Confidence level in goaltending for upcoming season (23/24)?

[SantosHalper]

Random thought: sign whoever the best goalie in the SHL is and try that out.

Looks who is leading the SHL in SV and sees Filip Larsson. Wait is that the same Filip Larsson we drafted? It is.

I mean what a cool full circle story that would be... Can we sign him mid season and bring him over?

Better idea is to go Finland, where the best goalie coaches reside. Sign a goalie and a goalie coach, both can be found in Tampere.

Christian Heljanko at eliteprospects.com
B2B Champion
B2B goalie of the year
B2B all star goalie
CHL champion + CHL MVP

And i especially like those playoffs numbers
Mestis, 2016, 11 games, 1.35 GAA, 0.939 SV%(won the tier-2 championship)
Mestis, 2018, 4 games, 2.00 GAA, 0.956 SV%
Liiga, 2019, 11 games, 2.09 GAA, 0.914 SV%(won bronze)
Liiga, 2021, 9 games, 2.40 GAA, 0.911 SV%(lost bronze medal game)
Liiga, 2022, 15 games, 1.59 GAA, 0.930 SV%(won the championship)
Liiga, 2023, 14 games, 1.42 GAA, 0.935 SV%(won the championship)

2016-17 & 2017-18 are the only seasons so far, when he hasn't reach the semifinal stage in his pro career and he played in a bottom tier team then. And 2019-20 but that was because covid. Nice record for covid season 15-3-9 in 28 games.

Clutch player.
----------------------
Aki Näykki at eliteprospects.com for goalie coach, he's been working with Heljanko since 2019 and earlier in the junior national team.

Or from the neighbour club Ilves https://www.eliteprospects.com/staff/1314/markus-korhonen
5 goalies under his tutelage has received NHL contracts, Sami Aittokallio, Joonas Korpisalo, Lukas Dostal(won goalie of the year), Eetu Mäkiniemi and Vadim Zherenko.

Marek Langhamer became national team goalie goalie for Czechia under Korhonen and suddenly he doesn't look that good without Korhonen. Current pupils are Jonas Gunnarsson and NJD prospect Jakub Malek, so coaching in english wont be the issue. He has also coached Avs goalie prospect Justus Annunen and Buffalo's starter Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen in finnish U20 and U18 national teams, and will be again Finland's goalie coach in upcoming U20 Worlds.

 

[RRhoads]

My confidence level: As long as we don't give up any shots at all, they will be fine.

 

[TheOtherOne]

My confidence level: As long as we don't give up any shots at all, they will be fine.

But we score 3 pretty often. So I think we could give up 2 shots.

 

[Henkka]

3 softies from Reimer against the Flyers.

Atrocious.

 

[jaster]

Very low confidence. Husso is only good if you can limit him to 60% of the team's games. I predicted he'd flounder once his usage got too high, and that's what happened. So you need someone to spell him for ~35 games. I have little confidence in Reimer is good enough to pull that off. And while Lyon had an amazing showing down the stretch last season, it was as the team's full-time starter in a small window of time. Can he translate that to 30+ games spread over 6 months if he wins the backup position? Huge unknown.

Sure, I hope an improved team in front of these guys can help mitigate the problem, but this goaltending situation could go south real quick.

4 out of 10 confidence level seems appropriate.

I think I was slightly optimistic.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

Goaltending is going to be the biggest factor in sinking the season and that's on the GM to address

 

[GreatGordie9]

I think I was slightly optimistic.

I would try and package a trade sending Husso with a prospect and a NHL player and try to get Gibson from the Ducks. Then waive Reimer. Keep Lyon.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Is there a legit option from the college ranks? For instance I don't see Kyle McClellan being drafted or signed and he's in his 4th year of college. Would he be a free agent once Wisconsin's season is over? Other than last season he's had great save percentages for both Merceyhurst and Wisconsin this season.

I don't watch Wisconsin - or Mercyhurst for that matter - so it could be a case of the teams in front of him playing a very sound defensive structure, but he seems like he could be a good option if we have to ride Lyon and Husso for the rest of the season. He'll be 25 when his season is over, so he should be pretty well developed at this point.

 

[Run the Jewels]

I would try and package a trade sending Husso with a prospect and a NHL player and try to get Gibson from the Ducks. Then waive Reimer. Keep Lyon.

Gibson would involve a decent amount of risk, it is rare for him to play more than 50 games at this point (he's averaged exactly 50 games/season since 2015-16) and he's signed for 3 more years at $6.5 million AAV. If you can get Anaheim to eat some of that contract you would remove some of the risk.

 

[GreatGordie9]

Gibson would involve a decent amount of risk, it is rare for him to play more than 50 games at this point (he's averaged exactly 50 games/season since 2015-16) and he's signed for 3 more years at $6.5 million AAV. If you can get Anaheim to eat some of that contract you would remove some of the risk.

There are also a lot of teams looking for s starting goalie. Gibson would be on the top of most teams list.

 

[Zetterberg4Captain]

Gibson would involve a decent amount of risk, it is rare for him to play more than 50 games at this point (he's averaged exactly 50 games/season since 2015-16) and he's signed for 3 more years at $6.5 million AAV. If you can get Anaheim to eat some of that contract you would remove some of the risk.

I think Markstrom in Calgary is our man and the cost would be less.

