Joni Ortio or Jon Gillies?

[tvp2003]

Prediction time: Who do you think will emerge within the next 1-3 years as the eventual #1 goalie (or at least 1a)?

Our two best prospects right now are Ortio and Gillies (McDonald is still 3+ years away IMO). Ortio is 24, had a solid season in the AHL, and performed very well in limited NHL action. He'll most likely play in Calgary next year since his one-way contract kicks in and he will no longer be waiver eligible. Meanwhile, Gillies is 21, and is coming off of an NCAA Championship at Providence where he was named MVP. After three very productive seasons in college, he'll be the likely starter in Stockton next year.

Ortio has a cool demeanor, good athleticism and plays a technically sound game. After watching Kipper for so many years, Turku Goaliebot 2.0 really fits. If he can show he can consistently play at the NHL level, we could conceivably have our guy before this season is over.

On the other hand, I think Gillies has slightly better upside, although he is younger and would benefit from a year or two of pro hockey experience under his belt. He has great size and has shown he's able to perform under pressure. Not merely a "blocker" like Hiller, he should transition well to the AHL and could be pushing to play in the NHL as early as 2016/17. At the very least he should be good enough to be an NHL-level backup in a few years.

While it would be great if both guys could make the jump (would give us a solid tandem for the next 5-10 years, or perhaps some valuable trade bait), if I were to only pick one I'd say Ortio. He'll have the opportunity to step in and get some meaningful NHL action this year, and has the added maturity and experience of being an "over-ripened" prospect ready to accept that challenge. Hopefully he can take it and run with it.

[dammage79]

Both will. Gillies will get there faster.

EDIT: I should clarify. Giliies will advance through his development cycle quicker than Ortio did. Give Ortio tons of credit though, he was almost wtritten of in one development camp and went back to Finland to continue there and bounced back big time.

[Point Blank]

Ortio will get there first but Gillies will usurp him eventually I think

[dissentowner]

Who the hell knows at this stage? Hard to say.

[ForeverFlameFan]

Ortio will probably play better than Hiller, but once Gillies starts becoming an NHL regular, he'll surpass Ortio.

[Stormchaser]

I love the fact that we can have this discussion! Ortio will be with the Flames next year and Gillies will be there a year later.

[madmike]

Originally Posted by Point Blank

Ortio will get there first but Gillies will usurp him eventually I think

That's my guess as well. But who knows. Three years ago I thought Ortio was done and he's really progressed well since then.

[Sainters7]

Idk about 1-3 years, but long-term I see Gillies as our goalie of the future.

[DoubleK]

I vote for Mini-Kipper

[codynw]

Why not both?

But if I have to choose, I think Gillies will be better.

[GreenLantern2814]

My head tells me Jon Gillies is going to be the better goalie. But my heart wants a 6th round steal, hand-picked, Finnish heir to Miikka Kiprusoff's throne.

#TeamJoni

[Gaskal]

I think Joni will establish himself as the starter by the end of the season. Then Gillies can come in and form a 1a/1b combo depending on how things go.

[Savvy27]

I think Ortio will be the starter by the end of the 2015/16 season and I don't think he'll give the net up for a long time.

[LIP MAN]

My prediction is similar to this year, but a more consistent tandem. Gillies will be our starter long term, but Joni is no slouch.

[shogged]

[dying4acup]

I am with the prevailing.

Ortio tomorrow, Gillies the day after.

I almost get the feeling that this year is make or break for Joni. If he doesn't earn 40 starts he won't be qualified.

[DoubleF]

Year
1 - Ortio NHL regular, Gilles developing in AHL
2 - Ortio starter, Gilles back up? (70:30)
3 - Gilles 1A, Ortio 1B? (60:40 or 50:50 or hot hand)

Honestly, I have no idea.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by dying4acup

I am with the prevailing.

Ortio tomorrow, Gillies the day after.

I almost get the feeling that this year is make or break for Joni. If he doesn't earn 40 starts he won't be qualified.

It's way too early to give up on a young goalie because he didn't earn 40 starts. I think if he does a good job as a back up, he'll earn a decent contract. He's only 24 and a lot of goalies don't hit their stride until their late 20s.

[FlameZilla]

Joni Ortio was downright dominant in his stretch of games this season. He could be The Man this season.

My only worry with him is his consistency. He seems to be the kind of player who needs to know he has the coaches' and management's support. If he loses any confidence at all he goes through some serious meltdowns. Recently he's shown a lot to prove he may be growing out of that trait. Hopefully Hartley has clocked the issue and knows how to get the best out of Ortio.

If Ramo isn't coming back then I say hand the reins to Ortio, with Hiller as a frequently-used backup and Gillies down in Stockton to backstop the run to the Calder Cup.

I have a gut feeling Gillies is going to be The Man in a year or two. If Ortio is managed correctly then they could form a deadly 1A/1B stable of goalies.

[tvp2003]

The reason for only picking one is that NHL calibre goaltending -- especially really good goaltending -- can be tough to project at the best of times. And while there is "NHLe" for skaters, it doesn't translate to goalies.

Both guys have shown enormous potential, but neither are a guarantee to become the next Hiller/Ramo, let alone the next Kiprusoff/Quick.