GoaliePost is getting ready for the 2008-2009 season.
I'm working on a major site renovation, so most regular content is missing or not working.
Have a good off-season and congratulations to the Detroit Red Wings.
Off Season Goalie News
Carolina Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward has begun working out at the RecZone. "It's exciting to be back in the locker room and see the guys getting back into town and just getting back into the swing of things." Ward said.
New News-Observer beat reporter Chip Alexander asked Cam Ward a few questions, check it out.
News ObserverBrandon Felder compares Dan Ellis' numbers to other active NHL goalies. It is a pretty good statistical comparison, however still speculation.
Will Ellis endup like Chris Mason and give way to Pekka Rinne? It's hard to say. Ellis will need to stay on top of his game aswell as battle his weight loss issues.
Hockey Buzz
Erin Chenderlin had an interview with newly acquired Bolt goalie Olaf Kolzig. It has "Olie's thoughts on coming to a new team, his charitable work with autism, and why fans gave him the nickname Godzilla."
I always enjoy hearing about the charitable foundations NHL players are involved in.
Lighting.nhl.comTarik El-Bashir over at the Washington Post caught up with Brent Johnson during this off-season. Johnson basically said he's looking forward to a "healthy competition" between him and newly acquired Jose Theodore.
The reality is Johnson posted some good numbers last season when Kolzig was out. His opportunity will come with one of Theodore's slumps or injuries. If Johnson is at his best he'll show he's not a career backup.
Johnson's pitfall is the amount of Theodore's contract - $4.5-million is a lot of money to be sitting on the bench. It'll up to Bruce Boudreau whether Theodore plays through the slumps or needs time to regroup.
Washtington PostMy Swedish translation is poor but it appears Johan Holmqvist has signed to play with Swedish club Frolunda HC. The deal looks to be two years in length.
EDIT: Here are a few translations.
Preds Sign Pick Chet Pickard
The Nashville Predators have signed the 2008 18th overall pick Chet Pickard to an entry level contract. Pickard will be in Nashville for training camp with new #1 goalie Dan Ellis and Pekka Rinne. Pickard is only 18 so don't expect him to make any major league starts.
Predators.nhl.comOn July 8th Curtis Sanford signed a one-year deal worth $650,000. GM Mike Gillis wants Luongo's workload to be 60-65 games this season.
Vancouver ProvinceLeclaire's contract is worth $11.4-million: $3-million in 2008-2009, $3.6-million in 2009-10, and $4.8-million in 2010-11.
The Blue Jackets have locked him up after his best NHL season yet. Leclaire came in second for most shutouts with nine and a winning record of 24-17-6.
Sportsnet.caThe Nashville Predators signed a one year extension with Pekka Rinne. The extension is worth $725,000 and will keep him under contract through the 2009-10 season.
TSN.caThe Anaheim Ducks have signed a two-year contract extension for current head coach Randy Carlyle. This means Carlyle will be behind the bench through the 2010-2011 season.
This is trouble if you have Jean-Sebastien Giguere or Jonas Hiller on your fantasy team as Carlyle never notes his starting goalies. The only times Carlyle will tell his starter is when one of his goalies are injured or coming back from injury. Every night is a guessing game trying to figure out a rotation or strategy. He gives me such a headache.
Ducks BlogBack goaltender Kevin Weekes had successful surgery on his left arm. "It was nothing serious," General Manager Lou Lamoriello said. "He didn't have to have the surgery, but he wanted to get it cleaned up." Weekes will be ready for training camp.
Tom Gulitti goes on to explain what the surgery was for "Weekes was struck with a shot in the arm during the season and the bruise apparently developed into something else -- possibly a calcium deposit."
Devils BlogJimmy Howard Locked-Up For Three-years
The Detroit Red Wings have signed backup goalie Jimmy Howard to a three-year contract. Although all financial terms were not disclosed Howard will earn $600,000 in 2008-2009.
Howard and Conklin are expected to battle for the backup role to Chris Osgood after Dominik Hasek retired earlier this summer. Howard was the Detroit Red Wings first pick in 2003.
