[Rumour] Calgary looking at getting a goalie

[pepper24]

We don't have much cap space and no goalie solution after this season. Big reason to worry.

[Inferno]

Steve Mason sucks too.

[ComixZone]

Originally Posted by CorsiHockeyLeague

Is Steve Mason still available? Just sign that guy for a year or two on a discounted deal, costs you no assets and likely not much money, either. At worst he's a capable backup.

17 GP, 0.906, 3.24 GAA
21 GP, 0.904, 2.92 GAA

One is Mason, one is Rittich.

Mason does not have a history of being "dependable", so I'm not sure why we would even bother bringing him in at this stage. Rittich is just as good, and there are no clear evidence that would show Mason is a better option.

Craig Anderson would make sense to me if he only had one year left...and assuming the acquisition cost would be free/nearly free from Ottawa. We're the team that originally drafted him, and it could be a good year for him. Also, maybe they'll toss in Karlsson as part of a bigger deal because you know...why not?

[Flash Walken]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

I seriously doubt it. He was born in Colorado and raised in the St. Louis area; he played minor hockey in Texas and just signed a contract that includes a partial NMC to return there.

I doubt it too, but the ticket for him is right. The flames probably aren't chasing a 6 or 7 million dollar goalie.

Sub 5 is the sweet spot.

[TheIronMaiden]

This is a nifty aritcle about aging and goalies.

https://hockey-graphs.com/2014/03/21...e-aging-curve/

Conclusion: I’m going to use the Linear aging curve going forward in my Hockey Marcels, but no matter which one you use a few points are still clear:
1. Goalies don’t improve as they get older
2. By age 30, goalie decline starts to get REALLY noticable
3. By mid-30s, even with the aging line, goalies rapidly start to fall apart.

[Strange Brew]

Maybe we should find out how good the team in front of the goalie is before going all in. There can’t be that many teams in the goalie market right now anyways.

[GreenLantern2814]

I know he'd probably never agree to come here, but if there was an offer on the table for Henrik Lundqvist, I'd also strongly consider it. Only under contract for 2 more years after this, and he's still Henrik Lundqvist - like Price, he plays on a team that's not going to be able to make use of him in the near term.

[Lanny_McDonald]

I always like the potential of Calvin Pickard. Maybe he could be shook loose for cheap?

[TheIronMaiden]

There are a few articles which suggest that goalies decline after 27. Gillies (24) and Rittich (25) would have to prove that they are NHL starters soon if the Flames are going to plan for them to be starters in the future.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

There are a few articles which suggest that goalies decline after 27. Gillies (24) and Rittich (25) would have to prove that they are NHL starters soon if the Flames are going to plan for them to be starters in the future.

That may be, but that also reinforces the view that most goalies's window is also very short. I think everyone agrees that one of Gillies or Rittich needs to take the step in the next two years, but they are both also well within range of when most NHL goalies emerge as starters.

[Strange Brew]

Originally Posted by New Era

I always like the potential of Calvin Pickard. Maybe he could be shook loose for cheap?

I imagine. Cheap as in free - he was on waivers last year IIRC.

[Macho0978]

Originally Posted by pepper24

We don't have much cap space and no goalie solution after this season. Big reason to worry.

Interesting comments. If tkachuk gets 6.5 for 8 years and hanifin gets 5 for 7 years and assuming an 84 cap I project the flames could spend around 6 on their goalies. Trade someone like stone or frolic and replace with prospects that number could be 8 to 10 mil on goalies

The key for the flames is someone taking these guys spots. Imo we already have 10 top 9 forwards and if Anderson and valimaki are ready I can see 2 high priced vets getting moved next summer to create space for a true number 1 goalie

[868904]

I was looking up goalies who might be had on the cheap who have NHL experience as a 1b and thought Michael Hutchinson might be an option, but then realized he just signed a 1 year deal with Florida, who also have Luongo and Reimer there long term.

What's going on there? And is Reimer an option for the Flames? Stone or Frolik would have to go to make it money work but Reimer seems like a decent option.

