Quote:
Originally Posted by Rhett44
I love having Wolf but goalies are volatile. You can't rely on them to win a cup, and the most important position is center.
Look at Hellebuyck and Otter in the playoffs. You never know what you are going to get game by game. If you look at the majority of recent cup winners, their goalie isn't elite at all.
The primary goal is to get an elite center over the next few years.
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Here is what our AI overlord Chat GPT thinks about building around an elite goalie.
1. Florida Panthers (Late 1990s – Early 2010s with Roberto Luongo)
Elite Goalie: Roberto Luongo (acquired from NYI in 2000)
Missed Opportunity: Drafted poorly in the early 2000s (e.g., Nathan Horton, Rostislav Olesz, Keaton Ellerby)
Result: Despite Luongo's brilliance, Florida failed to build a strong core around him. They missed the playoffs in most seasons and only made it once (2000) during his tenure.
Why: Front-office instability, lack of forward depth, poor defensive core.
2. Minnesota Wild (2000s–2010s with Niklas Bäckström)
Elite Goalie: Niklas Bäckström (undrafted, signed in 2006)
Missed Opportunity: Focused on defensive systems and failed to draft or develop elite forwards consistently. (e.g., James Sheppard over Anze Kopitar)
Result: Made playoffs occasionally but never a real contender.
Why: Weak center depth for years.
3. Vancouver Canucks (Early 2000s with Dan Cloutier & then Luongo again in late 2000s)
Elite Goalie: Roberto Luongo (again)
Missed Opportunity: Though eventually successful (2011 Cup Final), early years saw high reliance on Luongo with slow growth of core players.
Debatable: They did eventually contend, but Luongo’s peak overlapped with rebuilding years.
Why: Mismanaged assets, slow build-up to the Sedin-led era.
5. Buffalo Sabres (Ryan Miller era, 2002–2014)
Elite Goalie: Ryan Miller
Missed Opportunity: Failed to surround him with consistent forward talent post-2007. Thomas Vanek was good, but not enough depth.
Result: One strong run (2006), then decline. They never reloaded properly.
Why: Traded key forwards, cap mismanagement (e.g., overpaid secondary players), no elite D core.
6. Calgary Flames (Miikka Kiprusoff era, 2003–2013)
Elite Goalie: Miikka Kiprusoff
Missed Opportunity: Too reliant on Jarome Iginla with little support; weak drafting outside top rounds.
Result: One Cup Final (2004), then mediocrity.
Why: Failed to develop depth behind Iginla; defensive core eroded.
7. Montreal Canadiens (Carey Price era, 2007–2022)
Elite Goalie: Carey Price (5th overall, 2005)
Missed Opportunity: Drafted Price instead of a top forward (Anze Kopitar was available). Later years saw poor asset use (e.g., Subban for Weber; Sergachev trade).
Result: Strong seasons but only one Cup Final appearance (2021); inconsistent offense and injuries derailed chances.
Why: Focused on defense/goaltending identity; lack of elite centers until Suzuki; inconsistent roster strategy.
Why This Happens:
Overvaluing goalies: Some teams pick goalies instead of franchise centers or defensemen (DiPietro, Price).
Cap allocation: Locking up a goalie for big money limits flexibility elsewhere.
Roster imbalance:
Investing in goaltending without a core of forwards/defense often leads to wasted prime years.
Key Takeaway
Building around an elite goalie first rarely works. The successful teams of the last 15 years mostly had elite skaters already, and the goaltender either emerged later or was plugged in. The few times it worked (e.g., Tampa, LA), the goalie wasn’t the foundational piece, but rather a complement to a loaded roster.
