The Value of Goaltenders

[MrNasty]

A few interesting facts about the final 4 teams:
1) The starting goaltender for all 4 teams was drafted in the 1st round.
2) Two of the back-ups were drafted in the 2nd round, 1 in the 3rd and 1 in the 6th.
3) 3 of the 4 teams are paying 10+ million on goaltenders
4) 3 of the goaltenders could easily win the Conn Smyth if their team won the cup.

A common thought is that teams shouldn't draft goaltenders in the 1st round because they are considered a gamble to develop or are high risk. Likewise, they typically don't get high value in trades and teams are often shy to pay big bucks for them.

This years playoffs is some vindication for the goaltenders and the teams that invested in them.

Click to read more...

 

[JT Kreider]

The Habs beating the Leafs could be a turning point for how teams across the league look to build their teams moving forward.

The Leafs were supposed to be the model franchise of the "new NHL" where it was all about speed and skill and having the least amount of money tied into your goalies since the perceived value of that position as taken a massive hit in recent years.

But nope, forget all that because they lost to a team that doesn't have a superstar forward (or plural) but instead has the most expensive goalie in the league. And the Habs two highest paid forwards (Gallagher and Anderson) are anything but players that have that pure offensive skill we keep hearing so much about.

Fleury will likely win the Vezina this season while Varlamov should have been the runner up with Vasi right there as another finalist and already at the age of 26 is one of the most decorated goalies in the league.

 

[Ainec]

Took fleury and varlamov a lot of years to figure it out

Should never draft a goalie in the first round, very slim chance that you're getting Vasilevskiy or Spencer Knight

Also Vasy is generational G

 

[River Meadow]

 

[StreetHawk]

Depends when in round 1. Top 10 no because if you are in the top 10 you have many holes. Plus your GM isn’t likely to be around when the kid develops into even a legit nhl backup.
And if you are that desperate for a goalie you screwed up in the past 5 years because you haven’t been doing a good enough job identifying and then developing a young goalie. Can’t be waiting til your goalie declines or ages out to look for a new one. Once your starter is 30 you have to take a hard look at the organization to see where your goalie prospects are. Do you have one that you feel good about? If not be prepared to prioritize that position in the draft over the next 2 drafts to get one in either round 1 or 2.

 

[JianYang]

Every stanley cup winner needs competent goaltending.

Go back as far as you can and look at the Stanley Cup winning goaltenders. I bet you won't be able to say that any of those goalies were trash in that given year.

You don't need star goatending. If you have it, it's a luxury.

But if you have sub par goaltending, you stand no chance.

 

[River Meadow]

Pens would have advanced with competent goaltending.

 

[lottster14]

Most important position IMO. Not by a huge margin, but it's the most important

 

[AvroArrow]

1C 1G the 2 most important positions in my opinion.

 

[CupsOverCash]

Pens would have advanced with competent goaltending.

Pens would have been very dangerous if they had a goalie.

 

[I am toxic]

When your goalie is dialed in, you play differently in subtle ways.

Fewer desperation attempts to block shots, more daring on rushes, stronger on the backckeck knowing that you don't need to catch the opponent, you just need to pressure them/keep them north/south no east/west and the goalie will take care of the rest.

All because you know your goalie will make the saveable save.

All game.

In contrast to playing with that D that never makes a mistake or never mishandles the puck - confidence and risk taking is equally increased, but that D is only out on the ice about 40-45% of the time.

And yeah, goalies drafted in the 1st round are probably more likely to be dialed in more consistently. Just a feeling, but my feelings are always right anyway.

 

[jetsforever]

A common thought is that teams shouldn't draft goaltenders in the 1st round because they are considered a gamble to develop or are high risk. Likewise, they typically don't get high value in trades and teams are often shy to pay big bucks for them.

The goalies would have still been drafted later if they weren't picked in the first round though
Doesn't always make sense to use the picks there since usually they don't turn out
Conversely, guys like Hellebuyck/Lundqvist/Rinne/etc. were all drafted later

 

[Sasha Orlov]

Took fleury and varlamov a lot of years to figure it out

Should never draft a goalie in the first round, very slim chance that you're getting Vasilevskiy or Spencer Knight

Also Vasy is generational G

Vasy is not even the best goalie in the league right now lmfao

 

[Ainec]

Vasy is not even the best goalie in the league right now lmfao

Easily the best

 

[c9777666]

The Habs beating the Leafs could be a turning point for how teams across the league look to build their teams moving forward.

The Leafs were supposed to be the model franchise of the "new NHL" where it was all about speed and skill and having the least amount of money tied into your goalies since the perceived value of that position as taken a massive hit in recent years.

But nope, forget all that because they lost to a team that doesn't have a superstar forward (or plural) but instead has the most expensive goalie in the league. And the Habs two highest paid forwards (Gallagher and Anderson) are anything but players that have that pure offensive skill we keep hearing so much about.

so more goalies will get Bobrovsky or Markstrom contracts?

 

[Mr Burns]

Also Vasy is generational G

LOL, Patrick Roy and Hasek were generational goalies. Vasy is a great goalie himself but certainly not in the same class for sure.

