Goaltenders in the 1st Round in 2004 (long)

[Teemu]

We're probably the last team in the NHL who needs new goaltending.

We have thibault for a few more year, provided he can recover, which is likely, he'll be putting up star numbers for a little while.

Eventually though, he'll have to leave. Then you can pretty much pick a name out of a hat. Michael Leighton is a good bet, and he showed many good games while up here. He does need to work on his consistancy, but he'll be a pretty good goalie in the future

Or Craig Anderson. I'm not as high on him, as he still needs to learn several fundamentals, yet has no one to teach them to him. Could be a good backup, though.

Or Michael Ayers. Strugling a bit this year, but was Collegiate goalie of the year last year. Again, needs to work on consistancy, but he could easily become a #1 canidate.

Or Corey Crawford. Putting up great numbers in the minors this year. Could be challenging for the #1 spot in a few year.

Or Mike Brodeur. No relation, but suprised everyone at training camp this year. He will really be watched in the next few year, and could potentionally challenge for the #1.

We're set for many years and then some.

 

[Flames Draft Watcher]

We're set for many years and then some.

I see Leighton and a bunch of question marks. Certainly you're not overflowing with bluechippers or even guys that were drafted in the top 2 rounds.

I've seen several teams take a goalie in the first round when they had higher profile goaltending prospects than the Hawks do now. I wouldn't rule it out for the Hawks.

 

[montreal]

Thanks for the comments.

Theodore is very expensive and Garon, to me, is a nice prospect but still unproven as a starter. I wouldnt consider him a top 15 goalie which you imply he is if you consider him a starter on most teams. Beyond Theo and Garon however there seem to be mostly old unimpressive prospects. Compared to many NHL teams it doesnt look to me that Montreal has much depth at all.

Theodore is very expensive, and it only gets worse, as he will make 6M next year in his final contract year, so the next contract will be costly if he continues to play this way.

Garon just turned 26, and was the top goalie in the AHL last year, while he was there. I think it's very hard to say what Garon can do, cause he just hasn't gotten many chances, and most likely won't any time soon. I am a big fan of Garon's, but we'll have to see how he does if given the time. I do think he can be a great goalie one day, just my opinion.

Fichaud is old at 28 or so, but he's the #1 in Hamilton, and is coming off a career year (compared to his other AHL years) and could be a decent backup for 10 or so games a year maybe.

J-F Damphousse was once very highly thought of by the Devils who have a knack for drafting. At 24, he was having a good season when given the #1 job with Fichaud out. But he's currently injured and out till March. I wouldn't count him out just yet, as he is still young as far as goalies are considered. He has the talent but needs to put it together. I would not stake the hopes of the Habs on Damphousse, but he could make a solid backup possibly.

Olivier Michaud is a 20 year old rookie. He was solid but not great in the ECHL this year, until injuries to the Hamilton goalies, got him a callup to the AHL. So far he's done very well putting up great numbers (2 SO's in 7 games, below 2 gaa) but I have my doubts about him due to his size and lack of playoff performances in the Q. Still he's very young, so we'll have to see just what he can do down the road, as it's too early to say what he can do.

Joni Puurula is 22 (or so) and has put up good numbers in the sm-liiga, but from what I'm told, he can be one of the top goalies in the league one night, then one of the worst other nights. It's a positive that he was named the starter of his team (HPK) at 21, after having an impressive playoff performance against Letohen in the Finish league playoffs. But an injury this year, and the good play of Rob Tallas has cut his ice time. He's currently the starter again with Tallas injured (last I had heard anyways) and has been putting up decent numbers this year again.

Jaroslav Halak is 18 and imo the Habs top goalie prospect. I've only seen him once, but I was impressed, and he's put up simply amazing numbers even though it's only in the Slovakian junior league. He did get called up to the mens league, and played well from what I'm told (and his numbers were solid) but it's way too early to say what he can do.

