Prospect Info: Ville Husso (2014 Draft - 94 Overall)

[carter333167]

In all 3 cases the goalies were assigned to the AHL and stayed there until management's hand was forced to call up their AHL guy. That's not speculation or conjecture. That is objectively what happened. That's the same path the Blues have taken with Husso. The difference is that we haven't seen a multi-week injury to our starter in the first half of the season. We haven't had a backup who couldn't stop a puck through November. Yet. We appear to be going that way right now. Nothing about any of the 3 situations indicates that the organizations were committed to giving them a real look until after unexpected circumstances gave them an NHL preview to base that decision on.

I'm 100% in favor of the Blues decision to bring in a veteran backup. I don't trust Allen to get 60+ starts and I don't fully trust him to get 50 at the level we need. I don't know that Johnson was the correct guy to target, but I absolutely don't want Husso up here all season, being limited to 20ish starts throughout the year and getting those starts with the pressure of needing to deliver 12+ wins to what should be a team with 100+ point aspirations. Especially at the cost of him getting 40+ starts. Husso needs starts this year. Husso may very well be capable of being a better NHL backup than Johnson right now. But backing up full time instead of getting 40+ starts is not the best thing for his development. He has never played more than 41 games in a season and without another body (like Johnson) we wouldn't have the ability to shuttle him back and forth between the NHL and AHL to pad his start totals. We didn't have another waiver-exempt goalie in the system who could shuttle up and down with Husso, so we had to sign someone to ensure that Husso got 40+ starts.

I want to see Husso given an NHL opportunity this year, but it should be in spot start situations and not as a full time backup that can't shuttle back and forth. Given Husso's current numbers in the AHL and the state of our NHL D structure through the first 10 games, we legitimately could have destroyed Husso's confidence by now if he was the full-time backup here.

I'm of the mindset that at 23 we can't simply wait for an injury like we have been for the last 2 years. This season should be the season where he is spot started in the NHL over Chad Johnson occasionally. I don't think we had to do that at 22 or 21 and that absolutely wasn't what any of the 3 teams you mentioned did until unexpected circumstances accelerated their plans. I thought that going into the year and the performance of our goaltenders through 10 games makes it easy to justify doing it this season.

If I were coach/GM, my pre-season plan would have been to split starts roughly as follows:

Allen: 45-55
Johnson: 15-25
Husso: 5-20

Injuries have prevented us from having an "flexible" roster spot to shuttle Husso up and down so far, but I would have gotten Johnson 3 starts by now to see more of what we have in him. I'd be getting Husso up here for a spot start the instant we can. But Yeo seems hell bent on starting Allen 65-70 times for some insane reason, so I think Husso avenue for starts is likely going to based on whether Johnson keeps playing like he has been (as well as Husso himself showing some good starts).

I don't like how the Blues' net is currently being handled. I want to see our 23 year old prospect in the NHL sooner than later. But I vehemently disagree that we were mishandling him last year or the year before and that any of the teams you pointed to are examples of that. We had the exact same number of goalies ahead of Husso on the depth chart as the Bolts/Preds/Pens had in front of their prospects. There was no difference in commitment until circumstances forced those teams hands and we haven't had those same circumstances.

Thanks for your thoughts.

We largely agree on how things should be handled this year, particularly regarding Husso. Regarding last year, I also am fine with how they handled it.

The main point in discussing the other three goaltenders was to cite them as examples of elite goalie prospects who can shine at an early age when given the chance and to rebut a presumption (not asserted by you) that goalies can't be NHL ready before the age of 24-25.

Coming back to this year, I really do agree with your reasoning above and am puzzled at the early usage of Allen. Yeo, though, seems to making multiple puzzling decisions now (e.g., Bo on defense) , which usually happens when one feels desperate.

Thanks again.

 

[Brian39]

Thanks for your thoughts.

We largely agree on how things should be handled this year, particularly regarding Husso. Regarding last year, I also am fine with how they handled it.

The main point in discussing the other three goaltenders was to cite them as examples of elite goalie prospects who can shine at an early age when given the chance and to rebut a presumption (not asserted by you) that goalies can't be NHL ready before the age of 24-25.

Coming back to this year, I really do agree with your reasoning above and am puzzled at the early usage of Allen. Yeo, though, seems to making multiple puzzling decisions now (e.g., Bo on defense) , which usually happens when one feels desperate.

Thanks again.

No prob, always good to get some in depth discussion about development philosophies on here.

As to Yeo, I don't really see desperation. I see a guy who is doing everything he has done throughout his career and is unable to change.

 

[carter333167]

No prob, always good to get some in depth discussion about development philosophies on here.

As to Yeo, I don't really see desperation. I see a guy who is doing everything he has done throughout his career and is unable to change.

Yep. He is giving me multiple Snickers moments a day.

 

[Ranksu]

Husso still injured?

 

[MissouriMook]

Husso still injured?