 

[Brainiac]

Most important position IMO. Not by a huge margin, but it's the most important

It's kind of paradoxal, in fact.

1 - Clearly the most important position. A goalie can win a game all by himself, much more often than any skater.

2- The difference between the top 30 goalies is not THAT high.

So having elite goaltending is a clear advantage, but not a huge one either, as you said.

 

[DearDiary]

Pens would have advanced with competent goaltending.

Pens would be facing off against Tampa if they had below average goaltending. I'd have them smacking Tampa if they also had that extra 18 mill in capspace.

This has to be one of if not the worst sequence in OT history. Passes the puck to the other team, has a mental breakdown and throws a pokecheck at a puck in a different time zone

 

[kthx]

Imagine Oilers picking Vasi #1 in 2012.

 

[boredmale]

I would argue despite Varlamov being a first rounder, Islanders acquired him as a UFA so that would be a case for picking up a goalie as a free agent more then drafting a goalie first round.

 

[Vaporwave]

Isles taking Sorokin 78th in 2014. Watch him become a star and the best goalie outside of the NHL but not sure when/if he comes over.

Letting Lehner/Greiss go (who won a Jennings together) must've been hard. Getting Varlamov - who Sorokin knew and were friends - was very shrewd. Greatly increased the chances of getting Ilya over.

Sorokin finally comes here last year and is with the Isles in the bubble on their long ECF run and got to be a part of the team and see how close knit they are. Even though he wasn't eligible to play, valuable time spent.

Varly has been a great mentor for Sorokin and helped him have a great first year. They had 10 combined shutouts and missed the Jennings by 3 goals.

Kid is a future elite.

 

[Nac Mac Feegle]

There are a lot of moving parts here.

Back in the 90s you had a ton of talented kids going into the net and playing butterfly to be like Roy, and we had a slew of really good goalies in the league. Guys who were not only good at stopping the puck, but could absorb the puck for no rebounds, or direct rebounds and had the ability to play the puck. Then things changed with different equipment, opening up the game and composite sticks and more skill overall, it suddenly became a lot harder to be a netminder and dominate. You suddenly had to be big and take up as much of the net as possible to block shots instead of really 'playing' the position. Now we're sliding back a bit and we're seeing a bit more hooking, holding and big bodies rule the day int he playoffs again....and we're seeing the corresponding "godly" (with a lot of help) goalies.

It all really depends how the league wants the game to be played. That determines how important the goalie is and what kind of goalie will be valued most.

 

[Sinistril]

The Habs beating the Leafs could be a turning point for how teams across the league look to build their teams moving forward.

The Leafs were supposed to be the model franchise of the "new NHL" where it was all about speed and skill and having the least amount of money tied into your goalies since the perceived value of that position as taken a massive hit in recent years.

But nope, forget all that because they lost to a team that doesn't have a superstar forward (or plural) but instead has the most expensive goalie in the league. And the Habs two highest paid forwards (Gallagher and Anderson) are anything but players that have that pure offensive skill we keep hearing so much about.

Fleury will likely win the Vezina this season while Varlamov should have been the runner up with Vasi right there as another finalist and already at the age of 26 is one of the most decorated goalies in the league.

Uhhh. Yeah the laffs are not the model franchise unless you're talking about extremw cap mismanagement. And Montreal isnt what other GMs want to replicate.

 

[Ainec]

LOL, Patrick Roy and Hasek were generational goalies. Vasy is a great goalie himself but certainly not in the same class for sure.

He is actually

 

[bobholly39]

A few interesting facts about the final 4 teams:
1) The starting goaltender for all 4 teams was drafted in the 1st round.
2) Two of the back-ups were drafted in the 2nd round, 1 in the 3rd and 1 in the 6th.
3) 3 of the 4 teams are paying 10+ million on goaltenders
4) 3 of the goaltenders could easily win the Conn Smyth if their team won the cup.

A common thought is that teams shouldn't draft goaltenders in the 1st round because they are considered a gamble to develop or are high risk. Likewise, they typically don't get high value in trades and teams are often shy to pay big bucks for them.

This years playoffs is some vindication for the goaltenders and the teams that invested in them.

The only goalie likely to change any narratives in this playoffs is Carey Price.

Habs are winning/may win because of Price - a team built from the goalie out.

Vasi is absolutely fantastic - but Tampa is the most stacked team in the league. He's not doing much of anything to convince anyone to "build from the goalie out". Tampa would do just as good with an average goalie. And I don't mean this to discredit Vasi, whose been great - we just all know how stacked they are.

As for Fleury....well, he has baggage. Great, but also prone to bad performances at critical times. Lost his job last year.....wouldn't be shocked to see him lose his starting position again in these very playoffs. Vegas is also stacked. It doesn't scream to me as a team "built from the goalie out".

So like I said - Price is the only one making a case here. Helle in Winnipeg would too if he was in the final 4. Gibson in Anaheim if they even qualified, maybe.

As for drafting goalies in the first round - sure. Best player available.