Christoper Heino-Lindberg is also 18, and is the starter for the worst team in the tier-2 of the Swedish league (Vallentuna) where he faces a ton of shots on a consistent basis. A long shot imo, but I've never seen him play, but hasn't put up very good numbers last year or this year (tough to look at numbers when he plays for such a bad team, I think they won 2 or 3 games all season so far) I hope he gets a shot at the U-20's next year for Sweden, but I don't know what their goalie situation looks like.

In summary, I'd be shocked if the Habs grab a goalie in any round unless they think they have a true gem.

Also, Yan Dannis is a sick, sick goalie, and is putting up insane numbers and has a shot at the Hoby Baker, so expect a team needing instant goaltending to sign the FA this spring.

I also like Brown from Noter Dame, but I would be surprised if he goes in the 1st round. I like David McKee from Cornell as a late round pick up, as he looks floppy on the ice, but is effective and has good numbers.

 

[Old Hickory]

Very good job Steve!

 

[Gwyddbwyll]

Good stuff montreal Its hard to get an impression of every single goalie at every team and that really filled it out.

Theo and Garon are a great tandem but I tended not to look so much at the NHL level as the AHL. Every team always tries to develop a goalie at the next level. Fichaud and Damphousse are quite old for prospects. I know from experience its hard to keep hold of old goalie prospects. Either they want a shot at the next level (and neither is close to Theo/Garon) or they'll leave. If they're good enough they'll get plucked by another team. If they arent good enough well, the parent team wont be popular with the AHL team.

So anyway.. I believe a good GM builds contingency plans. The older guys will likely be lost (and rightly so - Garon is better). The four younger ones, while intriguing prospects are all long shots in relative terms. Drafting a goalie of the future and pairing him in two years time with whoever works out best from that group in the AHL looks a better strategy to me than going with two hit-and-miss prospects.

Very good point on Yan Dannis. The Isles did exactly this when they got Wade Dubielewicz.

 

[Gwyddbwyll]

I have just realised I have missed a goalie Tampa has the 20 year old Fredrik Norrena who is doing well in the SEL. What is the situation there? Is he keen to come over soon or does he plan to stay? Anyway he looks a far more solid goalie prospect than Coleman so Tampa's need isnt as great as I first thought.

 

[Pekka Lampinen]

Norrena is 30 and not coming over without a one-way deal, which Tampa wouldn't give him after he was drafted in 2002.

 

[ZombieMatt]

I just wanted to say what an excellent job the first two posters did with this thread. It was a great read, provided a lot of very good insight, and overall was a very good post to an interesting topic.

 

[montreal]

Good stuff montreal Its hard to get an impression of every single goalie at every team and that really filled it out.

Theo and Garon are a great tandem but I tended not to look so much at the NHL level as the AHL. Every team always tries to develop a goalie at the next level. Fichaud and Damphousse are quite old for prospects. I know from experience its hard to keep hold of old goalie prospects. Either they want a shot at the next level (and neither is close to Theo/Garon) or they'll leave. If they're good enough they'll get plucked by another team. If they arent good enough well, the parent team wont be popular with the AHL team.

So anyway.. I believe a good GM builds contingency plans. The older guys will likely be lost (and rightly so - Garon is better). The four younger ones, while intriguing prospects are all long shots in relative terms. Drafting a goalie of the future and pairing him in two years time with whoever works out best from that group in the AHL looks a better strategy to me than going with two hit-and-miss prospects.

Very good point on Yan Dannis. The Isles did exactly this when they got Wade Dubielewicz.

I agree with what you are saying, and the Habs do need to find a blue chipper down the road, but I dont' see it being in this years draft unless there's a prospect available when they pick that they are really high on. I do think very highly of Halak, and think they could have a good one there. With the Habs drafting 2 goalies last year, I'd be surprised if they grab another one this year but you never know who will be there when they go to pick.

I like Yan Dannis a lot, and think several teams should take a look at signing him in the spring.

 

[degroat*]

Do we REALLY have to go through this again?

Last year I said over and over again that the Blues weren't going to take a goaltender in the first round because they already had decent depth at the position. Many doubted me.

