2018/19 Goaltending Options for the Flames

[spuzzum]

What turned out to be an incredible team strength for just under 2/3rds of the 2017/18 season, the goaltending situation for Calgary has been beyond terrible.

For next season, do we:
A. Stick with Smith & Rittich
B. Stick with Smith and go with Gillies
C. Go with Gillies & Rittich
D. Scorch Earth policy trading Smith and one of the backups for two new guys via trade or UFA?

UFA Goaltending:
http://www.spotrac.com/nhl/free-agents/goaltender/

I'm actually on the fence for this one. Cam Ward has had a pretty good season and is a proven vet. The other netminders on the UFA is certainly underwhelming. Are there any goalies available for trade?

It'll be interesting if the Flames go with the status quo given how everything transpired down the stretch.

[Toonage]

Theres a decent crop of UFA goalies this summer. I say they pick up a vet to backup Smith and move one of Rittich or Gillies to bolster another deal.

As for goalies available:

Hutton
Raanta
Bernier
Ward
Lehner (RFA but wants out so a low pick or C prospect should get his rights)

[dammage79]

Go get Joonas Korpisalo.

[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)
31st overall pick in 2012. 3rd goalie selected behind Vasilevskiy and Subban.
His only taste of the NHL came because both Fleury and Subban were injured, and he went 3-0 for the Golden Knights (1.78GAA and .946sv%)

Since being sent back down to the AHL, he's gone 10-1 for the Wolves.
The kid's doing everything he can to prove he belongs in the big league.

[Machiavelli]

Can they just properly develop one, for a change?

[GranteedEV]

Smith and Rittich. Fire sigalet to the sun.

[Willi Plett]

Originally Posted by Machiavelli

Can they just properly develop one, for a change?

Not without a goalie coach who doesn’t have a track record of goalie performance tanking under his tutelage.

[Brick]

D. Scorch Earth policy trading Smith and one of the backups for two new guys via trade or UFA

[dissentowner]

Smith and Rittich are fine, not the problem with this team at all.

[Mr.Coffee]

Scott Foster.

Give the man a call.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Smith and Rittich. Fire sigalet to the sun.

Yup, gonna have to wipe the entire coaching staff out on this one. top to bottom save maybe the video and stats guys. Because I don't think they're the issue.

[ComixZone]

I’d like to see a breakdown like this:

Smith (45gp)
Rittich (17gp)
Gillies (20gp)

Unless we can sign Antti Raanta to a 3-4 year contract, then I’d do that and roll Raanta/Smith.

[dammage79]

Originally Posted by ComixZone

I’d like to see a breakdown like this:

Smith (45gp)
Rittich (17gp)
Gillies (20gp)

Unless we can sign Antti Raanta to a 3-4 year contract, then I’d do that and roll Raanta/Smith.

I mean if you sign Raanta you're gonna have to go with more veteran option as back up IMO. Similar to how ARZ wants to work with Raanta and Kuemper.

I think Gillies is a full year away from that kind of Duty and although i have like what Rittich has done I'm not so sure he can do that kind of tandem role. I could be wrong though.

[Willi Plett]

Originally Posted by GranteedEV

Smith and Rittich. Fire sigalet to the sun.

Exactly this.

1. Smith has a long off season to heal and condition. He is a strong competitor and prepares like a pro. I would have faith in him coming to camp ready.
2. Rittich has proven he’s capable and has progressed. As importantly the coach based on this year should have faith and therefore use him sooner and more often.
3. Rittich in my mind from the interviews is also a competitor who hates losing.
4. I think Rittich has proven he can “maybe” be a backup and not much more yet. To me that means he’s worth more here than what his trade value might be. So we should keep developing.
5. Generally the overall teams/games get harder through the seasons as vets mature into the season from a conditioning, systems, and compete level. To me this means your younger players have a better chance to grow earlier in the season. Benefits Rittich.
6. My personal take is that goalies’ performance under Sigalet has mostly consistently declined. In fact it seems that at a point after being here enough games certain issues in their play crop up consistently and at a point their overall play drops right off the cliff. We need a new and preferably great goalie coach. Please call Sean Burke or some equal quality goalie coach and tell them the Brinks truck is coming over and there is guy future head office opportunities to move into in a couple years if they’re interested.

[spuzzum]

SV % up until today:
Smith .916
Rittich .904
Gillies .893

That's with the bottom falling out. Groin injury with Smith destroyed his 2nd half. Almost need to wonder if he'll return to form at his age.

Raanta is an interesting option. I'm much more impressed with Rittich over Gillies. I don't know if he'll ever develop into a No 1.

[Willi Plett]

Originally Posted by spuzzum

SV % up until today:
Smith .916
Rittich .904
Gillies .893

That's with the bottom falling out. Groin injury with Smith destroyed his 2nd half. Almost need to wonder if he'll return to form at his age.

Raanta is an interesting option. I'm much more impressed with Rittich over Gillies. I don't know if he'll ever develop into a No 1.

If a GM called asking about Gillies and had a reasonable offer I’d be listening. If he had trade value to help me get an asset I wanted I’d be offering. Not sure either of those is true but I wouldn’t hesitate. I don’t think his NHL games to date helped his value any though.

[dammage79]

On a scale of Martin Jones to Jack Campbell, i'd be interested to see where Gillies ranks.

[GranteedEV]

Originally Posted by dammage79

On a scale of Martin Jones to Jack Campbell, i'd be interested to see where Gillies ranks.

I have always thought of Gillies as being similar to Jacob Markstrom. Overrated, but not bad. Slow-developing, but not hopeless. Not a solution, but worth having in the minors.

[N-E-B]

It’s going to be Smith again. I think the plan was to play him for two years and hope one of our three young goalies emerges and takes over. I can’t see them addressing goaltending this offseason.

[madmike]

Smith and sign a good backup to go with him.

I don’t have much faith in either Rittich or Gillies. I’d let Rittich walk and give Gillies one more year in the AHL.