Partner him with Lyon and he bridges the cap till Cossa is ready

 

[Gniwder]

Is there a legit option from the college ranks? For instance I don't see Kyle McClellan being drafted or signed and he's in his 4th year of college. Would he be a free agent once Wisconsin's season is over? Other than last season he's had great save percentages for both Merceyhurst and Wisconsin this season.

I don't watch Wisconsin - or Mercyhurst for that matter - so it could be a case of the teams in front of him playing a very sound defensive structure, but he seems like he could be a good option if we have to ride Lyon and Husso for the rest of the season. He'll be 25 when his season is over, so he should be pretty well developed at this point.

He can sign whenever he wants. Just means he has to quit playing college, which is why they almost always finish their college season, like Hirose did.

 

[Shaman464]

Detroit is the perfect storm of mediocre goaltending and a defense that is subpar. The goalies can't be counted on to make the big save, and the defense can't stop the other team from getting a ton of high danger chances. I have no confidence in either at this point. Once the injury bug hits in January/February I expect a real free fall.

 

[RedHawkDown]

My confidence level: As long as we don't give up any shots at all, they will be fine.

Important to consider though that we routinely give up 30+ shots every game, and almost always the other team outshoots us, even when we win.

 

[RabidBadger]

Is there a legit option from the college ranks? For instance I don't see Kyle McClellan being drafted or signed and he's in his 4th year of college. Would he be a free agent once Wisconsin's season is over? Other than last season he's had great save percentages for both Merceyhurst and Wisconsin this season.

Honestly getting our own draft pick, Gylander, into the fold would be a better option than McClellan. I can't think of a undrafted NCAA goalie that he has amounted to much post collegiate career. Hunter Shepard has seen a couple NHL games but that's about it.

 

[GreatGordie9]

I would try and package a trade sending Husso with a prospect and a NHL player and try to get Gibson from the Ducks. Then waive Reimer. Keep Lyon.

Another option would be Markstrom from Calgary, but he is 33.

 

[Detroit Knights]

I’d say I’m at like a 4 or 5 outta 10.

I think we still have issues in net. I’ve been looking at the expected save % at NHL Goalie Statistics and we have been pretty trash in that regard over the last 2 seasons. Haven’t really had a goalie that performed well in that stat since Bernier in 19-20 and the eye test kinda backs that up for me.

I think Reimer might be cooked. Hopefully it was just an off year and he can return to what he was 2 years ago. I think there is some opportunity for Lyon, he has some good numbers over a small sample size. Feels like we have not had much luck with those kind of guys so far, but I’m hoping he catches fire.

To revisit this thread, I'm at like a 9. Straight killin it

 

[DatsDeking]

Another option would be Markstrom from Calgary, but he is 33.

I’m seeing a lot Markstrom recommendations and as much as I want a new goalie I agree that he may be too old. It would be banking on Cossa or another goalie taking over in the next 2 years. Feels like a stopgap more than anything.

 

[Winger98]

I’m seeing a lot Markstrom recommendations and as much as I want a new goalie I agree that he may be too old. It would be banking on Cossa or another goalie taking over in the next 2 years. Feels like a stopgap more than anything.

Well, so are Husso, Ned, Reimer, etc. If we can get Markstrom affordably and he can be a rock for us for another two or three years, I wouldn't mind that stop gap and either seeing Cossa taking over at that point or us going after another stop gap.

 

[DatsDeking]

Well, so are Husso, Ned, Reimer, etc. If we can get Markstrom affordably and he can be a rock for us for another two or three years, I wouldn't mind that stop gap and either seeing Cossa taking over at that point or us going after another stop gap.

That’s a good point. I think the only upside with our stopgaps is that it doesn’t cost anything more to roll with them. I’m holding out hope that Lyons comes back and rights the ship but I know that’s very wishful thinking.

 

[Oddbob]

I’m seeing a lot Markstrom recommendations and as much as I want a new goalie I agree that he may be too old. It would be banking on Cossa or another goalie taking over in the next 2 years. Feels like a stopgap more than anything.

Cossa isn't close right now, so all we need is stable stop gap.

 

[jaster]

Augustine looked real sharp today. There are a lot of stupid player vs. player debates on this forum, but I think a Cossa vs. Augustine debate could actually be pretty interesting in the coming years.

 

[RRhoads]

Augustine looked real sharp today. There are a lot of stupid player vs. player debates on this forum, but I think a Cossa vs. Augustine debate could actually be pretty interesting in the coming years.

It goes to show that goalies are not easy to predict, 6'6 goalies who's just starting to learn where their hands and feet are, least of all. Takes time to learn that coordination. That said, Trey is looking real good out there.

 

[Frk It]

Augustine looked real sharp today. There are a lot of stupid player vs. player debates on this forum, but I think a Cossa vs. Augustine debate could actually be pretty interesting in the coming years.

I think we are heading towards that being the case for sure.

Could be like when it was Howard vs Larsson competing as prospects back in the day.

 

[Run the Jewels]

Augustine looked real sharp today. There are a lot of stupid player vs. player debates on this forum, but I think a Cossa vs. Augustine debate could actually be pretty interesting in the coming years.

I was of the opinion they drafted Augustine because they had some concerns about how Cossa was trending. They traded up to draft Cossa but he hasn't looked great since turning pro. So it's good to see them bank another high draft pick on a goalie and for Augustine to look the part. The rebuild will be in much better shape if we can get a quality #1 NHL goalie from either Cossa or Augustine. My guess is Augustine gets one more year in college before they sign him to a pro contract.