Now they've added three other goaltenders to their organization and people STILL think the Blues will draft a goalie in the first round?

It's not going to happen.

 

[Hockeypuck]

I like Yan Dannis a lot, and think several teams should take a look at signing him in the spring.

Danis is an excellent goalie as is Frank Doyle at Maine and both will be the top 2 FA goalies coming out of college hockey this year.

 

[Fish on The Sand]

Thanks for the comments.

Theodore is very expensive and Garon, to me, is a nice prospect but still unproven as a starter. I wouldnt consider him a top 15 goalie which you imply he is if you consider him a starter on most teams. Beyond Theo and Garon however there seem to be mostly old unimpressive prospects. Compared to many NHL teams it doesnt look to me that Montreal has much depth at all.

We may not have overwealming depth in the minors, but that is because we have a great tandem, that is also very young. How many teams have a goalie, under the age of 30, with 3 vezina calibur seasons under his belt, 1 vezina, and 1 hart, and still improving? This isn't Edmonton. Montreal is prepared to pay their players. If he is let go for money reasons, then it would simply be the first time that has happened in Montreal. The following starters I would say garon is better than atm.


Lalime
Raycroft
Roloson
Dunham
Esche
Caron
Dafoe
Turek
Denis
Passmore

That is 10 that I feel he is decidedly better than. Others, like Kolzig, Cloutier, Osgood and Salo aren't decidedly better, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt with experience.

 

[DaveG]

I agree, Carolina wont be getting a goalie in the first round this year. I think they could use a little depth though.. it does not seem a position of strength to me. Ward is good but he is the only real positive (as a Coyotes fan I think very little of DesRochers' chances of ever making it) so I think Carolina will be looking in the 2005 draft in order to have a contingency.

well, unless Carolina does MUCH better in the next season (be that 05 or 06, depending on the lockout) I really have a hard time agreeing... now they would easily spend an early 2nd on a goalie one of the next two or three drafts, especially if Montoya slips this year as they also have the Leaf's 2nd because of last seasons Wesley trade. As I see it right now, this season is a wash (IMO) and Carolina is officially on the Ochevkin watch (AKA: Draft Lotto), and might be on the Crosby watch for next year even if there isn't a lockout.

I'll agree on DesRochers. Right now the guy seems like one of those guys that will be good for 16-22 games a year as a backup at the most... but I think he'll get the shot in 05 since Carolina will want Cam to have the #1 job in Lowell.

 

[Hockeypuck]

We may not have overwealming depth in the minors, but that is because we have a great tandem, that is also very young. How many teams have a goalie, under the age of 30, with 3 vezina calibur seasons under his belt, 1 vezina, and 1 hart, and still improving? This isn't Edmonton. Montreal is prepared to pay their players. If he is let go for money reasons, then it would simply be the first time that has happened in Montreal. The following starters I would say garon is better than atm.


Lalime
Raycroft
Roloson
Dunham
Esche
Caron
Dafoe
Turek
Denis
Passmore

That is 10 that I feel he is decidedly better than. Others, like Kolzig, Cloutier, Osgood and Salo aren't decidedly better, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt with experience.

I'd take Raycroft 7 days a week over Garon and probably a few others in your list.

 

[DaveG]

We may not have overwealming depth in the minors, but that is because we have a great tandem, that is also very young. How many teams have a goalie, under the age of 30, with 3 vezina calibur seasons under his belt, 1 vezina, and 1 hart, and still improving? This isn't Edmonton. Montreal is prepared to pay their players. If he is let go for money reasons, then it would simply be the first time that has happened in Montreal. The following starters I would say garon is better than atm.


Lalime
Raycroft
Roloson
Dunham
Esche
Caron
Dafoe
Turek
Denis
Passmore

That is 10 that I feel he is decidedly better than. Others, like Kolzig, Cloutier, Osgood and Salo aren't decidedly better, but I gave them the benefit of the doubt with experience.

