OT: In case you forgot what good goaltending looks like

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

This may be a limited audience as I'm all about goalies and @Bench is pretty nutty about them... but I always love seeing guys play the position at the highest level. It's why I'm leaning towards all in on a guy like Wallstedt or Cossa.

Let's start with two of the best goalies of the modern era.





Drop in any goalie love you got. You're all about Mrazek's straight up robbery on Brian Boyle? This is the place. Jimmy Howard's brilliant play against Chicago to push it 3-1 before the Hawks asserted themselves? Boom.

One stop goalie shopping!

Click to read more...

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Also... you want to see why I'm not rushing to close the door on Bernier returning? Look at how easy most of these setups are and what he did over and over. In 19-20 and in 20-21, he was very good.

 

[Bench]

Also... you want to see why I'm not rushing to close the door on Bernier returning?

Last year I was hoping Yzerman would bring in a guy to act as the transition goalie during the rebuild. I always thought Ben Bishop might have his final NHL stop in Detroit, for example.

But Bernier totally changed my mind and I'd be happy if they gave him another multiyear deal to keep him on board. I'm comfortable with him as a starter and by all accounts he has a great attitude about the Wings and the coaches. And that's a huge boon for a veteran mentor and a stabilizing presence in the locker room. I'm hopeful they get him locked up soon.

 

[Bench]

Let's start with two of the best goalies of the modern era.

You forgot the best, though.



Gun to my head, Lundqvist is my favorite goalie of all time. The Bench favorite list, which is not to be confused with an actual quality ranking.

1. Lundqvist
2. Belfour
3. Turco
4. Hasek
5. Osgood

List is subject to change because it's my list.

 

[golffuul]

Last year I was hoping Yzerman would bring in a guy to act as the transition goalie during the rebuild. I always thought Ben Bishop might have his final NHL stop in Detroit, for example.

But Bernier totally changed my mind and I'd be happy if they gave him another multiyear deal to keep him on board. I'm comfortable with him as a starter and by all accounts he has a great attitude about the Wings and the coaches. And that's a huge boon for a veteran mentor and a stabilizing presence in the locker room. I'm hopeful they get him locked up soon.

There are going to be so many re-signings and extensions after the Expansion Draft/Entry Draft...going to make everyone's heads spin for a day or two.

 

[Bench]

There are going to be so many re-signings and extensions after the Expansion Draft/Entry Draft...going to make everyone's heads spin for a day or two.

True. They can have a handshake deal in place, protect Greiss, and sign Bernier right after. We'll see a ton of that. I'm sure the Kraken will start floating to teams who they might want to pick and see if they can fish out some draft picks like Vegas was able to do.

 

[RabidBadger]

I don't have the same affinity for the position as some here, but I'll never short-sell the importance of good goaltending. In my lifetime, I've seen way more goalies pull the sled for a team than I have any skaters. Off the top of my head, the Habs last two Cups, the Kings and the Blues have virtually no chance of happening without stellar goalie play.

I still maintain Wallstedt has more of a chance to be a lynchpin for the Wings than any other choices available.

 

[Frk It]

For someone with goalie trust issues like myself, Luongo and Lundqvist were my gold standards.

Those guys were consistently excellent in my eyes, even when they were on bad teams.

Vasilevsky would be the guy I am most confident in currently in the league, and I expect Knight to be up there soon. Price in the playoffs is fantastic too.

 

[Bench]

I still maintain Wallstedt has more of a chance to be a lynchpin for the Wings than any other choices available.

 

[Frk It]

Also... you want to see why I'm not rushing to close the door on Bernier returning? Look at how easy most of these setups are and what he did over and over. In 19-20 and in 20-21, he was very good.

I believe we had the 8th best save % at even strength in the league last year. So no one should have completely forgotten what good goaltending looks like, we saw it this last season a decent amount.

 

[Retire91]

I thought Yzerman might go for Askarov if he was going to get a goalie from the high end draft so I don't think he goes for Wallstedt or Cossa. But I would really be happy if we went all in on a promising goalie. That is one thing I have never seen as a wings fan is elite goal tending. Hasek was awesome but he was well past his prime.

So bring it on goalie highlights are awesome.

 

[Bench]

For someone with goalie trust issues like myself, Luongo and Lundqvist were my gold standards.

Those guys were consistently excellent in my eyes, even when they were on bad teams.

Vasilevsky would be the guy I am most confident in currently in the league, and I expect Knight to be up there soon. Price in the playoffs is fantastic too.

Which guy is the gold standard of consistency:

2.43 GAA
.918 SV%
52.6% win percentage of starts
7% shutout rate

or

2.50 GAA
.917 SV%
51.8% win percentage of starts
7% shutout rate

If those numbers look indistinguishable, well, welcome to the complicated world of goalie stats.

 

[Nut Upstrom]

Hopefully drafting a goalie at 6 is only gaining traction here and not with those who make the decisions.

 

[Bench]

That is one thing I have never seen as a wings fan is elite goal tending.

I feel like this definitely plays a role in our fanbases' appreciation and perception of goalies. It's a very different vibe when you talk to fans that had one of the generational guys.

 

[Bench]

Hopefully drafting a goalie at 6 is only gaining traction here and not with those who make the decisions.

