2008 Final Grade: Peter Budaj

He will be back.

:)

I feel that he actually has a chance to be our goalie of the future – more than Abbi or Theo ever did or do.

The most striking difference between the 2, at least after Theo stopped letting in softies, was how much better Theo is on athletic saves, breakaways, and shootouts. I really do understand why Budaj was relegated to the backup when Theo went unconscious for half the season — he makes game-changer plays in a Budaj probably never will.

That said, I wouldn’t be adverse at ALL to Budaj being the starter next year. He’s a sight cheaper, overall more consistent, and with our improved D should have better support. the money we appear to be giving to Theo would look great being spent on a center at the deadline…

I’m a Budaj believer and I think if anything positive can be gleamed from Granato it’s that he made Abby look like a really, really good goaltender. There’s no way a coach could be worse that Q with goalies but I think Granato is actually quite good with goalies (and young players).

Budaj actually does make athletic saves, if you can just see the Avalanche season review on Altitude. He’s incredibly flexible and great going side to side (better than Theo). He’s just not as quick as Theo with his glove or his ability to readjust his body once he’s commited to a save (ie shootout dekes). If Theo wants five million then I’d say Budaj is our guy (get Cloutier or Denis to back up)

Budaj’s stock probably just rose, as Dater is reporting that talks between the Avs and Theo broke down and that Theo will test the UFA market.

Unfortunately, I’m not as much of a believer in Budaj. I think he’s an adequate backup, but doesn’t have the potential to be a top tier starter by any means.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t chime in on this one.

My thoughts on Boots is that he is a very solid, blocking butterfly goalie with excellent game sense and vision. He will rarely make the highlight-reel, acrobatic save, but at the NHL those type of saves usually result from being caught out of position, something Boots rarely is. He reads plays well and makes a ton of saves with his core. His stickhandling could be better, but it hasn’t been a detriment to him or the team on a consistent basis. His rebound control is pretty good. He always seems calm and secure in the crease and I’ve never seen body language or antics during a game that made me think he’d lost confidence or given up. His mask kicks ass. I’m not a fan of his Nike/Bauer pads, but since that company doesn’t really exist anymore, maybe I won’t have to see them next year.

He struggles in the shootout due to biting on the first move of the shooter. That patience comes with experience and practice. I’m sure he has plenty of one and not quite enough of the other.

This may come as a surprise to absolutely nobody, but he played inconsistent behind a largely inconsistent team in the early part of the season. Theo then decided to earn some money and got hot and Budaj was relegated to watching from the bench. His haters will point to his struggles this season, but when the coaching philosophy is that one loss = benched, that doesn’t breed confidence or stability, both characteristics of goaltending. It was just a matter of time before he or Theo strung a couple of wins together and one or the other got the job. The same thing happened in 06-07, but Boots was on the winning end of the coin flip.

I’m hopeful that he’ll be a major part of the team’s success next season, but nobody has a really good idea on what he is capable of as a day-in, day-out starter in the NHL.

A it is…

I am disappointed. No Budaj season retrospective is really complete unless it mentions Budaj’s killer mask.

j/k nice analysis

Hypothetical time:

How would Budaj have performed if he had been the starter behind Adam Foote and Ruslan Salei on a regular basis? I have a feeling his stats would have improved considerably. It’s tough to argue that the presence of those two d-men didn’t help Theodore. It would have been the same for Budaj, and he wasn’t bad without them.

Personally, I’m not worried a bit about Budaj being the starter if Theo leaves. It would be long overdue, I think.

Of course, the second he screws up I will not hesitate to throw his ass under the biggest metaphorical bus I can find.

I love Budaj. I am one of the biggest supporters of Budaj over the past few years. The Avs need to put him in as our starter for the 2008-2009 season. I have to agree with Joe’s post. If Budaj had a consistent and healthy team last season then his stats would have held better. I like Budaj’s attitude in net. He is a hard goalie to rattle. Under pressure he is tough.