Our Goalie Situation

[Cousin Eddie]

Ryan Clark on the playoff issues with Grubauer and Francouz:

Philipp Grubauer and Pavel Francouz's assessment could be something the organization addresses with an inquiry into items like offseason programming. Both of their issues centered more around fitness rather than their actual performances.

He also doesn’t seem overly optimistic that anyone knew is coming in just because of how many moving parts will be involved in then having to move a goalie out.

Any conversation about goaltending must also address how both Grubauer and Francouz are under contract ahead of next season. Taking on another goalie means the organization would have to make plans for one of them to depart. Of course, anything could happen. But making it work involves several moving parts.

also this...

Getting another goaltender like means they move on from one of those two. But at what cost? The timing of the Grubauer and Francouz deals give them a bit more flexibility on letting someone like Justus Annunen develop. It's not to suggest there could be a potential deal the front office considers for a more long-term starting goaltender. But they also want to likely determine how things lay out with Annunen.

 

[The Abusement Park]

So I’d assume Francouz got COVID and the after effects were hampering him a good bit?

 

[Cousin Eddie]

So I’d assume Francouz got COVID and the after effects were hampering him a good bit?

That’s certainly what I was thinking.

 

[The Abusement Park]

That’s certainly what I was thinking.

Because he never looked hurt at all to me. Just really really bad, so that would make some sense.

 

[SirLoinOfCloth]

I don't know about Frankie having COVID because they have reported 6 straight weeks with no COVID cases. Unless Frank had COVID prior to entering the bubble and just couldn't recover in time. I know my fiancee's symptoms lasted nearly 3 months so it is possible.

NHL reports no positive COVID-19 cases for sixth straight week

 

[McMetal]

I would stay the course with this goaltending tandem. Grubauer was amazing in the playoffs last year, and looked great against Arizona as well (4-0). He didn't get any kind of sample size against Dallas before getting hurt. I also think the injury thing is overblown. One playoff ending injury can be written off as a fluke, we can revisit that IF it happens again. No reason to throw out a goalie with a good track record as a knee jerk.

As for Francouz, maybe he was playing injured, maybe he wasn't. To me, he looked like a goalie who wilted under pressure. Which is weird, because this is hardly his first high pressure experience given his long pro career and stint with the Czech national team. Either way, I think you keep him as a backup and hope you don't have to use him next year. He was great in the regular season and backups don't win you championships anyway.

We do need a #3, because I think Hutch probably earns himself a #2 gig somewhere next season. Last year Bibeau was a dud, hopefully we can find a better option soon, because I still don't trust Werner as a #3 yet.

 

[Pokecheque]

I don't know about Frankie having COVID because they have reported 6 straight weeks with no COVID cases. Unless Frank had COVID prior to entering the bubble and just couldn't recover in time. I know my fiancee's symptoms lasted nearly 3 months so it is possible.

NHL reports no positive COVID-19 cases for sixth straight week

The Blues admitted COVID all but destroyed their team. Even with full recoveries all around, that's still valuable training time they lost because they had to shut down.

 

[MarkT]

I would stay the course with this goaltending tandem. Grubauer was amazing in the playoffs last year, and looked great against Arizona as well (4-0). He didn't get any kind of sample size against Dallas before getting hurt. I also think the injury thing is overblown. One playoff ending injury can be written off as a fluke, we can revisit that IF it happens again. No reason to throw out a goalie with a good track record as a knee jerk.

As for Francouz, maybe he was playing injured, maybe he wasn't. To me, he looked like a goalie who wilted under pressure. Which is weird, because this is hardly his first high pressure experience given his long pro career and stint with the Czech national team. Either way, I think you keep him as a backup and hope you don't have to use him next year. He was great in the regular season and backups don't win you championships anyway.

We do need a #3, because I think Hutch probably earns himself a #2 gig somewhere next season. Last year Bibeau was a dud, hopefully we can find a better option soon, because I still don't trust Werner as a #3 yet.

This is from this article Q&A: Joe Sakic on Avalanche injuries, goaltending and free agency

Clark: Let’s start here. With some of the injuries your team had, were some of them pre-existing or did it all happen during the games?