[GreenLantern2814]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

There are a few articles which suggest that goalies decline after 27. Gillies (24) and Rittich (25) would have to prove that they are NHL starters soon if the Flames are going to plan for them to be starters in the future.

Most goalies have barely figured out how to tie their skates in pro hockey by the time they're 25. The window for goalies is 2 years?

Hasek was 29 before he became a starter and the only thing that ever declined with him were his ligaments.

Kipper was 27. Arguably never declined, though if he did it was only in the last few months of his career.

Giguere's breakout year was 24. Decline began around age 32 but he was serviceable for years after.

Fleury was underwhelming until he was 23. 33 now, no decline in sight.

Quick didn't have a save % above .920 until he was 26. Nowhere near done.

Mike Smith was a tire fire until he was 29. He was an All Star last year, and his injury is why we missed.

Devan Dubnyk was nearly out of the league and saved his career at 28.

Tim Thomas was in Europe until he was 31. Won a Vezina and Cup after 35.

Ed Belfour was rookie of the year, as a 22-year old and played till he was 42.

Carey Price's most dominant season came at 27.

Martin Jones didn't become a starter until 26.

Trevor Kidd had his best year at 17.

Lundqvist has been Lundqvist his whole career. That's rare. Brodeur, Roy, these aren't normal for goalies to step right into the NHL and be Hall of Fame players.

Goalies are up and down year to year, but if you have a good one, they do not begin to decline after 27. They're not running backs.

[TheIronMaiden]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

That may be, but that also reinforces the view that most goalies's window is also very short. I think everyone agrees that one of Gillies or Rittich needs to take the step in the next two years, but they are both also well within range of when most NHL goalies emerge as starters.

This is true, averages are also a flawed tool for projecting development. All the same Gillies and Rittich are a big story for the Flames this year. I would like to see one of them take the reigns and have a solid 30+ games.

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by New Era

I always like the potential of Calvin Pickard. Maybe he could be shook loose for cheap?

Sure, but is Pickard and upgrade over what the Flames already have in-house? He is two years older than Gillies, and his last season in the AHL virtually mirrors his.

We have this tendency with our goalie prospects to look around the League and think that other similarly unproven players are somehow better. I will repeat myself: The Flames really NEED to commit to seeing the development of their goalies through; especially now. Gillies and Rittich are both on the cusp of becoming what they will be, and there is still a decent likelihood that one of them will become a quality starter in the next year or two.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Toonage

I would imagine part of the Saros appeal is the $1.5M per year for the next three years. All this talk of Price, even at half the contract, is absurd.

Umm, the absurd part of taking on Price at half price is that it would never in a million years be available, even from Montreal. If it was available you would take it in a nano second.

[Sylvanfan]

The Flames should be looking around to see if there is a goal tending upgrade to be had, and if one of the current guys they have can go out the other way.

You just want to be careful with how many assets you spend trying to find that piece. The Lightning spent a fair bit to bring in Lindback, and than Ben Bishop to man the nets until Vasilevskiy finally emerged to take over the net. They could afford those prices given that they have drafted really well. The Flames have spent pretty heavily on Elliot and Smith, so to spend again for another one might be pushing it.

[activeStick]

Treliving appears to be the kind of guy that learns from his mistakes and he likely won't let goaltending be the reason for the Flames missing the playoffs again, as long as the price isn't excessive.

Likely willing to move one of the backups and have the newcomer play equal time or slightly less than Smith.

[Huntingwhale]

You can't really assign a specific formula to goalies and their peak/decline like you can with fowards or D. To say a goalie starts to decline at 27 is ridiculous. Most are actually starting to come into their own at that age. The Flames acquired Kipper at that age. And there are plenty of examples of young goalies starting out great, then declining quite early (Toskala, Jim Carrey, Raycroft).

IMO predicting a goalie's career is like trying to predict how they will do as a prospect; it really is a crapshoot more so then any other position. Plenty of goalies play well into their late 30s (Brodeur, Roloson, Hasek). Plenty faulter. Even Jonas Hiller had a stellar first season here, then crapped out season 2. Now he's out of the league.

You just simply can't expect a goalie to follow a trajectory like you can most other players. They are all over the place, and have been throughout history.