OT: Expansion Discussion

[Ebb]

If Smitty has an exceptional year, I'm guessing Domingue will be moved at the trade deadline (especially with his affordable contract) in a package that would include a mediocre backup (a la Lindback) that we could expose at the draft .

 

[SniperHF]

Goalies ain't worth much unless they are an obvious cut above like Schneider. Don't think Louis gets traded.

 

[Matias Maccete]

If Smitty has an exceptional year, I'm guessing Domingue will be moved at the trade deadline (especially with his affordable contract) in a package that would include a mediocre backup (a la Lindback) that we could expose at the draft .

Even then, I'd be hesitant to trust another good year and ignore the previous two. As long as Domingue can keep his level of play from last year up I'd still prefer the cheaper option.

Then again, I also think any team giving big money and term to goalies is crazy. As important as the position is, the gap between top goalies and "average" goalies has shrunk dramatically, and I think a team might be better off going with cheaper average goalies and using the 6 mil a year you'd pay an elite goalies elsewhere. Guys like Price and Lundqvist are amazing, but how often do you see a great goalie go down and their backup comes in and does almost as well? Detroit, Pittsburgh, Tampa, and more I'm sure have cheaper options that are almost as good as their big dollar starting goalies.

 

[airbus220]

If Smitty has an exceptional year, I'm guessing Domingue will be moved at the trade deadline (especially with his affordable contract) in a package that would include a mediocre backup (a la Lindback) that we could expose at the draft .

I think Domingue will be great and he's the future. So good to have him. I would do everything to keep him as long as he's not expensive. If Smith plays exceptional I would trade Smith.

 

[Mosby]

Did a quick run through of General Fanager's expansion tool. Here are some of the goalies that could be available, aside from Smith or Domingue:

Bernier
Khudobin
Subban
Johnson
Ward (or Lack)
Pickard (or Varlamov)
Korpisalo/Forsberg
Niemi (or Lehtonen)
Howard
Luongo (or Reimer)
Zatkoff
Kuemper
Montoya/Condon
Halak (or Greiss)
Raanta/Skapski
Hammond
Neuvirth (or Mason)
Fleury (or Murray)
Bishop (or Vasilevskiy)
Gudlevskis
Grubauer
Miller
Hutchinson (or Hellebuyck)
Pavelec



A few notes:

- Some teams will expose 2 decent goalies. NYR for example. They'll obviously protect Lundqvist. That exposes both Raanta and Skapski. I've listed teams exposing 2 goalies with the "x/x" format.

- Some of these players will likely be traded before they're lost for nothing to expansion, like Fleury and Bishop.

- Some teams will have a decision to make on what goalie to expose. For instance, my guess is Florida exposes Luongo over Riemer, but it could go either way. I've put the less likely player to be exposed in parenthesis.


That being said, if I'm George McPhee, I think that list has 2 better goalies available than anything we have to offer.

 

[airbus220]

Bernier: UFA
Khudobin: not special, will Spooner be exposed?
Subban: wouldn't slip through waivers so why draft him, he's also RFA, there are 10 better RFA available, will Spooner be exposed?
Johnson: UFA
Ward (or Lack): both not special, will Nordstrom be exposed?
Pickard (or Varlamov): Picard is possible but I would prefer Domingue, Varlamov too expensive, will Soderberg or Grigorenko be exposed?
Korpisalo/Forsberg: Korpisalo would be good, will Johnson or Savard be exposed?
Niemi (or Lehtonen): nobody wants them, will Eakin be exposed?
Howard: nobody wants him, will Jurco or Sheahan be exposed?
Luongo (or Reimer): I would take Reimer but he will be protected, Luongo has no future, recap contract
Zatkoff: not good enough, will Lewis be exposed?
Kuemper: UFA
Montoya/Condon: both UFA
Halak (or Greiss): Halak is an expensive backup and very lazy, Greiss UFA
Raanta/Skapski: possible, but I would prefer Domingue
Hammond: not bad, will Methot be exposed?
Neuvirth (or Mason): both UFA
Fleury (or Murray): Murray will be protected, Fleury traded or bought out and if not they can trade Murray
Bishop (or Vasilevskiy): Bishop UFA, Vasi will be protected, will Killorn or Palat be exposed?
Gudlevskis: see above, I would prefer Domingue
Grubauer: RFA, there will be 10 better RFA available, I would prefer Domingue, will Schmidt or Orlov be available?
Miller: UFA
Hutchinson (or Hellebuyck): Hellebuyck wouldn't be bad but will be protected, Hutchinson is possible but I would prefer Domingue, will Dano or Lowry be exposed?
Pavelec: UFA

Domingue will have a great season. I'm excited to follow how he performs. He will be protected.

 

[ck26]

That being said, if I'm George McPhee, I think that list has 2 better goalies available than anything we have to offer.

Thing is, McPhee isn't just drafting goalies, and taking a goalie from a team means you can't take one of their skaters. Opportunity costs are a huge factor.

ANA's skaters are so good their goalies are safe ... Bernier isn't terrible, but you'd be nuts to pass up one of their defenders (will Manson be exposed?) for him. Our 70-eligible skaters are (currently) so bad -- Richardson, White if we extend him, Connauton -- that it's QUITE likely our Canadian Olympic goalie may be the most attractive piece we offer up.

 

[_Del_]

I hope that's true. You just saved $6M, and avoided having to trade or buy out one of the "good guys". Everyone wins.