It appears so. He hasn't been in the lineup since he left the game on December 27. He started the season with a shutout in his first start and has struggled ever since. The optimist in me wants to believe that he has been hurt since very early in the season and finally couldn't continue to play hurt a few weeks ago, but we may never know for sure if he's been playing hurt or has simply struggled all season.

 

[Ranksu]

Husso has agree 1-year 2-way contract.

 

[DeuceNine]

It's awesome to hear him doing well again. Between Allen, Binnington, Copley, and Husso our goaltending future is looking bright and I expect one of Binnington or Husso to be our go to guy in a few years.

This aged well.

 

[Captain Creampuff]

This aged well.

Was always a big fan of both Binnington and Husso's game. They very positional sound and can make the occasional phenomenal save. My favorite types of goalies.

 

[Brian39]

Super happy we got a deal done. I was getting a little nervous that he was considering Europe.

It's a 2 way deal, but his AHL salary went from $70k to $150k.

 

[MissouriMook]

Super happy we got a deal done. I was getting a little nervous that he was considering Europe.

It's a 2 way deal, but his AHL salary went from $70k to $150k.

That was likely the only point of contention that caused the team to take the player to arbitration. I can't see his agent expecting more than a 1 year deal at league minimum with no NHL minutes and the season he had last year. This was all about his AHL salary and the number they agreed on seems fair.

 

[Brian39]

That was likely the only point of contention that caused the team to take the player to arbitration. I can't see his agent expecting more than a 1 year deal at league minimum with no NHL minutes and the season he had last year. This was all about his AHL salary and the number they agreed on seems fair.

Agreed. My only concern is that he was looking at a $500k+ contract in Europe and was thinking about taking it if we wouldn't offer him what would essentially be a 1 way deal. Frankly, that wouldn't have been the worst financial decision in the world for him because he is pretty far from being set for life and won't be a year from now either. Going to Europe this summer would have taken him further from a big NHL payday, but it would have gone a long way towards stabilizing his post-hockey life.

At the end of the day, this is more than most AHL goalies get after a brutal season, so his agent must have had some type of credible European offer to convince the organization to open the checkbook to a kid who had a disaster of a season and is much less a concrete part of our future plans than he was a year ago.

One of the perks of winning the Cup and bringing in obscene amounts of revenue: it's a lot easier to justify giving more than a 100% raise to a guy who has to prove himself in the AHL.

 

[David Dennison]

Agreed. My only concern is that he was looking at a $500k+ contract in Europe and was thinking about taking it if we wouldn't offer him what would essentially be a 1 way deal. Frankly, that wouldn't have been the worst financial decision in the world for him because he is pretty far from being set for life and won't be a year from now either. Going to Europe this summer would have taken him further from a big NHL payday, but it would have gone a long way towards stabilizing his post-hockey life.

At the end of the day, this is more than most AHL goalies get after a brutal season, so his agent must have had some type of credible European offer to convince the organization to open the checkbook to a kid who had a disaster of a season and is much less a concrete part of our future plans than he was a year ago.

One of the perks of winning the Cup and bringing in obscene amounts of revenue: it's a lot easier to justify giving more than a 100% raise to a guy who has to prove himself in the AHL.

I dont know about that, there is a pretty strong chance that Binnington or Allen miss some amount of time this season, he can make up the difference pretty quickly by riding the pine in STL. But you are right, there is always that opportunity players can jump overseas that they use as leverage to negotiate higher AHL salaries.

 

[Majorityof1]

I dont know about that, there is a pretty strong chance that Binnington or Allen miss some amount of time this season, he can make up the difference pretty quickly by riding the pine in STL. But you are right, there is always that opportunity players can jump overseas that they use as leverage to negotiate higher AHL salaries.

Not that quickly. If he is making $700k in the NHL and $150K in the AHL, he'd have to spend 63%+ of the season in the NHL to equate to the hypothetical $500k+ European contract. At 20% of the season, which is high barring a major injury, he only makes half of that. IF we have a major injury to a goalie, the Blues will most likely go get a veteran back-up rather than relying on a rookie, unless if happens larter in the season and Husso is killing it. We have a history of not trusting unproven goalies not named Allen if we can help it.

 

[ManyIdeas]

I am assuming/hoping he knows what the future holds in 2 years for him...

Edit: but then again things can change rapidly. I hope that at some point he becomes a complete stud, and hopefully it's for this team.

 

[tellermine]

There was a nice article of Husso few days prior contract.

Husso was Hoping to sign blues.
He thinks team really takes care of players, and told that he was with NHL team from march as they wanted to see him trough injuries.

He told that last season was exeptionaly hard and messed up.
AHL team had new lead and teams play was really bad that made goalies play ever harder.
Also having two injuries took best out of him.

Husso told that he was all ready called to get up to NHL when he injured second time. Billington was called instead.

Husso thinks he can get back to his normal and push to NHL. He wants to play good AHL season and few NHL games.
That is his minimum.

We will see.

