly quality play from your goaltender over a 6 week stretch.

Allen is absolutely inconsistent, but he has played very well for the past 5 or 6 weeks. His inconsistency isn't generally game to game but is usually long stretches of awful and long stretches of good play. That one bad game against Vancouver doesn't change the fact that Allen is currently playing like an actual NHL starter and will have that role until he stops playing like that. We're not going to rush Binny in while Allen is playing well. Binny will get his starts, but calling him up is about replacing Johnson, not Allen.

I'm fine trying to find a long term solution over Allen. We should be looking to upgrade the position. However, I don't think he is nearly the problem that many people here do and the fact that we are 5-6-1 over a period where Allen posted a .919 is troubling (and that number is .922 for games he started and took a decision). The fact that we were 5-5-1 while he was posting a .926 is troubling (and that number was .929 for the games he started and took a decision). This team is bad regardless of who we have in net at the moment.

 

[EastonBlues22]

Up until the Vancouver game, Allen had posted a .926 since November 1st. With the Vancouver game, that number is .919 since November 1st. 8 of his 12 starts have been 'quality starts' and only one of those 12 starts was a really bad game. The other 3 non-quality starts were games where he allowed 5 of 45, 3 of 33, and 4 of 31. That's undisputedly quality play from your goaltender over a 6 week stretch.

Allen is absolutely inconsistent, but he has played very well for the past 5 or 6 weeks. His inconsistency isn't generally game to game but is usually long stretches of awful and long stretches of good play. That one bad game against Vancouver doesn't change the fact that Allen is currently playing like an actual NHL starter and will have that role until he stops playing like that. We're not going to rush Binny in while Allen is playing well. Binny will get his starts, but calling him up is about replacing Johnson, not Allen.

I'm fine trying to find a long term solution over Allen. We should be looking to upgrade the position. However, I don't think he is nearly the problem that many people here do and the fact that we are 5-6-1 over a period where Allen posted a .919 is troubling (and that number is .922 for games he started and took a decision). The fact that we were 5-5-1 while he was posting a .926 is troubling (and that number was .929 for the games he started and took a decision). This team is bad regardless of who we have in net at the moment.

Near the problem in what way? I'm not sure how you can say he hasn't been a pretty big problem for this team in aggregate the last two years. Short term, as in the last month and a half? I'll give you that's been overblown, in no small part because of the role he played in what came immediately before that, but I think he still deserves quite a bit of blame for the team's struggles this season overall.

Goaltending and coaching played a huge role in this team getting off to a terrible start that really set the tone for this season. By the time Allen really came around, you could add injuries to coaching issues, not to mention a shattered team psyche.

I'm not going to find anything about the team troubling at this point until a new coach is in place and he has had a chance to sort some things out. Until there's a new leader in place, someone from outside the room that helped create this mess to begin with, and someone that everyone knows is the future, there's not much point in passing judgment on anything "new" that we already didn't know was a problem coming into this season.

 

[Brian39]

Near the problem in what way? I'm not sure how you can say he hasn't been a pretty big problem for this team in aggregate the last two years. Short term, as in the last month and a half? I'll give you that's been overblown, in no small part because of the role he played in what came immediately before that, but I think he still deserves quite a bit of blame for the team's struggles this season overall.

Goaltending and coaching played a huge role in this team getting off to a terrible start that really set the tone for this season. By the time Allen really came around, you could add injuries to coaching issues, not to mention a shattered team psyche.

I'm not going to find anything about the team troubling at this point until a new coach is in place and he has had a chance to sort some things out. Until there's a new leader in place, someone from outside the room that helped create this mess to begin with, and someone that everyone knows is the future, there's not much point in passing judgment on anything "new" that we already didn't know was a problem coming into this season.

Completely agree with everything here.

But I don't think his play has been as bad as the D as a group, the defensive play of the forwards as a group and the offensive play of the entire team at 5 on 5. I don't think any goalie makes this current group a playoff team and I don't think he has been bad to the point that he should be moved for whatever without having a solution to go along with that move. I think this team is worse if you remove Allen and don't replace him with someone other than a Darling/Reimer/Schneider swap of bad goalie contracts.

We should be looking to upgrade, not hand the job to Binny/Husso because 'it can't get worse.' I see that attitude a lot.

 

[Ranksu]

Well there is only hand full of goaltenders which are worse then Allen. Given his contract and performs he should be the guy who is next out of this team.

