Playing one good season where you get the last spot in the playoffs and were clearly outmatched doesn't mean this is a competitive team. The current roster is not competing for a cup and last year they had no shot. The current backup goalie isnt why this team is last in the East.
Actually, it kind of is the reason the team is last in the East. He might not be the reason the team is not in a playoff spot, but he's absolutely a HUGE reason why this team is in last place. Look no further than what happened tonight. On most nights, he loses us this game in the first 10 minutes. The coach (who I don't really like) made a commendable decision to say ''Enough is enough'' and pulled him and we come back and win the game.
If you wanna argue that he's not the reason the team isn't in a playoff spot, that's acceptable, but he is much to do with the reason that the team is last in the East. And it's not just the games that he plays, it's also the games he doesn't play now, because we're forced to shelter him and aren't able to play him because he's not serviceable, so basically we're wearing the other guy out because of him and the other guy might even start breaking down because he's the only serviceable goalie on the roster, never mind the only NHL caliber goalie on the roster. Kinkaid has already shown signs of breaking down.
I can already think of a few games where he cost the team a point, if not two points. The Detroit game, a one goal loss, where he allows two weak goals. The Ottawa and Winnipeg games were both blowouts and he only allowed a weak goal in each game. The Carolina game he allows a weak goal 20 seconds in and another goal (no chance on the second) a few seconds later. We scored one goal in this game, he only allowed 2, not on him, but he did get us points in games like that before he became a very bad goaltender. The Tampa game? 3 stoppable goals in that one. We probably get a point with better goaltending. The Anaheim game? Everybody only remembers the own goals, but they forget that the own goals only hurt us because he had no margin for error because of the two BAD goals he allowed in the 1st period. Tonight? He almost cost us again, just by playing 10 minutes. Can you name a bigger underperforming player on this team? When it comes to salary and what's expected of him, and not to mention he plays the most important position in the game, he's the biggest underperformer on the roster, as much as I'd love to say it's Pavel Zacha.