Who do you WANT to be the Flames Starting Goalie Next Season [*NEW POLL 12·05·17]

[Calgary4LIfe]

The problem with bringing Elliott back is that you know what you are bringing back. An inconsistent goalie. You just can't rely on an inconsistent goalie. Maybe if they acquire another solid goaltender who hasn't been a starter but seems ready for it, but bringing back Elliott as the certified starter is just asking for another year of inconsistency.

In a perfect world, you bring in two young up and coming goalies. 2 out of Grubauer, Pickard or Raanta (though Raanta isn't that young, but he is thought of as a possible starter). You hope that one of them catches fire and rises to the challenge. You hope the other one plays well enough to be a competent backup and to be able to roll for a while when needed.

None of the available and experienced legitimate starters that are rumored to be available entice me all that much. Any of them could very well prove to be great, but all of them seem to have some holes and issues. I think I actually like Smith the most at the moment out of him, Fleury, Halak and Elliott, but only because I think he is a bit more consistent. Then again, it isn't like I follow the Coyotes all that much.

Fleury is inconsistent. Is he REALLY an upgrade over Elliott? I am not sure about that.

Halak - he has only played half or more of a season's worth of games 4 times in his career - and only once in the last 5 seasons. Can you really count on him coming in and being a legitimate starter? I would only want him as a '1b' guy (and I am 100% fine with that seeing as he is more than likely not going to cost any significant asset to acquire). He only has one more season, but is paid 4.5 million. That seems ok - until you realize that, once again, you probably don't want to acquire him HOPING he can play at least 50 games as the bona fide starter. Adding that contract to Smith's, Fleury's, etc.., is not something the Flames can afford. Maybe with Pickard (1 million), Grubauer (RFA, but can't see him asking for much north of 1 million), etc., it is workable.

Out of the young goalies, I am actually liking Pickard now. Just being a stat watcher, he posted up better numbers than Varlamov (maybe Varly got the tougher assignments? Maybe his injury affected him this season?) on the crappiest team in the league. I am surprised he got above .900 as a SV% (.904). He looked reasonably good to me whenever I see them play (which is not often) - at least it makes me think that goaltending is not the reason why Colorado is such a putrid team.

I don't want to see Gillies going back in any goalie trade either. Everyone left is a stop gap. I want Calgary to have as many damn bullets as possible in trying to find out the next guy. Yes, who knows how they will make room (Gillies, Rittich, MacDonald, Schneider, Parsons) in the AHL and ECHL, not to mention they will own the rights to McCollum next season who the Flames are likely to loan out somewhere again).

I am not even looking for spectacular goaltending. Just someone consistent. Someone that will stop what he should stop. I don't care if he can't stop every single breakaway on him this upcoming season, as long as he doesn't allow garbage goals from un-screened shots coming from low danger areas (like outside the blue line and behind the net!).

Elliott isn't that, so I hope that the Flames move on. I especially hope they move on considering the Flames will have to spend a 3rd round pick to bring back Elliott who didn't provide consistent goaltending. It is a shame, as I liked Elliott, and some part of me wants to bring him back just to hope he rebounds and shows that he is an elite goaltender, just to shut up all the critics out there. But then again, there have been a lot of goalies that are like him - runs of elite level play interspersed with outright losing games for his team.

Johnson didn't provide consistent goaltending, but as a backup he is good. Really good. Best backup the Flames have had probably since the early 90's at least. Can't think of another backup that was better than him for the Flames since the early 90's - unless you want to count Ramo, but that was a 1a/1b scenario for me.

Call me crazy, but if Ramo's knee is healed, I would include him in the '1b' scenario. I think he is better than an average backup, but not quite someone you can rely on to be a starter. Has to make sense on the contract though.

Don't spend many assets, but let's throw some more darts at the board and hope for the best here. It is almost to the point for me where I want Treliving to sign a few guys on a damn PTO and have a battle royale to earn the spot.

Every goalie available has warts - especially with regards to inconsistency. I just hope that whomever the Flames acquire just works out. Still hoping for a roll of the dice on two young guys, and you hope with those 2 plus Rittich and Gillies, that the Flames will find a capable, average, consistent starter.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

This may not be popular but I'd like to see Elliott back at minimum as a back-up.

He is inconsistent. But I think he's one of the best out of that lot. I don't think Fleury is necessarily better than him, as both can be capable of getting hot or not at the right / wrong times, and Elliott would likely be cheaper.

In the final game, when the entire city of Calgary and most people on this site were calling for Elliott's head after that extremely weak goal, I found it a bit aggressive. He let in a really soft goal, and it happened to be at a terrible time. But we saw how earlier in the season he could be really, really good too. I'm just not sure he should be given up on so easily.

Is it possible he can be more consistent?

I think so.

It was more than one bad goal it was multiple bad goals over the series

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Par

Don't want Saros after that showing.

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

Overreact much?

Yes. But even despite Par's commonplace overreaction I will be extremely surprised to see Saros moved. He does not need to be protected in the expansion draft, and looks like a good option for Nashville for when the inevitable time comes that they move on from Rinne.

[Samonadreau]

Originally Posted by Textcritic

Yes. But even despite Par's commonplace overreaction I will be extremely surprised to see Saros moved. He does not need to be protected in the expansion draft, and looks like a good option for Nashville for when the inevitable time comes that they move on from Rinne.

