I think Haider is next man up after Askarov. We did sign Grigals for the rest of the season which puts him under our control as a RFA afterwards so we can extend him as well. After that, we really dont have much of anything. Jatkola's numbers in the Liiga arent great.
Granted I haven't watched them play but both Grigals and Haiders numbers don't jump out as me as guys I see as much more than an AHL level backup. I think the other issue with building a goalie pipeline beyond the draft picks is just that there isn't a lot of opportunity for ice time. For instance, I think it was a great idea to bring back Groesnick as a veteran presence to back up Askarov but that also makes it such that your next best prospect has to play in the ECHL.
Grigals had a pretty successful NCAA run so id give him a shot as an AHL goalie. It might get rough though and you are gonna need a veteran in there as a AHL backup. Would definitely keep Grosenick around if he is still up for it.
The .900 save percentage in the ECHL this year is pretty brutal though. Granted it seems like the Gladiators are just terrible as a whole.
Bad team defense can do alot. Wasnt long ago saros was sporting a sub .900 sv% as well.
For sure and I haven't watched them play so who knows. Still not a great sign to have a below average save percentage in a not great league though.
The main differentiator to me, just stats-watching, is that his numbers are basically about the same as all the other scrubs there on Atlanta who aren't on anybody's NHL radar. Grigals turns 26 this summer. They signed him recently for the rest of this season so that they have a goalie under contract in the event that injuries stack up, but I think it's fair to say he hasn't even shown himself to be a strong AHL candidate, let alone an NHL prospect.
I think Trotz was seriously considering moving Saros prior to this hot streak, but I have a really hard time seeing him trading his starting goalie from a playoff team without a clear replacement.
Looking at stats, Askarov has not been that good ever since the win streak ended.
nashvillehockeynow.com
Here's how this will play out. Ol' "shit or get off the pot" Tommy will make a lowball offer ("it's the off-season, there are more goalies and prices should be cheaper"), balk at the asking price, get the same results with Markstrom and Ullmark, then decide Jake Allen can be the #1 because "Vegas won a Cup with Adin Hill."Devils Reportedly Plan To Make A Run At Juuse Saros In The Offseason
When Nashville Predators general manager Barry Trotz began taking trade calls about star goaltender Juuse Saros, his team was a good six points back in the wild-card race and looking at the prospect of being a seller at the trade deadline. Then, the Predators went on an unexpected run, and...
100% agree with this. I will be monitoring closely the rest of the season.
My guess is he doesn't pony up for Saros (or we're no longer willing to trade Saros) but he turns around gives up a much too large package for Markstrom. Then it'll depend how well Markstrom plays on whether he keeps his job or not but that isn't something I'd personally want to bet my job on.