Sportsline.comCorey Crawford Signs With Chicago
Corey Crawford and the Chicago Blackhawks have agreed to a one-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Crawford played five games for Chicago last season going 1-2 with a 2.14 GAA and .929 SV%. Newly acquired Cristobal Huet and Nikolai Khabibulin are expected to push Chicago into the playoffs, while Crawford and Antti Niemi will man the minors.
Ryan Miller and the Buffalo Sabres have agreed on a 5-year contract extension worth $31.25-million. Miller will earn $3.5-million this year, however he'll get $6.25 each year through 2013-14.
Buffalo NewsLehtonen Signs with Thrashers
Atlanta has signed Kari Lehtonen to a one-year deal. The terms are vague at best but reported to be worth $3-million.
Sportsnet.caMike Smith's two-year extension is worth $4.4-million dollars ($2-million in 2009-2010 and $2.4-million for 2010-2011). This season Smith will earn $950,000 in the last year of a two-year contract he signed with the Dallas Stars.
Erik Erlendsson lays out the goalie situation in TB "The plan entering training camp is to have Smith grab hold of the No. 1 job with Kolzig serving in a backup/mentoring role while offering a safety net in case Smith falters in his first opportunity at being a No. 1 goaltender."
The Lightning are really going for the gusto this season.
Tampa TribuneScott Clemmensen signed with the New Jersey Devils for the second time. This time around Clemmensen won't be sitting on the bench behind Brodeur though - "He's going to be a tutor for (Jeff) Frazee in Lowell (AHL)," General Manager Lou Lamoriello said.
The contract is a one-year, two-way contract, so he could see time in the NHL if a backup is needed. Clemmensen played four season with the Devils, but only appeared in 25 games and only started 17 of those. Kevin Weekes will most certainly backup Brodeur in 2008-2009.
Fire & IceGood news for owners of Columbus Blue Jacket goalies as Hitchcock had no problem revealing his starter last season. Although Leclaire was the no. 1 goalie, Norrena was given his fair share of games. Unless something drastic changes you'll know which Columbus goalie is starting on any given night.
Noting his starting goalies early shows the confidence level Hitchcock has in his goalies. Some NHL coaches, mostly former, try to push goalies with 'perform or bench-warm', which is why they are former. Goalies are a teams pivot and sometimes need a little pat on the back.
Columbus DispatchKolzig on Lighting and Capitals
(Washington Post) Some dialog from Kolzig on leaving Washington and playing for a new team. Kolzig sounds pumped and eager to play; could make for a good goaltending competition in Tampa this season.
Capitals InsiderCastaway Ray Emery to Play in Russia
Emery's agent J.P. Barry noted "The reality is that since Ray's buyout (by the Senators) there hasn't been a lot of interest, it doesn't seem like someone (in the NHL) wants to give him a second chance right now."
Actually the reality is the little interest you had was for a measly amount of money and a backup goalie position. Patrick Lalime is highly regarded as a team player and was sought after by a few teams, Ottawa included. Emery will need a very good season in Russia and will also need to impress the scouts with his temper management and work ethic.
Emery's contract is for one-year around US$2 million with Atlant Mytishchi of the new Continental Hockey League (Russian Hockey League).
Sportsnet.caDavid LeNeveu fell into Gretzky's bad books during the 2006-2007 season and pretty much ended his time with the Phoenix Coyotes. Last season LeNeveu was 17-10-5 in 34 appearances with San Antonio and Hartford of the AHL. He really hasn't been given a fair shot at the NHL considering the Coyotes were that bad from 2005-2007.
Yahoo! SportsCanadiens Sign Halak 2-year Deal
Jaroslav Halak will earn $750,000 this season and $800,000 in 2009-10 for a total of $1.55 million. Halak is 23 and went 2-1-1 in six games for the Canadiens last season.
He's the likely backup for Montreal, however at his age they may want him to play more in Hamilton (AHL) and have Marc Denis as the official Canadiens backup goalie.
Sportsnet.ca
Barry Brust appeared in 11 NHL games last season going 2-4-1, 3.70 GAA, .878 save percentage with LA. Yes the number look bad, but so did the Los Angeles Kings. The contract is a multi-year deal, however limited information has been released.