 

[Stupendous Yappi]

There was a nice article of Husso few days prior contract.

Husso was Hoping to sign blues.
He thinks team really takes care of players, and told that he was with NHL team from march as they wanted to see him trough injuries.

He told that last season was exeptionaly hard and messed up.
AHL team had new lead and teams play was really bad that made goalies play ever harder.
Also having two injuries took best out of him.

Husso told that he was all ready called to get up to NHL when he injured second time. Billington was called instead.

Husso thinks he can get back to his normal and push to NHL. He wants to play good AHL season and few NHL games.
That is his minimum.

We will see.

Hard to blame his season on poor play from the AHL team when that was the same launching pad Binnington had. In fact Husso had the preferred chance to do what Binnington did at the start of the season.

 

[tellermine]

Hard to blame his season on poor play from the AHL team when that was the same launching pad Binnington had. In fact Husso had the preferred chance to do what Binnington did at the start of the season.

Well that was what he said. Messed up defence seemed to hurt his games alot.
From article it seemed that Blues thougt also that as they called him up not Binninton. He injured after the call.
Rest is history.

Blues have quite nice goalies for sure.

Trade coming?

 

[Brian39]

Well that was what he said. Messed up defence seemed to hurt his games alot.
From article it seemed that Blues thougt also that as they called him up not Binninton. He injured after the call.
Rest is history.

Blues have quite nice goalies for sure.

Trade coming?

I don't think that a 2 day call up with zero intention of the goalie seeing an NHL minute tells us anything about where Blues management was on Husso vs Binny a month into the season.

 

[tellermine]

I don't think that a 2 day call up with zero intention of the goalie seeing an NHL minute tells us anything about where Blues management was on Husso vs Binny a month into the season.

My bad. He talks about whole season.

He had 2 injuries and he says it felt bad to see Binnington go past him both times. He feels he had both times NHL prize coming and them BAM.

He likes Binnington etc..

Over all Husso has matured nicely, felt he was quite a diva at junior.

 

[ChicagoBullsFan]

Agreed. My only concern is that he was looking at a $500k+ contract in Europe and was thinking about taking it if we wouldn't offer him what would essentially be a 1 way deal. Frankly, that wouldn't have been the worst financial decision in the world for him because he is pretty far from being set for life and won't be a year from now either. Going to Europe this summer would have taken him further from a big NHL payday, but it would have gone a long way towards stabilizing his post-hockey life.

At the end of the day, this is more than most AHL goalies get after a brutal season, so his agent must have had some type of credible European offer to convince the organization to open the checkbook to a kid who had a disaster of a season and is much less a concrete part of our future plans than he was a year ago.

One of the perks of winning the Cup and bringing in obscene amounts of revenue: it's a lot easier to justify giving more than a 100% raise to a guy who has to prove himself in the AHL.

I won't be surprised if Husso really starts consider to go KHL / NLA / SHL
if / when he won't get fair NHL chance this season ( 2019-2020 ).

Husso could easily get some 500K or 700K contract for some playoff level KHL team.
There's nothing wrong to think the future because NHL season 2020-2021 already has lockout threat.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

I won't be surprised if Husso really starts consider to go KHL / NLA / SHL
if / when he won't get fair NHL chance this season ( 2019-2020 ).

Husso could easily get some 500K or 700K contract for some playoff level KHL team.
There's nothing wrong to think the future because NHL season 2020-2021 already has lockout threat.

Don’t see how “fair” plays into this much.

Play well and you’ll get our chance.

There are a few things exceptions, of course with Binnington most recently along with Ian Cole and Nickolai Lemtyugov.

 

[CaliforniaBlues310]

I’m sure they’ve told Husso that if he plays too well to stay in the AHL, that they’ll make a spot for him.

 

[BlueOil]

for husso, have a good season and you'll get your chance. some of that depends on binnington though. if binner has a good season, the blues will feel better about jettisoning allen and bringing up husso. if binner and allen have to split time more often, husso may have a tougher choice about what's upcoming.

 

[Brian39]

I won't be surprised if Husso really starts consider to go KHL / NLA / SHL
if / when he won't get fair NHL chance this season ( 2019-2020 ).

Husso could easily get some 500K or 700K contract for some playoff level KHL team.
There's nothing wrong to think the future because NHL season 2020-2021 already has lockout threat.

Nothing unfair about making a guy prove it in the AHL for another season after posting an .871 through 27 AHL games. It's no secret here that I have been very high on Husso for several years. But he's never handled an NHL starter's workload and last year was a disaster. Asking him to successfully be an AHL starter before coming up to the NHL is absolutely fair.

 

[David Dennison]

Don’t see how “fair” plays into this much.

Play well and you’ll get our chance.

There are a few things exceptions, of course with Binnington most recently along with Ian Cole and Nickolai Lemtyugov.

En-Bay Ishop-Bay

Lemtyugov? Really? Just because a player is Russian doesn't mean they are good or have upside.