Sakic: I don’t know if I can delve too much into injuries. But I know (Pavel) Francouz was battling it up. His injury was up until the point he just couldn’t go any more. He tried but he couldn’t be the goalie that we know we is.

I hope this shuts up everyone who is going around acting like Francouz sucks now because he played poorly in the Dallas series.

 

[JLo217]

This is from this article Q&A: Joe Sakic on Avalanche injuries, goaltending and free agency



I hope this shuts up everyone who is going around acting like Francouz sucks now because he played poorly in the Dallas series.

More reason to get a better option than Hutch as a #3.

Overall Gru is great. His injuries are worrisome. For only 2 years it doesn’t look good.

 

[Richard88]

More reason to get a better option than Hutch as a #3.

Overall Gru is great. His injuries are worrisome. For only 2 years it doesn’t look good.

Getting a good 3rd string goalie is tough, due to waivers.

Either we sign a good veteran and hope that nobody takes them in waivers - which might be possible if we overpay slightly to make it financially less attractive for a team to acquire that goalie.

Or, we bring in a young goalie who is waivers exempt. The list below includes all goalies who are waiver exempt (they have a tick in the column next to their age if they are exempt)... Are there any on this list who would be realistic to target that would be upgrades on Hutchinson?

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I have my doubts that he's made available.... But if he is, Chris Driedger would be a fabulous #3 option here. In his NHL stint last year he put up some fabulous numbers on a fairly mediocre Panthers team, significantly better then what Bob was able to do on that same team.


He'd be a fantastic #3, real good AHL numbers the last 2 years as well.

 

[AllAboutAvs]

Personally I haven't given up on Werner. IMO all he needs to become a very good #3 on our team is consistency. That's his main issue. Last season Werner was either great or very bad...not much in between. All goalies have bad games but unfortunately those happened too often for Werner. However interestingly those bad games were mostly the 2nd games of B2B. Here is a breakdown of his play last season:

Overall: 2.92 GAA, .909 SV%
Games with at least one day of rest: 2.59 GAA, .924 SV%
Second games of B2B when he played both games: 4.87 GAA, .802 SV%

Obviously he needs to address his performance when he plays B2B games but with rest Werner's stats were near the top of the league. Is it a conditioning issue? Focus issue? Who knows? Fix that and he could be one of the top goalie in the AHL.

The good news is goalies don't play often both games of a B2B in the NHL. IMO he has strong potential in being that #3 we need for a cup run especially that there are usually no B2B games in the playoffs in the NHL. IMO he also has the potential to become a very good backup at the NHL level. Way too early to say about becoming a starter though.

 

[Richard88]

I have my doubts that he's made available.... But if he is, Chris Driedger would be a fabulous #3 option here. In his NHL stint last year he put up some fabulous numbers on a fairly mediocre Panthers team, significantly better then what Bob was able to do on that same team.


He'd be a fantastic #3, real good AHL numbers the last 2 years as well.

Good call. He certainly seems to have really elevated his game since joining Florida.

Probably worth the risk with waivers despite not being exempt.

 

[Richard88]

Personally I haven't given up on Werner. IMO all he needs to become a very good #3 on our team is consistency. That's his main issue. Last season Werner was either great or very bad...not much in between. All goalies have bad games but unfortunately those happened too often for Werner. However interestingly those bad games were mostly the 2nd games of B2B. Here is a breakdown of his play last season:

Overall: 2.92 GAA, .909 SV%
Games with at least one day of rest: 2.59 GAA, .924 SV%
Second games of B2B when he played both games: 4.87 GAA, .802 SV%

Obviously he needs to address his performance when he plays B2B games but with rest Werner's stats were near the top of the league. Is it a conditioning issue? Focus issue? Who knows? Fix that and he could be one of the top goalie in the AHL.

The good news is goalies don't play often both games of a B2B in the NHL. IMO he has strong potential in being that #3 we need for a cup run especially that there are usually no B2B games in the playoffs in the NHL. IMO he also has the potential to become a very good backup at the NHL level. Way too early to say about becoming a starter though.

