Are the Colorado Avalanche the deepest goaltending team in the NHL?
by ASwaim3 on Jan 5, 2012 9:38 AM MST
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PrintDid giving up a 1st round pick for Semyon Varlamov really hurt? I think that answer is no.
Semyon Varlamov has come on as of late. If you can score three goals, you can almost pencil in a win. He is extremely athletic, and looks to me like a more-athletic Tim Thomas. Wow. That's a huge statement. He makes flashy saves that draw crowds in like no other. Not to mention he is a perfect 6-0 in shootouts, which NHL games go to with regularity nowadays.
JS Giguere also stepped in and was the main reason the Avalanche set a record 8 wins at home in a row. He is extremely solid and prides himself on fundementals. Not as flashy, he gets the job down and his rebound control in the best in Colorado since Roy.
Not to mention the two bright prospects they have in their system. The first is Calvin Pickard. Pickard was a second round pick in 2010, and he has played fantastic for an otherwise putrid Seattle Thunderbirds WHL team. He has a 3.21 GAA and a 91.2% SV%, solid, not to mention with already 1000+ pucks shot at him.
The other is Finnish junior Sami Aitokollio. Aitokollio had 55 saves in a WJHC loss to Sweden, but shined. Are you kidding me? 55 out of 58 saves? And this is the best of junior Sweden hockey, a perennial Olympic Gold Metal contender.
No doubt the Avalanche are the deepest organization in the NHL, despite not having the elite NHL goalie like Cam Ward, Tim Thomas, or Roberto Luongo. But these goalies will all be great for this organization which is well on its way to rebuilding.
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Deepest? No. Not even close. It’s looking better but there are teams way beyond the Avs.
A man who stole my whisky used the defense that no one could resist a bottle of Scotch. I had no choice but to testify on his behalf.
Agree. They (finally) have some good prospects, but Minnesota has a ridiculously good system right now. Vancouver too. Buffalo’s Miller-Enroth tandem is awesome, not sure their depth at lower levels.
Maybe
Jibblescribbits: C'mon over and waste some time
by Jibblescribbits on Jan 5, 2012 11:36 AM MST up reply actions
Nashville is DEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP and after Thomas you have Rask (who’d start for 3/4ths of the league today as well as the Khoboden guy with the Baby B’s. Washington is deep in NHL ready talent too.
If we don't get our sauce, we ain't watching the game!
I was going to write something along these lines, about how our goalie situation is a lot better then it was last year, but I do not see the Avs as being a top 5 system in the league.
Nashville- Pekka, Lindback, Smith, Chet Pickard, Hellberg, Engren.
Boston- Thomas, Rask, Courchaine, Gothberg and a bunch of so-so goalies
Wild- Backstrom, Harding, Hacket, Kuemper
Stars- Lehtonin, Bachman, Campbell (however Beachie might end his career before it starts), Beskorowany.
There is a lot of teams with good goalie depth, we are at where we should be finally.
yeah, I was just coming up with someone off the top of my head. Not even sure Avs are top-15 in G depth. But at least they aren’t dead last anymore
Maybe
Jibblescribbits: C'mon over and waste some time
by Jibblescribbits on Jan 6, 2012 12:09 PM MST up reply actions
I would like to see the Goalie Guild’s list.
A man who stole my whisky used the defense that no one could resist a bottle of Scotch. I had no choice but to testify on his behalf.
well Tampa needs a goalie, and since the whole league wants our league leading goal tending prospects
Stamkos (we’ll use him on the wing) and a 5th rounder for Desjardin
Clearly what both teams want, make it happen Sherman
Clearly going to happen.
Especially since TBL let Desjardins walk last summer in favor of Tokarski.
2011-2012 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl: Vyechnaya Pamyat!
2011-2012 Colorado Avalanche: Chances are rapidly diminishing that this will not suck.
