Keetley Named Player of the Week

[SparkyOne]

Originally Posted by Tilley

I do think it will take time for Irving to adjust to pro hockey.

The game in Des Moines was a terrible effort from the whole team. Irving got no help from an ECHL defense. I didn't see the game vs. Rochester but it was Palin's, Eriksson's, and Pelech's first game back.

Irving does have a long way to go. He was beaten by relatively easy shots in the Des Moines game. I'm not concerned with his performances yet as the first couple of games McElhinney played in Omaha were quite the adventure as well.

The game in Rochester was not pretty....but our "new" defense didn't play that badly, either. They held Rochester through the first and halfway through the second. DVG scored....and about a minute later, the Amerks answered. 20 seconds after that, Rochester scored again. Then three in the 3rd, all about 5 minutes apart. And all five were backhands, two through his five-hole. At least three of those goals were easy shots, much like in Des Moines. I think he's easy for experienced guys to figure out.

I also think he's rattled and, at this point, lacks confidence. I also question how much confidence the guys playing in front of him have in Irving. It's a two-way street, but I saw a totally different game in front of Keets than I did in front on Irving. Toss in that McGill was unhappy with Irving's performance in Rochester, and just about anything could happen. I think once Lalande is healed and back, Irving will be headed for a stint in Vegas....

[SparkyOne]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

I can't speak to the specific motivations of Curtis McElhinney, only lay out a possible reason.

Nonetheless, Matt Keetley has a significant ways to go to reach the level of Curtis McElhinney.

Amen! As I've found myself typing so many times this week, we're only 8 games in!! And, though Keetley had an outstanding week, he's still just a .500 goaltender at this point. So he's lost as many as he's won.

Having talked to both McE and Keets numerous times, and having watched nearly every game both played in, even Keetley would agree that he's not at McElhinney's level yet. BTW...they're best friends.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Originally Posted by Pauly

Wow Reg...someone's a little bitter/snappy tonight I see. I never once wrote McElhinney off.

No, what's happened is that you've been pwned. Curtis McElhinney has left an impressive body of work in the AHL (including a stellar rookie and sophomore seasons). It's a bit of a shame the time and money invested may not have a longer term payoff.

Should McElhinney cobble together a string of good games at the NHL this season (which he's perfectly capable of doing), no doubt there'll be the usual chorus of whining that Sutter didn't lock him up longer.

All this irrespective of how others in the system develop.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by Reggie Dunlop

No, what's happened is that you've been pwned. Curtis McElhinney has left an impressive body of work in the AHL (including a stellar rookie and sophomore seasons). It's a bit of a shame the time and money invested may not have a longer term payoff.

Should McElhinney cobble together a string of good games at the NHL this season (which he's perfectly capable of doing), no doubt there'll be the usual chorus of whining that Sutter didn't lock him up longer.

All this irrespective of how others in the system develop.

If McElinney does cobble together a string of good games, it doesn't mean he's going to sign elsewhere. If he's assured he's going to be treated fairly and get the starts he earns, he should be happy in his home town. He's got a couple of years before he should be looking for a starters job.

I think he turned down the long contract so he could put pressure on himself this season to produce.

I'd like to see him get a start pretty damn soon though or he'll be rusty and they can't send him down for some work.

[sinceAtlanta]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

I think he turned down the long contract so he could put pressure on himself this season to produce.

...sorry, but that doesn't make much sense.

...if ever McElhinney does think along the lines mentioned further above, well he's definitely special and in the minority.

...first off: never met a "young" goalie that doesn't want to be a starter...goalies need to play, and unless there are unforeseen circumstances (like: an injury or a dramatic decline of the No. 1 guy, he won't see much playing time in Calgary over the next couple years)...and he'll soon have a couple other youngsters pushing behind his back.

...secondly: NHLers are businessmen, as well...they make their living playing hockey, and careers don't last forever...hence, they all look for, first, the (sometimes only) opportunity to play more and hit a bigger payday when that chance comes along, like this summer -- that's common sense...Sutter's offer was most likely of the young backup's wage variety.

[dustygoon]

Originally Posted by JiriHrdina

Irving was always going to be a guy that took a long time to get to the NHL

Curious as to why. General trend of goalies taking longer? Or something about him in particular?

He didn't do as well in 07/08 (bit injured, tired, maybe some weaker confidence) as prior years. Maybe some are a little worried or hoping for Josh Harding type numbers in the AHL right off the bat. But pro is a different game so tough to expect greatness. Lots of good goalies take time down there.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

Curious as to why. General trend of goalies taking longer? Or something about him in particular?
.

Just the trend of goalies taking longer. The Carey Prices of the world are very rare...you've just got too many examples of good young goalies being ruined completely. And even when you have young guys stick in the NHL it takes them a while to actually have some sustained success (e.g. M.A. Fleury).

[Bobblehead]

With McElhinney only on a one year contract, he still can be extended (after Jan 1 I believe, but not positive). So that gives him a chance to see what his path in Calgary might be like. He can see if he is going to get many starts, see how Kipper holds up and so on. Last year he didn't see much play then saw Sutter bring in a veteran goaltender and himself get sent down without much of a chance to show what he could do. He also sees how Keetly is playing, and knows the highly touted Irving is coming along. How long can he back up Miikka before some of the guys behind him are ready to go? So by going with a one year contract he can see what his short term chances are.

The risk is that he doesn't get offered another contract. But it does leave him flexible to try and find a better fit if he sees his window of opportunity closing in Calgary.

[Phanuthier]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

With McElhinney only on a one year contract, he still can be extended (after Jan 1 I believe, but not positive). So that gives him a chance to see what his path in Calgary might be like. He can see if he is going to get many starts, see how Kipper holds up and so on. Last year he didn't see much play then saw Sutter bring in a veteran goaltender and himself get sent down without much of a chance to show what he could do. He also sees how Keetly is playing, and knows the highly touted Irving is coming along. How long can he back up Miikka before some of the guys behind him are ready to go? So by going with a one year contract he can see what his short term chances are.

The risk is that he doesn't get offered another contract. But it does leave him flexible to try and find a better fit if he sees his window of opportunity closing in Calgary.

Yeah it will be interesting to see what kind of demand he gets. While McElhinney has quite a distinguished resume with everything besides NHL success thus far, there are alot of goalies out there that have the similar credentials. Martin Broshu, Mikka Nooranen, Nolan Schaeffer, and so on.

I for one hope he stays. Its nice to see home grown prospects and an organization's commitment to them.

[Pauly]

Originally Posted by Tilley

When do you think Sutter drafts another goalie? As it's been stated there are four good, young goaltenders in the system with three (Keetley, Irving, Lalande) being about the same age.

I would think that during 2010 Sutter drafts a goalie in the fourth or fifth rounds. Depending on the development of Keetley and/or Irving, they should be well established and may provide an indication of whether they are NHL starter material or not.

It's a nice problem to have and allows Sutter to focus on filling forward and defensive holes in the prospect base.

Great question. I'd agree there's no urgency at all. No reason to draft a goalie with a 1st or 2nd round pick in the foreseeable future. Having both Irving and Keetley has set us up nicely go-forward. I could at best see Darryl drafting a depth goalie for the sake of having someone in that age bracket, but as you state, it would be a 4th round or later type draft selection. And yeah, likely 2010 or later. I'd really like to see them draft a D-man with their 1st round pick next year, other than Reg & Dion, we could use some quality help there down the road. Hopefully Pelech can develop into a solid NHL'er, but if not we'll need some help on the blueline.