Garrett Sparks

[justafan22]

Andersen really has nothing in common with Sparks. Andersen is technically sound. However, Andersen does have a reputation as a playoff flop, so that is concerning.

Andersen in 2017 was fine for the most part, had a .915.

Last year he was bad for the most part.

 

[Jmo89]

Anderson's been just as bad lately and has benefitted from a fully rested team, yet no Anderson sucks threads with a bunch of people piling on. Interesting.

Andersen has played bad in a few games, which everyone admits, and people were also on him in the playoffs last year. The guy is going to get some Vezina votes.

Sparks is garbage positionally and constantly rattles his teammates because he's so bad. Do you honestly believe he's an NHL goalie in any way? Has he proven even 1/10th that Andersen has. He looks like a disaster and he is one.

Call Hutch up. At the very least he won't take his teammates out of position by playing every puck so poorly.

 

[yubbers]

Anderson's been just as bad lately and has benefitted from a fully rested team, yet no Anderson sucks threads with a bunch of people piling on. Interesting.

How can you not understand slack is earned? Freddy had a couple bad games indeed but he's been in Vezina talks thi season he's been so good. Sparks has earned NOTHING. He didn't even earn the job in camp.

 

[Jmo89]

Quality backup is very important going into the PO. Some teams have BGs that can carry them to a cup. Sparks couldn't give us a competitive round.

Competetive round? In the playoffs I doubt he gives a competetive game.

Even with Andersen being mediocre last playoffs he at least gave some good games.

 

[acrobaticgoalie]

Anderson's been just as bad lately and has benefitted from a fully rested team, yet no Anderson sucks threads with a bunch of people piling on. Interesting.

Because no one believes Andersen sucks nor does he deserve a thread bashing him based on a 3 games slump. He has been a vezina calibre goalie all year. He just happens to be slumping at a time when half our top 4 is out with injury and our defense can't defend or get the puck out of the zone and the team as a whole is putting in a terrible effort. The difference now is Andersen isn't stealing games for us.

Sparks is not THE problem on the team either but hasn't been helping either. He has always had a flawed technique which has been on display all season. I agree with his comments from Last night but he is probably the wrong person to make those comments. Especially on a night where he didn't exactly have a great game.

 

[6ix]

We all know Garrett Sparks is garbage. What’s concerning is our dumb fking GM doesn’t seem to know that.

Dubas is an embarrassment for letting McBackup go who had an excellent year for us, and was a great mentor for Freddy. Dubas is a Marlies fanboy who gave the backup role to a guy who DID NOT EARN IT during camp and let our solid vet go. Make no mistake, if we still had McBackup we’d be either tied or ahead of Boston right now.

 

[Egghead1999]

Dubas made the right choice, but got burned. It happens.

And most backup goalies suck so Hutchinson isn't that much better.

I Don't think that is the right choice. He was making an assumption that Sparks would be as good as McBackup (and may be he was the next Murray, Schneider ..., a free first round pick in the making)

 

[gamer1035]

I'd be okay with Sparks over McBackup if Sparks had starter potential, but he doesn't.

Hell, Sparks doesn't even have the potential to ever be as good as McBackup. I doubt Sparks will be an NHL goalie in 3 years.

 

[Egghead1999]

Mike McKenna got picked up.

Has any waived goalie made it through waivers in season this year?

Sparks AHL pedigree is strong enough I doubt he makes it through.

Do you know he has an extension couple weeks ago?

 

[dubplatepressure]

We all know Garrett Sparks is garbage. What’s concerning is our dumb fking GM doesn’t seem to know that.

Dubas is an embarrassment for letting McBackup go who had an excellent year for us, and was a great mentor for Freddy. Dubas is a Marlies fanboy who gave the backup role to a guy who DID NOT EARN IT during camp and let our solid vet go. Make no mistake, if we still had McBackup we’d be either tied or ahead of Boston right now.

I have to question your opinion on this when GMs do things like trade Hall for Larsson, Forsberg for Erat, Seguin for Eriksson, etc and yet you think Dubas is an embarrassment for gambling on a 24 year old backup who posted unreal AHL numbers.

I get it. We all get it. Sparks sucks and it probably wasn't the right move in hindsight. GMs are human (see previous point). Doesn't make them bad, just means they're not always perfect. I would much rather Dubas mistakes are ones on gambles for backup goalies than for top6 forwards or top4 D.

 

[yubbers]

I have to question your opinion on this when GMs do things like trade Hall for Larsson, Forsberg for Erat, Seguin for Eriksson, etc and yet you think Dubas is an embarrassment for gambling on a 24 year old backup who posted unreal AHL numbers.

I get it. We all get it. Sparks sucks and it probably wasn't the right move in hindsight. GMs are human (see previous point). Doesn't make them bad, just means they're not always perfect. I would much rather Dubas mistakes are ones on gambles for backup goalies than for top6 forwards or top4 D.

Those of us frustrated didn't need hindsight. This was all very predictable. He shit the bed in camp and STILL got the job. Dubas took a strength of ours and made it a weakness. Maybe he works for Russia :p

 

[dubplatepressure]

Those of us frustrated didn't need hindsight. This was all very predictable. He **** the bed in camp and STILL got the job. Dubas took a strength of ours and made it a weakness. Maybe he works for Russia :p

Didn't seem completely terrible at the beginning of the season - the premise was that Sparks would develop, improve, get better. We have certainly not seem that this season. Despite that, Sparks won't be the reason why this team either does or does not meet expectations this season.