Looks to me like they need to stop playing him the 2nd game of B2B's. Hopefully whoever takes the Bibeau/Miska role can stay healthy this time around.

 

[the_fan]

I think Avs will go another year with Grubauer and Francouz. If they have another injury prone season, probably both or at least one of them will be gone

 

[xbestboybandever]

I think Avs will go another year with Grubauer and Francouz. If they have another injury prone season, probably both or at least one of them will be gone

I just feel like this team would have made it through had they not had to trot out a 3rd string goalie. Durability and consistency have been issues with Grubauer and I think that this is the year to get a solid upgrade for virtually nothing.

 

[the_fan]

I just feel like this team would have made it through had they not had to trot out a 3rd string goalie. Durability and consistency have been issues with Grubauer and I think that this is the year to get a solid upgrade for virtually nothing.

I agree, but I just think Sakic is gonna look at it as it was bad luck and go another year with the same tandem.

 

[xbestboybandever]

I agree, but I just think Sakic is gonna look at it as it was bad luck and go another year with the same tandem.

I wouldn't be upset if he did, but I really hope he moves out Francouz for a higher quality option.

 

[the_fan]

I wouldn't be upset if he did, but I really hope he moves out Francouz for a higher quality option.

We learned that Francouz was playing injured, how differently things would have gone if he was healthy, and how bad is his injury, the risk of coming back? Also EJ is injury prone as well. Sakic has some decisions to make

 

[xbestboybandever]

We learned that Francouz was playing injured, how differently things would have gone if he was healthy, and how bad is his injury, the risk of coming back? Also EJ is injury prone as well. Sakic has some decisions to make

I think that Grubauer's injury history is more concerning than Francouz, however, I think Grubauer is the better goalie and would stay healthy with a reduced workload.

I mean, Markstrom would be an upgrade and could be had for free.

 

[the_fan]

I think that Grubauer's injury history is more concerning than Francouz, however, I think Grubauer is the better goalie and would stay healthy with a reduced workload.

I mean, Markstrom would be an upgrade and could be had for free.

Yeah, like I said I'd like Sakic to upgrade goaltending and defense. We'll see what he does. Im thinking he might do something on D, and if Grubauer's injury is serious enough to miss the start of the next season, he should definitely get a goalie

 

[xbestboybandever]

Yeah, like I said I'd like Sakic to upgrade goaltending and defense. We'll see what he does. Im thinking he might do something on D, and if Grubauer's injury is serious enough to miss the start of the next season, he should definitely get a goalie

I liked the MAF-Cousins for Francouz-Nichushkin idea from the main board.

I would also love to see if Bennett or Hanifin could be pried out of Calgary.

 

[Pierce Hawthorne]

I think that Grubauer's injury history is more concerning than Francouz, however, I think Grubauer is the better goalie and would stay healthy with a reduced workload.

I mean, Markstrom would be an upgrade and could be had for free.

"Could be had for free"


Right, just at the expense of basically all of the cap space we currently have to upgrade the team in more pressing areas. Not to mention, there's not a chance in hell Markstrom comes here to be the backup or even 1B option to Grubauer. Why would he do that when somebody will easily sign him to be the starter elsewhere.


Francouz last year was pretty much the best backup in the league(Khudobin maybe the only one better), we wont get a better guy to play behind Gruby. The only real option is to move Gruby for an upgrade, and as I have already pointed out in another thread, there's not much available in that regard either and if we want it we're gonna have to pay a tonne to get it.

 

[the_fan]

Yeah, if you're getting Markstrom, Grubauer needs to go

 

[Balthazar]

I'd be more willing to overlook the fact that he got injured three separate times this season and postseason if he were a bona fide starter or near-elite goaltender. He's not. He's been a fairly good starter for the Avs, but just hasn't solidified the spot against either Varlamov a year ago or Francouz now.

That's extremely accurate, thank you. He's a good goaltender who never really got over the hump of establishing himself as a solid #1 in the NHL. He's also on an expiring contract.

We absolutely don't have to stick with him, especially not when the market for a new goalie is this hot.