Wild.comMarc Denis signed a one-year, two-way deal with the Montreal Canadiens a month after being bought out by Tampa bay. He'll likely be No. 3 and end up playing in the minors, however is good insurance if either Price or Halak breakdown. Denis will also provide some veteran experience to the young goaltending duo. Financial terms were undisclosed.
Yahoo! SportsPittsburgh has locked-up the 2003 #1 pick for the next seven years. The deal is worth $35-million over seven years (that's $5-million per season). The contract will also trigger a no-move and limited no-trade clause in 2010-2011 season.
Goalie prime is usually mid-to-late 20's so Fleury at 23 is considered young. He really took off after missing 27 games with a high ankle sprain - the rest did him well. The pressure on the Pens next season will be huge as they are already expected to reappear in the Stanley Cup Finals.
TSN.caMinor League Goalie Signings
Al Montoya - Phoenix Coyotes (undisclosed)
Yann Danis - NY Islanders (one-year, two-way)
Drew MacIntyre - Nashville Predators (one-year, two-way)
Curtis McElhinney - Calgary Flames (undisclosed)
Daniel Manzato - Carolina Hurricanes ($75,000)
Jhonas Enroth - Buffalo Sabres (three-year entry deal)
Cedrick Dejardins - Montreal Canadiens (two-year deal)
Patrick Lalime signed a two-year $2-million dollar contract with the Buffalo Sabres after a pretty good season with Chicago. The Ottawa Senators were also interested in Lalime, however they opted for Alex Auld.
Lalime is a nine season NHL veteran with a winning record of 191-148-32-11 and 35 shutouts. Part of the talks were that Lalime would have his fair share of playing time, so expect Miller to start much less than the 75 games he did last season.
Jocelyn Thibault will not return and the Sabres have begun talks with Ryan Miller on a long-term deal that will avoid the free agent mess next off-season.
CBC.caHuet Signs Four-year Deal with Chicago
Huet signed a four-year contract worth $5.635-million annually after Washington was unable to come to terms. Rumor has it Washington offered three-year $15-million.
Patrick Lalime is off to Buffalo, Cory Crawford is capable, and Nikolai Khabibulin has one year left at $6.75-million this season.
This looks like a good move by Talon, but it'll cost the Hawks this season. Just think they will have an extra $6-million next year to land another free-agent. This year Detroit did it with Hossa available and Hasek retiring. I thought Ottawa had a lot of cash tied up in goalies last year with Emery and Gerber.
Chicago Sun TimesTy Conklin Signs with Red Wings
Ty Conklin has signed a one-year $750,000 contract with the Detroit Red Wings. "Ty Conklin has the inside track, but if Jimmy Howard is the obvious #2 guy (after pre-season), we'll reassess the situation." GM Ken Holland said. "We want Jimmy Howard to play some games ... we're going to let them fight it out in training camp."
Conklin signed a one-way contract and would have to clear waiver if sent to the minors, while Howard has one more season without needing to clearing waivers.
Booth NewsOttawa Signs Backup Alex Auld
Alex Auld and the Ottawa Senators have agreed on a $2-million two-year contract. "We like his character, we like his ability," Murray said. "We know that, if he gets called upon to go in net, he can do that."
This will be Auld's fifth team (previously - Vancouver, Florida, Boston, Phoenix) since being drafted and is looking to compete with Gerber for the #1 spot. "I feel like I'm capable of being a number one goalie, and I feel Martin Gerber is capable of being a number one goalie." Auld said.
Ottawa CitizenRaycroft Signs with Avalanche
Andrew Raycroft signed a one-year $800,000 contract with the Colorado Avalanche. Raycroft was a free-agent after the Maple Leafs bought out the remaining year of this contract.
This looks like a good cheap gamble for Colorado. Raycroft will have to battle his own mental stability and get back his confidence as Boston walked away from him, Toronto bought him out, and he's earning around 1/3 of his old salary. Raycroft is probably thanking is lucky stars he's playing after a contract holdout with Boston in 2005.
Denver PostKolzig Headed to Tampa Bay
Olaf Kolzig, who made it clear he wasn't staying in Washington, signed a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning. The deal is worth $1.5-million, however has incentives that could add another million.
