Quote:
Originally Posted by dobbles
Why even bother keeping him under contract if you aren't going to play him??? I'm not even being hyperbolic here. Dude has over 6000 minutes in the AHL where he has shown he is the best at that level. So if you send him back down, why? What is the point? What will he learn? That no matter how much he succeeds that he is not good enough to crack the tandem that had the 8th worst save percentage in the league????
You leave people in the AHL to grow and develop. To get used to playing in a mens league. To get used to the travel. To get used to the longer seasons. Wolf has learned all that and destroyed everyone while doing it.
Let's be honest here; there isn't a whole lot to be excited about for you guys these last 12 months. But you could have a franchise goalie in your midst and are too afraid to give him a try. Is he a sure shot? Of course not. But lets go ahead and hold him back because we are worried about asset management of Dan frickin Vladar??????? I really feel like I am in ####oo land listening to you guys.
And great on Wolf if he has been involved in his development. And even more on him that he would be willing to keep developing. That doesn't make it a good idea. I've said his before but think about this in any context but sports. If I was a salesperson and was breaking records every year for my districts, would you keep me from the fortune 500 clients because the 2 sales people that cover those have been mediocre at best? If you keep telling me as a salesman that I need more time to improve, I'm hitting indeed to find a new gig. The only difference here is Wolf is stuck.
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So let me get this straight, it's an embarassment we don't want to throw a very promising goaltender to the wolves? Wolf is going to get his time, we are going to work him in. We are fortunate to have the Wranglers in Calgary to allow him to start games in Calgary and without hectic travel. He should be hitting up the road games with the Wranglers and playing more home games than not. Or whatever management wants to do.
The biggest concern I have with your brilliant idea of just slotting him in as backup is the potential injury concern to Markstrom. Assuming Vladar is gone, since he is the easiest to move, let's assume Markstrom is injured. That leaves us with Wolf and Dansk as our goalies. I am not comfortable with that tandem at all. Whether Wolf is one of the best goalie prospects or not, you need some sheltering when first entering the league. How do you think Saaros became one of the best? Eased in by Rinne. Shesterkin/Lundqvist, remeber that? Let us do the same with Markstrom and Wolf, Wolf will eventually surpass him if he continues his current trajectory, and he will surpass him rather quick too. Right now we need to focus on either utilizing Vladar as the backup and a trade chip for another desperate team, because injuries do happen. Not all teams have the luxury of a top goalie prospect more than capable of playing the backup spot.