I'll give credit for Allen playing well recent games, but overally stylistically he doesn't fit in Blues or our new coach will tweak it for match for heaven for Allen.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

Up until the Vancouver game, Allen had posted a .926 since November 1st. With the Vancouver game, that number is .919 since November 1st. 8 of his 12 starts have been 'quality starts' and only one of those 12 starts was a really bad game. The other 3 non-quality starts were games where he allowed 5 of 45, 3 of 33, and 4 of 31. That's undisputedly quality play from your goaltender over a 6 week stretch.

Allen is absolutely inconsistent, but he has played very well for the past 5 or 6 weeks. His inconsistency isn't generally game to game but is usually long stretches of awful and long stretches of good play. That one bad game against Vancouver doesn't change the fact that Allen is currently playing like an actual NHL starter and will have that role until he stops playing like that. We're not going to rush Binny in while Allen is playing well. Binny will get his starts, but calling him up is about replacing Johnson, not Allen.

I'm fine trying to find a long term solution over Allen. We should be looking to upgrade the position. However, I don't think he is nearly the problem that many people here do and the fact that we are 5-6-1 over a period where Allen posted a .919 is troubling (and that number is .922 for games he started and took a decision). The fact that we were 5-5-1 while he was posting a .926 is troubling (and that number was .929 for the games he started and took a decision). This team is bad regardless of who we have in net at the moment.

Every goaltender that makes the NHL has the ability to put together a stretch of good games. Saying Allen hasn't been that big of a problem is just false. He cost us the playoffs last year and with his piss poor start to this season, will contribute to us missing the playoffs again.

Allen has done nothing in his career to warrant him being a starter in the NHL or the contract he was given. This is just like having Halak all over again except we lost our new Elliott in Hutton in the offseason. I'm really disappointed we didn't address to goaltending in the offseason. As great as getting ROR was, finding a replacement for Allen should have been priority #1.

 

[TruBlu]

Every goaltender that makes the NHL has the ability to put together a stretch of good games. Saying Allen hasn't been that big of a problem is just false. He cost us the playoffs last year and with his piss poor start to this season, will contribute to us missing the playoffs again.

Allen has done nothing in his career to warrant him being a starter in the NHL or the contract he was given. This is just like having Halak all over again except we lost our new Elliott in Hutton in the offseason. I'm really disappointed we didn't address to goaltending in the offseason. As great as getting ROR was, finding a replacement for Allen should have been priority #1.

I'm assuming you only watched that one game that we played against Chicago at the end of the season? If you are going to hold the goalie accountable, then you have to hold the rest of the team accountable when your goalies allow 2 or fewer goals in a game and you go away with no points. Go back and take a look. You might change your mind. The season didn't hinge on one game.

 

[lakai17]

A positive going under the radar is Fitzpatrick bumping up to San Antonio. That's what we call a good challenge for a any goaltender.

 

[LetsGoBooze]

A positive going under the radar is Fitzpatrick bumping up to San Antonio. That's what we call a good challenge for a any goaltender.

Gteat point, i like the idea of Husso and Fitz pushing eachother to be their very best. Both have solid NHL upside

 

[Majorityof1]

I'm assuming you only watched that one game that we played against Chicago at the end of the season? If you are going to hold the goalie accountable, then you have to hold the rest of the team accountable when your goalies allow 2 or fewer goals in a game and you go away with no points. Go back and take a look. You might change your mind. The season didn't hinge on one game.

Allen was bad for more than 1 game last year. Hutton stole the job from him at one point. That is not easy to do given how much coaching pushed Jake as the starter all year. He had every chance to be the starter, and yet still, there was a stretch where Hutton was the de facto starter because of how much better Hutton was.

Allen 17-18 stats and ranking (goalies with 20+ gms):
Save Percentage .906, 45th in league
GAA 2.75, 30th in league

Hutton 17-18 stats and ranking:
Save Percentage .931, 1st in league
GAA 2.09, 1st in league

Despite those stark difference in numbers playing in behind the same team, Allen got 30 more starts than Hutton. Yet his point capture percentage was 51.8% vs Hutton's at 68.5%. If Hutton starts 6 more games and those percentages hold, we make the playoffs.

Last year the team didn't score a ton. But it scored more for Hutton because it trusted Hutton more, and rightfully so. It played scared with Allen because he was bad for large stretches of last year.