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Wings Feel Depth At The Goalie Position Is Key
by Paul on 07/18/09 at 07:48 PM ET
Comments (9)
from Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News,
Despite Ty Conklin’s departure in free agency, the Wings have a slew of talented young goaltenders.
Jimmy Howard, Thomas McCollum and Daniel Larsson are high-round draft picks with seemingly bright futures.
“We like the depth,” said Jim Nill, the Wings’ assistant general manager. “They’ve done a good job of progressing, getting better. They just need experience.”
With Conklin gone, Howard will back up Osgood. Howard has four years of development in Grand Rapids.
McCollum and Larsson will split time with the Griffins, with former Notre Dame goalie Jordan Pearce, an undrafted free agent, likely to be placed in a lower-level minor league.
Here’s how the Wings’ goaltending stacks up, nearly two months before trianing camp begins:
Filed in: NHL Teams, Detroit Red Wings | KK Hockey | Permalink
Comments
Critic: “Your stanley-cup winning goaltender is old and unreliable during long stretches of the season, and you don’t have another that has won more than 10 NHL games”
Holland: “Oh no you misunderstand” *Jedi Mind Trick* “We actually have depth, my friend”
Critic: *Writes article about depth*
Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 07/19/09 at 08:18 AM ET
Jedi Mind Trick
Obi-Ken Hollandobi?
They do have depth organizationally - how much of it becomes proven NHL depth is an open question, but there is only one way to find out. Better than throwing money at a potential one-year-wonder and then having him stink for the next five years. Or turn out to have a bad hip or two.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/19/09 at 08:38 AM ET
Good grief.
WE WILL NEVER HAVE A GOALIE PROSPECT DEVELOP IF WE DON’T EVER ACTUALLY LET THEM PLAY
sheesh….Wings Fans….
I for one, will root for Howard to…you know…actually succeed, until proven wrong.
Posted by moocat on 07/19/09 at 10:42 AM ET
Maybe bring Legace, Biron or fernandez type goalie
Well first, we can’t afford Biron or Fernandez. We still need to fill out our roster.
Secondly, why on earth would we pay $5M for Biron to split duties? The guy’s never done anything, and we’re going to pay him over 3x what we pay the guy who TOOK US TO THE SEVENTH GAME OF THE STANLEY CUP?!?
And Legace? Give me a friggin break. He’s a guy who was given a chance, played well and lost ONE playoff series and told the media he wanted to kill himself. Yeah, that’s the kind of guy you want backstopping your team, a guy who’s going to fit the noose around his neck when he lets in a goal.
We’re screwed.
Yeah, all we have left is the “old and unreliable” guy who took us to the seventh game of the SCF and a handful of solid prospects.
God, sometimes I just wish there was a way to slap people in the face over the internet.
Posted by Garth on 07/19/09 at 11:42 AM ET
WE WILL NEVER HAVE A GOALIE PROSPECT DEVELOP IF WE DON’T EVER ACTUALLY LET THEM PLAY
That’s just what I said - there is no way to tell how good anyone is until he gets a chance. Until Howard gets a real chance to play well, have games where he is bombarded by shots, has dreadful games that he has to bounce back from, there is no way to tell what he is like - it he is going to be incredibly good, incredibly bad, or incredibly mediocre.
Give him a chance to see what he can do in more than one game every three months. Goodness knows he deserves the chance - and he just might surprise all the doubters.
Posted by Baroque from Michigan on 07/19/09 at 02:17 PM ET
Give him a chance to see what he can do in more than one game every three months.
You’re absolutely right. How do you judge Howard on 9 games stretched over, what, 3 years? Come on!
Posted by Garth on 07/19/09 at 03:12 PM ET
played well and lost ONE playoff series and told the media he wanted to kill himself. Yeah, that’s the kind of guy you want backstopping your team
I dunno… sounds like the kind of guy I want as the last line of defense on my team.
But no, no Legace, for sure.
I’m hoping Howard, as well. Maybe with a few Griffs in front of him he will feel a little more confident in the winged wheel.
Posted by MarkK from Maryland on 07/20/09 at 06:57 AM ET
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there are still some quality tenders out there, with hossa and hudler gone they have enough room to sign a decent goalie. Maybe bring Legace, Biron or fernandez type goalie just to make sure if ozzie gets injured for extended period of time they wont have to rely on howard or any other undeveloped prospect. Just incase. But if they believe howard is ready to take in the backup role than they should bloster other position.
Posted by Oilers Rock from Edmonton, Alberta on 07/19/09 at 01:30 AM ET