Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike F
That's the thing about Smith that was briefly discussed recently by a few posters, but many seem not to accept:
Smith's "old play" for virtually his entire career, including in his prime, is that of an average/middling goalie. He has consistently put up ~9.14 sv%, which is usually good for ~15th amongst goalies playing significant time.
And Smith is by no means still in his prime. He is 36 and has had a string of injuries. Any goalie of that age and history can be expected to have a lower top end of play, and to take longer to recover. So, by those expectations, over the course of a season, you should expect Smith to have a harder time reaching his "peak" (~.914) and to take longer to get there.
Could he defy those trends? Possibly. But with so many of the other aspects of the team seeming to be the best in years, and the core in its prime, how long does a responsible GM roll those dice?
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I don't think there is any question that there will be a new starting goaltender in Calgary by next season at the latest. But any "responsible GM" has all sorts of things to weigh, factor, and calculate when making significant in-season changes, and he needs to take a long-term view of this.
I would say that now is absolutely too early: First of all, after only four games I doubt the team yet has a good read on their starting goalie who has been playing behind a defense that features three new players—two of which are rookies.
Second, there is nothing on the market in the second week of the season that provides a significant upgrade on the position. Any potential upgrade in goal would come in the form of a trade for a starter, but virtually all of those are either not on the table or grossly overpriced.
Third, the construction of a team is a LONG process from start to finish. Treliving is now in his fifth year as the general manager, and I would argue that this is the last remaining piece that he needs to fill. Fans are impatient, but General Managers cannot afford to be. It is very likely that the best time for Treliving to make a goaltending change is not even in the season. He should not trade for a goalie if there are no good ones available, and he should not panic and pay a premium for a goalie who is not worth the cost.