Kolzig has had a very good and long injury-free career, however at 38 he is getting up there in age. Last season he injured his knee (medial collateral ligament) and missed almost an entire month, the longest injury he's ever had.
Anything can happen in TB this season from a slated rotation, long term injury, or pure competition with the better goalie playing. Don't forget the highly touted Karri Ramo is still in the mix as well. It would be wise to avoid drafting high with this situation in Tampa.
St. Petersburg TimesTheodore Signs with Capitals
Jose Theodore enjoyed a bounce-back season with Colorado after losing his starting role the year before to Peter Budaj. The two-year deal is worth around $9-million, a lot for a goalie with history of slumping.
Cristobal Huet, who Washington couldn't reach an agreement with, signed a four-year $22.5-million deal with the Chicago Blackhawks. Former longtime Capitals goalie Olaf Kolzig signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay for $1.5-million.
Washington TimesJoseph Returns to Maple Leafs
Curtis Joseph and the Maple Leafs have signed a one-year deal worth $700,000. After Phoenix didn't resign Joseph he sat out most of last season until going 3-2-0 in nine games with Calgary.
With this signing the Leafs bring back a goalie that shouldn't hang heads when called upon to guard the net. Joseph admits he likely would have retired if he didn't sign with the Leafs.
Sporting NewsStephen Valiquette went 5-3-3 last season which was good enough to earn him another contract with the Rangers. Valiquette had consecutive shutouts in games against Philadelphia on January 31st and February 9th last season.
Financial and other terms were not disclosed.
rangers.nhl.comWhich goalie signed where?
Curtis Joseph (Toronto Maple Leafs), Jose Theodore (Washington Capitals), Andrew Raycroft (Colorado Avalanche), Alex Auld (Ottawa Senators), Ty Conklin (Detroit Red Wings), Cristobal Huet (Chicago Blackhawks), Olaf Kolzig (Tampa Bay Lightning), Patrick Lalime (Buffalo Sabres).
Full details to follow tomorrow.
Raycroft's time in a Maple Leaf jersey is over. The only thing left is the official paperwork as he cleared unconditional waivers Friday. Raycroft went 2-9-5 under head coach Maurice who regularly noted he had zero confidence in his goalie.
The season before Raycroft earned 37 wins with pretty much the same team in front of him. That's more wins than the beloved Felix Potvin or Curtis Joseph ever won for Toronto in a single season.
I find it unfortunate at 27 years old, usually goalie prime, that Raycroft wasn't given another opportunity under new management and a new coaching staff.
CBC.caDubielewicz Moving to Russia
Dubielewicz received a multi-year offer from the Islanders and could also have had interest after July 1st from other NHL teams such as Toronto, Vancouver, or Buffalo. Rather than playing in the minors or as a backup Wade Dubielewicz has decided to play for the new Russian Continental League.
Last summer Joey MacDonald signed a two-year contract as an unrestricted free agent with the New York Islanders and split time with Mike Morrison in Bridgeport. We're guessing he'll get the call to backup Rick Dipietro this season.
NY NewsdayUnless something is done by Tuesday it appears Jose Theodore will hit the free agent market.
Don Meehan, Theodore's agent, said "I would say we are going to July first. There's a chance we could still negotiate with (the Avalanche) after that, but right now it's looking like we're going to July first."
Peter Budaj has one-year left on his contract.
It was expected to happen as Denis was waived mid last season after falling out of the good books with Tortorella. I though he might get another chance with new head coach Barry Melrose, however that's not the case.
"Needless to say, we are all sorry things didn't work out differently for Marc with our organization." General Manager Jay Feaster said. The Bolts are on the hook for $2 million of Denis' remaining contract (one-year $3 million).
Sportsnet.caBrian Boucher Signs Additional Year
Boucher came in late last season to the San Jose Sharks. His signing was to give Nabokov a rest and allow the youngsters to continue playing in the minors. Boucher played only five games, but earned three wins. "I think they work well together (Nabokov and Boucher)," GM Doug Wilson said. "I don't think you'll see Nabber playing the same number of games as he did last year." Boucher's contract is for one-year; financial terms are around $650,000 for the season.
