Quote:
Originally Posted by VilleN
Yeah I suppose you're right... It can be hard to gauge how a goalie will perform based on their AHL numbers. So much of a goalie's stats are heavily influenced by the team in front of them. Maybe giving Gillies a longer look in the NHL would have allowed him to settle in and gain confidence, hard to say... I certainly can't fault the organization...
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To an extent, yes, it can be difficult. However, one thing that seems pretty clear is that goalies who do not dominate at the AHL level over the course of at least a season also do not become NHL starters. Gillies has never done this. [EDIT] To put it another way, not all goalies who dominate the AHL become NHL starters, but all NHL starting goalies who have spent significant time in the AHL have been dominant there.
I think that Gillies was likely on track to be a very good NHL prospect with a bright future, but what really set him back was knee surgeries after his rookie pro season. He has never really been the same.