I agree - he isn't even on the market.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Par

Don't want Saros after that showing.

Not available. But would you say the same about Rinne?

[442scotty]

Maybe, just maybe... A young goaltender in the organization will take the reins like Treliving said in his interview ... If anyone can do it Parsons can. Maybe he's just that good. The young guns tourney and training camp will tell...

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by Fire

If you believe Friedman, Smith will cost a lot to obtain, a high draft pick and a prospect. IMO anyone complaining at all about losing a 3rd rounder in order to get a solid goalie is overreacting. A 3rd rounder has a 30% chance of playing 50+ games in the NHL. Nothing to worry about.

Friedman is the new Eklund.

[dissentowner]

Originally Posted by 442scotty

Maybe, just maybe... A young goaltender in the organization will take the reins like Treliving said in his interview ... If anyone can do it Parsons can. Maybe he's just that good. The young guns tourney and training camp will tell...

I am probably the biggest Parsons fan on here and I think we should not rush him. He is going to need some more cooking time in the A.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Fire

If you believe Friedman, Smith will cost a lot to obtain, a high draft pick and a prospect. IMO anyone complaining at all about losing a 3rd rounder in order to get a solid goalie is overreacting. A 3rd rounder has a 30% chance of playing 50+ games in the NHL. Nothing to worry about.

My worry is even though the 3rd rounder is minimal Elliott still sucks.

If the yotes move Smith itnis going to be cheap or not at all.

[AC]

Steve Mason is looking like a better option.

Free agent, probably not crazy expensive, and I saw on r/calgaryflames that since 2014 he has the 6th best ES SV%.

Sign Mason, and trade for Raanta or Grubauer?
Or trade for Fleury, and bring back Johnson?

I like both scenarios.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by AC

Steve Mason is looking like a better option.

Free agent, probably not crazy expensive, and I saw on r/calgaryflames that since 2014 he has the 6th best ES SV%.

Sign Mason, and trade for Raanta or Grubauer?
Or trade for Fleury, and bring back Johnson?

I like both scenarios.

Agreed I am okay with Mason-Raanta/Johnson. I doubt Grubauer is an option I think Vegas drafts him and holds onto him

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by AC

Steve Mason is looking like a better option.

Free agent, probably not crazy expensive, and I saw on r/calgaryflames that since 2014 he has the 6th best ES SV%.

Sign Mason, and trade for Raanta or Grubauer?
Or trade for Fleury, and bring back Johnson?

I like both scenarios.

Mason from 2013-16 was a very good starting goalie.

He had a terrible year last year though, so he's not without risk.

If we sign him and get the 2013-16 version of Mason, the Flames are in the hunt for a division title IMO.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by dissentowner

Friedman is the new Eklund.

How so?

[Roof-Daddy]

Originally Posted by Wild GM

How so?

Some people are bitter at him because he speculates and then it spreads as a legit rumor.

As far as I've seen though, he's always clear about when he's speculating it's just that idiot's on the internet fail to read/listen properly and talk about it like it's not speculation but an actual rumor.

Eklund makes #### up, then purposely attempts to spread it as if he got it from legit NHL sources.

Big difference.

[TheFlamesVan]

Maybe it's because I'm a superstitious goalie, but the thought of bringing in another Right handed tendy scares me.

Fuhr, Hiller, Turek (I liked Turek).... all were good goalies, all were dissapointing here.

[Erick Estrada]

Originally Posted by TheFlamesVan

Maybe it's because I'm a superstitious goalie, but the thought of bringing in another Right handed tendy scares me.

Fuhr, Hiller, Turek (I liked Turek).... all were good goalies, all were dissapointing here.

As with Elliott a lot of fans tend to let recent history cloud their minds that because a player finished bad he was always bad. Hiller's first season with the Flames was actually very good;

GP: 52, GAA: 2.36, SV%: 0.918

Did things fall apart in year two? Absolutely but the man was really good in year one and one of the main reasons that team made the playoffs. We would be pretty happy if Treliving can find a starting goaltender that would put up those numbers next season.

[TheFlamesVan]

Originally Posted by Erick Estrada

As with Elliott a lot of fans tend to let recent history cloud their minds that because a player finished bad he was always bad. Hiller's first season with the Flames was actually very good;

GP: 52, GAA: 2.36, SV%: 0.918

Did things fall apart in year two? Absolutely but the man was really good in year one and one of the main reasons that team made the playoffs. We would be pretty happy if Treliving can find a starting goaltender that would put up those numbers next season.

Oh I remember, I just don't consider a single season performance as something this organization needs. We need a goalie, who can play here for several years. I consider flaming out after 1 season a disappointment.

I also wish there wasn't a 3rd round pick at stake here because I like Elliot as an option (among what is available) this season if we are going to continue the 2 season carousel of goalies.

Also, I like Turek and can't think of another professional who would have renegotiated their contract like that. It was more a list to make a joke, let's not dive too deep into it.

[Reggie Dunlop]

Philipp Grubauer.

[Hey Connor, It's Mess]

I'm on the Mason train now.

[GranteedEV]

This graph doesn't yet include last year, but does include general career trends (minimum 600 minutes per 82 game season):

Shot-Quality-Adjusted Goals Saved Above Average Per Hour By Age


The line that starts at 24 and ends at 26 should be labelled Raanta. Definitely a compelling case here for steve Mason.