 

[gamer1035]

I have to question your opinion on this when GMs do things like trade Hall for Larsson, Forsberg for Erat, Seguin for Eriksson, etc and yet you think Dubas is an embarrassment for gambling on a 24 year old backup who posted unreal AHL numbers.

I get it. We all get it. Sparks sucks and it probably wasn't the right move in hindsight. GMs are human (see previous point). Doesn't make them bad, just means they're not always perfect. I would much rather Dubas mistakes are ones on gambles for backup goalies than for top6 forwards or top4 D.

I don't care what his numbers were in the ahl. This dude let's in so many soft goals at the NHL level. I have no doubt he was letting in a bunch of soft goals in the ahl too. Our team was probably so good it inflated his numbers. Dude played like shit in training camp and has probably always been a bad goalie. I'm surprised none of our ahl people told dubas Sparks was a bad goalie despite good ahl numbers.

 

[Warden of the North]

Do you know he has an extension couple weeks ago?

Yes? What does that have to do with anything?

We are organizationally weak at G, of course we'd resign him.

His new contract doesnt mean hes a lock to be on the NHL roster next year.

 

[dubplatepressure]

I don't care what his numbers were in the ahl. This dude let's in so many soft goals at the NHL level. I have no doubt he was letting in a bunch of soft goals in the ahl too. Our team was probably so good it inflated his numbers. Dude played like **** in training camp and has probably always been a bad goalie. I'm surprised none of our ahl people told dubas Sparks was a bad goalie despite good ahl numbers.

936 svp and 1.79 GAA in AHL - so no, wasn't like he was letting in soft ones in the A. But, yes he's been terrible, and I don't disagree.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Curtis McElhinney - CapFriendly - NHL Salary Caps

on 800K contract.

The goal of the backup goalie is to break even. Sparks is 7-7. He's not the problem.

Not sure his goalie style will translate to the NHL mind you.

He did deserve the chance.

 

[yubbers]

Didn't seem completely terrible at the beginning of the season - the premise was that Sparks would develop, improve, get better. We have certainly not seem that this season. Despite that, Sparks won't be the reason why this team either does or does not meet expectations this season.

I should hope not. A backup shouldn't be the difference maker of a season but when injuries happen they can. He's always been terrible. I just don't see how anyone saw anything different. He's the most positionally unsound goalie i've ever seen. It's like he has an ear infection when he plays and can't get grounded

 

[dubplatepressure]

I should hope not. A backup shouldn't be the difference maker of a season but when injuries happen they can. He's always been terrible. I just don't see how anyone saw anything different. He's the most positionally unsound goalie i've ever seen. It's like he has an ear infection when he plays and can't get grounded

Do you really think he's the first player a team looked at and thought they could develop? Ron Hainsey used to be one of the worse defensive defesemen on any team. I don't blame the team or GM for thinking they could improve Sparks after looking at the body of work from his previous AHL season. Sure he bloody sucks now, and hasn't developed. Cut him and move on.

 

[yubbers]

Do you really think he's the first player a team looked at and thought they could develop? Ron Hainsey used to be one of the worse defensive defesemen on any team. I don't blame the team or GM for thinking they could improve Sparks after looking at the body of work from his previous AHL season. Sure he bloody sucks now, and hasn't developed. Cut him and move on.

I get ppl can make mistakes. I do But here's why it bothers me. Lets just remove the fact I had no hope for Sparks.

You have all your big rookies on ELCs still. You bring in the biggest RFA imaginable in Tavares. We are in GO FOR IT mode. WHY the f*** would you take a strength of ours in backup goaltending to roll the dice? Big Mac would've been just fine for 2-3 years while we are competing. There was NO reason to roll the dice there. NONE. and it's of course blown up in his face

 

[Lainehasaweirdface]

Yep, pure athleticism and no technique.

He must have been scouted by the same guy that found Jonas Gustavsson

Those Reeboks were nasty

 

[dubplatepressure]

I get ppl can make mistakes. I do But here's why it bothers me. Lets just remove the fact I had no hope for Sparks.

You have all your big rookies on ELCs still. You bring in the biggest RFA imaginable in Tavares. We are in GO FOR IT mode. WHY the **** would you take a strength of ours in backup goaltending to roll the dice? Big Mac would've been just fine for 2-3 years while we are competing. There was NO reason to roll the dice there. NONE. and it's of course blown up in his face

that was my opinion too. But I could at least see a reasoning to it in that they may have wanted to develop Sparks. Otherwise what's the point at all. Cheap but good lesson for Dubas to learn.

 

[Daisy Jane]

For bettter or worse hes here to stay this year. As poor as he is playing now, he probably doesnt make it through waivers right now. The Marlies need a goalie too.

I would be stunned if a legit veteran goalie isnt brought in next year and theres an actual competition at camp

you mean like this year and we tossed our really good backup away because. Sparks was "AHL Goalie of the year?"
i have no idea what the goalie go-round has this year.

Dubas made the right choice, but got burned. It happens.

And most backup goalies suck so Hutchinson isn't that much better.

no. he didn't
the right choice would have been to keep the better goaltender. that was Curtis.

 

[trellaine201]

God forbid Anderson gets hurt!

 

[Daisy Jane]

that was my opinion too. But I could at least see a reasoning to it in that they may have wanted to develop Sparks. Otherwise what's the point at all. Cheap but good lesson for Dubas to learn.

see and that would be fine. but none of the moves made were a "yah we'll just take our time and train sparks." kind of way. it was "we expect to contend for a cup." kind of year. you don't do that w/a rookie backup goalie - who isn't Matt Murarry.

 

[DarkKnight]