CBS SportslineAll but the official paperwork has Ray Emery on his way out of Ottawa. Emery cleared waivers Saturday without any takers. GM Bryan Murray noted "He cleared and we'll do it immediately... We're just going to do it", regarding the buy-out.
The Senators are on the hook for 1/3 of Emery's remaining contract which is $2.25 million in total. It really isn't that bad as the Sens only have to claim $562,500 in salary cap space in each of the next four seasons.
Ottawa CitizenI don't know Anderson's style regarding goalies, however he already has a good relationship with Ondrej Pavelec as he coached him in the minors. A lot depends on what happens regarding Kari Lehtonen Contract. Johan Hedberg has already signed for this coming season.
CBC.caEllis Signs Two-year Deal
After shipping Chris Mason off to St. Louis the Nashville Predators signed Dan Ellis as their #1 goalie. He'll earn $1.5 million this season and $2 million in 2009-10; not bad for a goalie with one great season under his belt.
Chris Mason Sent to Blues
The St. Louis Blues team president John Davidson said "We had a hole and now we don't have a hole there. When you look at our situation with Manny, who's a good goaltender, and then Toivonen playing in Finland and Bishop and Schwarz in Peoria, we had a hole, a real crater. We had to fill it and we filled it now."
The starting goalie job is Legace's to lose. "They're our goaltenders, and if Manny plays as well as he has in the past, he'll get lots of playing time."
Nashville Predators General Manager David Poile noted contract talks with Dan Ellis have made little progress lately. "If it gets to July 1st, I don't think it's realistic that Dan is coming back here," Poile said. Ellis, who lead the NHL in save percentage last season, is set to become an unrestricted free agent July 1st. Ellis earned 23 wins in his first full season in the NHL. Although he is most-likely entering his goaltending prime there are few suitors looking for unproven rookie #1 goalies; Ellis may end-up trying to break the backup role once again with another team.
Tennessean2008 Entry Draft Goaltenders
Bill Meltzer runs down the top five potential goaltenders in this years draft.
There is also the a good article about the Swedish goalie on NHL.com - Across the Pond
GM Don Waddell re-signed backup goalie Johan Hedberg for another two years. The contract will pay Hedberg around $1.15 million each season. Kari Lehtonen, who seems prone to injury, appears to be the teams starter with Ondrej Pavelec staying another year in the minors. Pavelec was 3-3 with the Thrashers last season. Lehtonen, a former 2002 first rounder, is also a restricted free agent.
AJC.comGoalie Updates: Pre-Free Agency
Hannu Toivonen, who recently accepted a contract to play in Finland, received a qualifying offer from the Blues. I'm sure the Finland contract contained clauses as the Blues own Toivonen's rights.
Curtis Sanford and the Vancouver Canucks have had zero conversations. Sanford signed a one-year contract for $600,000 last season.
San Jose signed Brian Boucher late last season. He played well, 3-1-1, and is now expected to re-signed with the Sharks.
Apparently, if an extension with the Capitals is not worked out, Cristobal Huet is interested in playing for Ottawa. This would keep him close to his former home in Montreal. With Gerber under a big contract and Emery a potential buyout, I can't see it happening.
At the end of the regular season representatives of the Professional Hockey Writers' Association vote for the All-Star Teams and All-Rookie Team. For the 2007-2008 NHL season Evgeni Nabokov, first appearance, was chosen for the first team All-Stars while Martin Brodeur, seventh appearance, settled in on the second team All-Stars. Carey Price, who took over the starting job in Montreal, made the NHL All-Rookie Team.
NHL.comJosh Harding Wins Saving Grace AwardNashville's Harding played the minimum 25 games and had the League best save percentage. The MBNA/Mastercard Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award winner is given $25,000 to donate to youth hockey or other educational program. Wikipedia
Detroit's Osgood and Hasek Win Jennings
The William M. Jennings Trophy was award to the Detroit Red Wings goaltenders for the team with the fewest goals scored against. Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek shared the trophy as they both played the minimum 25 games for their team.