Garon better then Lalime? I hope you're kidding, cause I got a good laugh outa that.

 

[Gwyddbwyll]

Do we REALLY have to go through this again?

Last year I said over and over again that the Blues weren't going to take a goaltender in the first round because they already had decent depth at the position. Many doubted me.

Now they've added three other goaltenders to their organization and people STILL think the Blues will draft a goalie in the first round?

It's not going to happen.

Its really just a scenario. If you look at St.Louis' draft history when it comes to goalies, that supports your point. Barulin last year may be the highest ever goalie they've taken recently. I think I said in my summary the Blues do have a deep stable but it seems to lack the stud that so many other teams have. So Im speculating they could lose patience and draft a goalie of the future. Especially if as seems likely, one or two goalies fall down to their draft position. Would you pass over a Marek Schwarz or Al Montoya at 18th if you had them rated as top 10 prospects?

 

[FearTheFlyers]

Nice job, but I disagree with your idea that teams will simply skip goaltenders just because they don't need them. There are MANY teams in the league that allways take the best player available at all times. This says to me that Shwartz and Montoya won't last beyond the 20th pick. I don't know enought about Dubnyk to comment on him.


I'm not as sold on Ford as other Leaf fans are, but I think Telqvist is the real deal. Given his performance at the World Championships last year, its a matter of time before he is a premier NHL goalie.

I think Coleman was a steal. He may have had an 'off' year last year, but this year his team just might set an OHL record for fewest goals against. (Granted, he will have only played half of his teams games by the end)

In the one game I've seen him he was VERY sound positionally, and made everything look easy. Tampa fans shouldn't write him off just because he is a 7th rounder.

Yes they should, he is absolutely awful and douggy, no offense you are the 1st Knights fan i've ever heard commending his play.

 

[redmen]

doyle FA

What do you know about Doyle from Maine? Will he sign with someone as a FA?

 

[Prussian_Blue]

Its really just a scenario. If you look at St.Louis' draft history when it comes to goalies, that supports your point. Barulin last year may be the highest ever goalie they've taken recently. I think I said in my summary the Blues do have a deep stable but it seems to lack the stud that so many other teams have. So Im speculating they could lose patience and draft a goalie of the future. Especially if as seems likely, one or two goalies fall down to their draft position. Would you pass over a Marek Schwarz or Al Montoya at 18th if you had them rated as top 10 prospects?

I see your point, but here's my take...

First of all, I see Barulin as very much a potential "stud" in goal for the Blues. I think you could get a very favorable analysis of his talent from anyone who saw any of the games he played in the RE/MAX Canada Russia Challenge series; the guy absolutely stood on his head to keep the Russian team in that series, against some of the best junior players Canada has to offer. I know that Blues' management is very high on the kid, as they are on Tuomas Nissinen and Curtis Sanford.

Now, if either Montoya or Schwarz is available when the Blues pick, then I could see either of them being taken by the Blues. But I could also very easily see them taking their highest first-round pick in years and using it for a potential blue-chip scoring forward, which is something that the organization is lacking.

Zakharov and Shkotov are the closest things the Blues have right now to a blue-chipper up front, and maybe David Backes. If the Blues' turn to draft comes up, and an Alexandre Picard or a Lukas Kaspar or a David Bolland are still on the table, a scorer of that caliber would be hard for the Blues to pass up.

It's not even out of the realm of possibility that a Wojtek Wolski or a Rostislav Olesz could fall far enough for the Blues to get them, and the Blues wouldn't be doing themselves any favors by passing up either of those players if they were still available.

I think that the Blues can get a quality goalie with their second-round pick. I'd look at a Julien Ellis or a Gabriel Bouthillette or a Martin Houle or a Magnus Akerlund in that slot, and any of those four would be a good pickup for the Blues.

That said, if they did draft Montoya with their first pick, I certainly wouldn't complain. But if they spend their first pick on a goalie, they'd darn well better have a couple of scoring forwards lined up with the next couple of picks...

PrussianBlue