2018/19 Goaltending Options for the Flames

[Easeback]

Smith as starter and Sigalet as his backup next season.... NOT!

[Poe969]

Nothing to do with goaltending, I just wanted to say how great it is that someone made a NOT joke. Gold, pure gold.

Always makes me think "this suit is black not"

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by jayswin

I don't think they will be, besides Smith our significant injuries all came after the burial.

Not really. Monahan was shirt when they were in contention, he was just playing through it (and it showed). Chucky was hurt when they were still trying to get in. Brodie, too.

But they could have been in a much better position to get through it. This season was blown by a mediocre start, and the record right after the mandated break.

[rhino]

Maybe we sign Raanta and trade Smith back to Arizona for his final year

[Monahammer]

I think Raanta has earned a good contract. Great numbers as a starter and backup on crummy teams and decent teams alike. Consistent. Youngish. I would give him 4x3 if that would seal the deal. He gets ~50 starts and smith cleans up ~ 30. Goaltending is one of our biggest holes going forward. Hand the reigns to another Finn!

[dustygoon]

Demko looked pretty good last night. His D left him exposed near the end of the game. That mcdonald draft pick still hurts. His age is perfect to start getting into NHL games.

[madmike]

Originally Posted by dustygoon

Demko looked pretty good last night. His D left him exposed near the end of the game. That mcdonald draft pick still hurts. His age is perfect to start getting into NHL games.

The Flames have brutal luck picking goalies. It’s hard to get upset, because drafting goalies is a complete crapshoot, but you’d think they’d have some luck one of these days.

[Roof-Daddy]

I suppose it will be another year of Smith as the starter, with hopes of Rittich and/or Gillies improving next season.

Sure is disappointing that Rittich dropped the ball when Smith went down. Up to that point it had looked like the goaltending situation in Calgary had finally turned the corner and we might be alright going forward. No it's just a big fat question mark again.

The biggest opportunity I see out there for snagging a potential long term starter is with the Caps. Holtby is a Vezina quality goalie still in his prime, but is being outplayed this season by Grubauer who is a pending RFA once again. Plus they have Samsonov coming up the pipeline.

You'd think the likelihood of them moving one of their NHL goalies this off season is at an all time high. If I was them I'd keep Holtby and look to move Grubauer, but teams have recently had success going the other way and trading their veteran and giving the starter role to the younger guy, like Pittsburgh, Tampa and Anaheim for example.

Would suck to give up even more assets for yet another damn goalie, but this would likely give the Flames a long term starter in net finally as opposed to the short term moves they've made lately while trying to find an answer in goal.

Unfortunately with 36 year old Smith under contact for another year some other team will probably find their answer in net via Washington this off season, and the Flames will continue to be stuck in the perpetual goalie conundrum going forward unless miraculously one of the young guys finally steps up.

[IliketoPuck]

What about trading for Holtby? Emergence of Grubauer this year might make the Capitals willing to part with him, and I think this year is likely an anomaly for him.

[kyuss275]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

What about trading for Holtby? Emergence of Grubauer this year might make the Capitals willing to part with him, and I think this year is likely an anomaly for him.

Can flames afford to trade for Holtby if he was available? The price would be a first at the very least.

[jayswin]

We don't have the picks to compete for Holtby, so we'd be giving up a core player to get him. Are you willing to open another hole on our team when we're already struggling to fill them?

[Matty81]

I would like to see the flames sign Raanta and platoon him and Smith. Then when Smith retires/contract ends at 37 at least you have one proven nhl goalie. Reading Raanta is likely to go back to Arizona though.

[IliketoPuck]

What do the Caps really need, though? They are in win now mode, picks don't help them.

A top 4 dman and one of our top 3 goalie prospects probably gets it done.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by IliketoPuck

What do the Caps really need, though? They are in win now mode, picks don't help them.

A top 4 dman and one of our top 3 goalie prospects probably gets it done.

Very possible it does get it done and I'm not deadest against it, but personally I'm REALLY hoping we can do something about our weak forward situation with a D-man.

The idea of getting yet another goalie with our best currency is a little hard to stomach.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by Roof-Daddy

Sure is disappointing that Rittich dropped the ball when Smith went down.

Did he, though? Here are the games he played after Smith went down:

@ Boston - he was solid, not spectacular. Team was a tire fire in front of him. L
@ Nashville - While he had a gaffe, he was a huge part of this win W
vs Florida - Made some strong saves, allowed one wrister from the slot he may want back, Panthers scored on a partial breakaway and two perfect netfront tips. Hot team beat him but he was solid L
vs Boston - easily the best player on the ice, bar none. Made excellent saves all night and arguably the best goaltending performance we have had all year OTL
@ Vegas - awful game from Rittich, awesome finish from Vegas L
@Colorado - he was the only Flame who showed up. Team pissed the game away with penalties and odd man rushes against. Rittich kept them in it as long as he could.L
@ Buffalo - did his job. W
@ Ottawa - did his job for a period, and then stood on his head for the next two as the team fell apart. W


IMO, the team played just awful hockey after the mandatory break with the exception of (@Nashville, @Vegas, @Arizona, @Pittsburgh, @Buffalo, period 1 @Ottawa, and NYI@CGY).

We can put the Vegas loss on Rittich and the Pittsburgh overtime loss on Gillies. Likewise we can put a loss like Tampa @ Calgary on pre-Injury Mike Smith. Goalies will lose you games sometimes.

But no, I don't think Rittich dropped the ball after Smith went down. The numbers might suggest it, but my eyes don't. The team didn't have it and goaltending was the easy scapegoat. Only Gillies made me nervous.

[Poe969]

If they could get grubeaur they should. Try and work out a deal for him and a forward if possible, if not just him. Give up one of the goalie prospects and something else like Ferland. A tandem of gru and Smith would be great next year and adds stability for the future.

[Jiri Hrdina]

A few interesting free agent options that could fit as a 1b.
Cam Ward
Jon Bernier
Carter Hutton

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

A few interesting free agent options that could fit as a 1b.
Cam Ward
Jon Bernier
Carter Hutton

Does Ward make sense when you already have a 35 year old guy in Smith? Smith is back next season so bringing in a guy like Bernier pretty well means they are going to move on from Rittich. Gillies I believe is waiver exempt next season so they could move a goaltender out instead of bring any new ones in.

[dammage79]

Anders Nilsson or Joonas Korpisalo. Allow the two goalies Rittich and Gillies to marinate on the farm a little longer.

[Finger Cookin]

Originally Posted by JonDuke

***IF*** it's decided that one of Gilles/Rittich/Smith will be replaced...

I'd like to explore Oscar Dansk.
24 years old. Pretty sure he's unrestricted this summer. (lemme know if I'm wrong there)

Dansk is an RFA when his current contract expires.