Brodeur Wins Fourth Vezina TrophyMartin Brodeur won his second consecutive and fourth Vezina trophy tonight at the NHL awards ceremony. He also won back-to-back Vezina's just before the NHL lockout season in 2002-03 and 2003-04. Brodeur's record this season in 77 games was 44-27-6, 2.17 GAA, .920 SV%, and four shutouts. Evgeni Nabokov, who had a career season, came a very close second. Nabokov in 77 games was 46-21-8, 2.14 GAA, .910 SV%, and six shutouts.
TSN.caAnaheim Ducks backup goalie Jonas Hiller signed a two-year contract today that will pay him $1.3 million in each season. Jean-Sebastien Giguere has three years left on his contract so Hiller will only play when Giguere is rested or injured. Last season in 23 appearances Hiller was 10-7-1, 2.06 GAA, and .927 SV%.
Ducks BlogLeighton Earns Two-year Contract
Michael Leighton bounced around the NHL the last few years but settled in last season with the Hurricanes AHL team in Albany. He earned goalie of the year, however missed out on MVP to Jason Krog, after leading the AHL with seven shutouts and a .931 save percentage. The deal is worth $1.2 million split evenly a $600,000 each season.
Carolina placed John Grahame on waivers in January last season in the hopes he would be picked up and they could shed some of the $1.4 million contract. In May Grahame, a free agent, signed with Avangard Omsk of the Kontinental Hockey League in Russia.
Some of the NHLPA members met with equipment manufacturers in Toronto to look at goalie equipment size. Martin Brodeur noted "Hockey has changed a lot ... there will be some little changes, but I don't think anything drastic".
TSN.caLA's Head Coach Crawford Let Go
Los Angeles Kings General Manager Dean Lombardi made the firing official Tuesday. Marc Crawford had one season remaining on his contract, however his 59-84-21 losing record pretty much said it all. Crawford last coached in Vancouver for seven seasons and also in with the Avalanche where he won the Stanley Cup in 1996.
Crawford was never one to openly discuss his starting goalies on a given night however did ease up on the secrecy this past season with Jason Labarbera as the #1 goalie.
Potential Goalie Contract Buyouts
June 15-20 is the NHL's buyout period. The new NHL salary cap era is proving to be a "perform or move on" situation. Still owners are signing crazy contracts.
- Ray Emery tops the list with his expensive $6.75 million contract and distracting behaviour
- Toronto's Andrew Raycroft is an expensive backup goalie at $2.2 million. The only benefit to Raycroft is he actually has a winning record in Toronto, which is more than some of the other potential buyouts
- Back in March there was talk of Dan Cloutier parting ways with the LA Kings. Is seems inevitable considering the $3.1 million dollars left on his contract and the fact that Jason Labarbera showed he can be #1
- Dwayne Roloson, who was supplanted by Mathieu Garon, is entitled to $3 million in the upcoming season. His losing record since signing the $11 million dollar deal doesn't look good. He did perform well nearing the end of the season with Garon injured
- The Bolts waived Marc Denis last season, however there were no takers. They'll likely buy out the remaining $2.87 million of his contract
Goalies having their contract bought out become unrestricted free agents for the NHL's free-agency period starting July 1st.
What does this have to do with starting goalies?
Last season while coaching the San Jose Sharks Wilson rarely revealed his starting goalie, although Nabokov started 77 games we were kept guessing all season long. During the 2006-2007 season Wilson implemented a one game rotation between Nabokov and Toskala. For 2005-2006 Wilson played Nabokov regularly, however allowed Toskala to run during hot streaks.
Basically if you draft a Leaf goalie this coming season we don't know which coaching style you'll get. We expect Toskala to be given the reins, however Raycroft did win 37 games the season before. If one goalie happens to get hot your fantasy season could be in jeopardy. Hopefully with all the media attention in Toronto there will be hints and strong probables for every game.
Dominik Hasek Retires
This season Hasek played 41 games sharing duties with Chris Osgood. Hasek missed many games either resting or battling minor injuries. Although he was the "go-to-guy" for the playoffs he only appeared in four games versus the Predators in the first round before giving way to Osgood.
Over his career Hasek won six Vezina Trophies, consecutive Hart Trophies, and the Stanley Cup twice - the Hall of Fame awaits you.
TSN.ca