And hopefully you don't step on a LEGO today, but who knows, accidents happen and sometimes I drop them in strange places.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

You forgot the best, though.



Gun to my head, Lundqvist is my favorite goalie of all time. The Bench favorite list, which is not to be confused with an actual quality ranking.

1. Lundqvist
2. Belfour
3. Turco
4. Hasek
5. Osgood

List is subject to change because it's my list.

I didn't want to start with Hank because Hank is probably my favorite too. He was such an unbelievable badass inbetween the pipes... while simultaneously being a G-D supermodel.
I loved the Rangers room of goalies in the mid 2010s. Lundqvist and Raanta. We had this one Swedish girl who was over in the US as an aupair who I stepped out of net and played D to let her play on our team. She was a Lundqvist nut. Loved the man. So I then really identified with Antti Raanta.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

 

[ManwithNoIdentity]

Last year I was hoping Yzerman would bring in a guy to act as the transition goalie during the rebuild. I always thought Ben Bishop might have his final NHL stop in Detroit, for example.

But Bernier totally changed my mind and I'd be happy if they gave him another multiyear deal to keep him on board. I'm comfortable with him as a starter and by all accounts he has a great attitude about the Wings and the coaches. And that's a huge boon for a veteran mentor and a stabilizing presence in the locker room. I'm hopeful they get him locked up soon.

Guy has been an absolute warrior for us and deserves to feel the love with a full arena

 

[Bench]

He was such an unbelievable badass inbetween the pipes... while simultaneously being a G-D supermodel.

The Don Draper of hockey. Henrik was rocking those suits right at the peak of Mad Men and that whole aesthetic revival.

The 2012 HBO Winter Classic series was pretty memorable. We got all that incredible Bryz footage, first and foremost. But also it was a gateway series to my lady "enjoying" hockey because beefcakes Henrik and Brian Boyle were getting airtime.

 

[Roomba With a Bauer]

I feel like goalie is our top position of need. I would be alright drafting Wallstedt at 6. Most of the scouting reports I read says he relies heavily on skating and strong technical play, and has great mental poise. There is also a focus on his ability to control rebounds and make successful saves on high-danger chances, as well as his stickhandling developed by starting out as a forward. I also don't think Wallstedt benefitted from a bad scouting year; he has been projected as a first round pick in his draft class since before the pandemic hit.

At first I was leery of taking a goalie so early in the draft, but of all the players available at that pick, I think Wallstedt is the one who has the most potential of being a first-line\first-pair\starting G kind of player. Poise, skating, and technique are the three areas a goalie needs to be strong in to really have a shot at the NHL, and Wallstedt has all of them, in addition to his other strengths.

edit: It also has to be noted, he has pretty much always been playing in leagues that were 3 years above his age level and dominating. Most prospects who do that fizzle out when they hit the men's leagues, but Wallstedt has just continued to demonstrate stellar play and stats. If he had done that in the Canadian junior system he would've gotten exceptional status. The guy is a gamer.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

I feel like this definitely plays a role in our fanbases' appreciation and perception of goalies. It's a very different vibe when you talk to fans that had one of the generational guys.

I mean, we had two of those type of guys, really. Hasek was that guy and so was CuJo. Hasek was that guy for us in 01-02. He was still not that far removed from the height of his powers at that point. And CuJo got way too bad a rap for the Wings losing against Calgary when he gave up 11 goals in 6 games.

They lost cause they couldn't score in a whorehouse in games 5 and 6.

 

[Bench]

I mean, we had two of those type of guys, really. Hasek was that guy and so was CuJo. Hasek was that guy for us in 01-02. He was still not that far removed from the height of his powers at that point. And CuJo got way too bad a rap for the Wings losing against Calgary when he gave up 11 goals in 6 games.

They lost cause they couldn't score in a whorehouse in games 5 and 6.

Hasek wasn't here long enough to really get the full picture and impact. He played the equivalent to about 2-3 seasons for the Wings. Mrazek played as much for the Wings, to put that into perspective. If Bernier signs again, there's a good chance he ends with more games than Hasek. There was a goalie carousel with Osgood being the "good enough" default more often than not. We never had that one goalie standing their head for a decade and stealing a playoff series here and there.

And CuJo is the perfect example. Despite his overall success, he was deemed as one of the big issues for the Red Wings getting over the hump. I really think that speaks to Red Wings fans state of mind regarding goaltending. It seemed to be a red herring every time their great roster couldn't quite get the job done. Swap out the goalie, a totally replaceable part, and try again next year.

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Hasek wasn't here long enough to really get the full picture and impact. He played the equivalent to about 2-3 seasons for the Wings. Mrazek played as much for the Wings, to put that into perspective. If Bernier signs again, there's a good chance he ends with more games than Hasek. There was a goalie carousel with Osgood being the "good enough" default more often than not. We never had that one goalie standing their head for a decade and stealing a playoff series here and there.

And CuJo is the perfect example. Despite his overall success, he was deemed as one of the big issues for the Red Wings getting over the hump. I really think that speaks to Red Wings fans state of mind regarding goaltending. It seemed to be a red herring every time their great roster couldn't quite get the job done. Swap out the goalie, a totally replaceable part, and try again next year.

 

[Bench]

Just strap some leg pads on that kid and he could absolutely be the woes to all the Wings issues back when they were good.