Boston has the deepest goal tending in my opinion. They’re helped by their outstanding defense but honestly both of the guys are athletic and downright want to win every game. Every other goalie tandem I see has some sort of weak link, whether it be a number of teams with younger less experienced back-ups or a playoff choker (cough Luongo). Only other team that I think remotely challenges them is the Rangers. Philly should be challenging them but well… yeah its Philly.
Yup...
no
Not the deepest team. And your point about varly is contradictory. If they were deep they wouldnt have made that deal you say was worth it.
by Jog73 on Jan 5, 2012 1:26 PM MST via iPhone app reply actions
4 solid goalie prospects
How many teams have that many?
Lets trade one for a forward!
If these goalies are that good lets trade one for a forward. That is what this team needs now to get to the next level. Seeing Evander Kane last week made me envious. Skill and SIZE a concept that gets lost by the AVS front office.
Landy does not Kane’s pure ability.
Some days, I feel like I’ve accidentally entered the Church of Tulowitzki on Baseball Easter.
Proud GM of the PRMLB Cincinnati Reds!
SB Nation Denver | On Twitter | Random Music Writings
does not possess*
Some days, I feel like I’ve accidentally entered the Church of Tulowitzki on Baseball Easter.
Proud GM of the PRMLB Cincinnati Reds!
SB Nation Denver | On Twitter | Random Music Writings
I don’t know what you mean by “pure ability”, but I can bet that Landeskog’s and Kane’s scoring output will be close during their careers. Landeskog will have more PK time, hits, blocks, shots and less PIMs.
I’ll take that bet.
Landy is a very smart player, and I have no doubt he’ll learn to use his size. But he doesn’t have a single skill that is elite, or even projects to be elite. He’s not the fastest skater, doesn’t have the greatest puck handling ability, doesn’t have a great shot…
I’ll take Kane’s offensive upside long term. Landy will be a very good all-around player, but he won’t have the same offensive impact on the scoresheet as Kane.
Some days, I feel like I’ve accidentally entered the Church of Tulowitzki on Baseball Easter.
Proud GM of the PRMLB Cincinnati Reds!
SB Nation Denver | On Twitter | Random Music Writings
Kane doesn’t have that either. Duchene is faster, Johnny T has a way better shot. Both of those guys have better puck possession skills. I really like Kane and think he is a really good player, but I don’t see anything that warrents validation against Landy.
Kane has a really, really good shot.
Some days, I feel like I’ve accidentally entered the Church of Tulowitzki on Baseball Easter.
Proud GM of the PRMLB Cincinnati Reds!
SB Nation Denver | On Twitter | Random Music Writings
He certainly has an elite work ethic. You don’t see Kane skating around like he does. For that matter you rarely see anyone in this league skate as hard as he does. You rarely see him with his feet still and gliding. In the end thats the top reason people wanted to draft him and he certainly has not disappointed in that aspect.
Yup...
Kane doesn't have Landeskog's all-around game
give the kid another 2 years. He is already on pace to do as good as (in his first season) if not better than Kane’s first two years. You also have to remember Kane probably sees much better quality ice time than Landeskog sees and plays a ton against East coast teams. While Kane has better speed, Landeskog is as good as if not better than Kane in most other areas (the goal scoring is coming).
Languishing for Landeskog
I like the idea, but i would not have the guts to say we are a top organization in goalies. I think the real question would be where does everyone go?
Varley- Our number 1 goalie (ideally anyways)
Jiggy- Signed through next year and been our best NHL goalie this year and a great mentor for not just Jiggy but really everyone in the locker room.
Desjardin- He might be the best goalie in the world that is not in the NHL. I have not seen him play, but his stats are off the charts and everyone I have heard talk about this kid, they say he is the real deal.
Aittokallio- Wow how he has impressed this year. From reading reports from rookie camp and training camp he is the most athletic prospect in the system for all players. He is getting elite training and most importantly getting great Finnish coaching (they seem to have mastered the goalie training). I think the safe bet will be that he will stay in Finland for another couple of years. The one down fall about goalies in tournaments is if they get hot then they look like the next Roy, but it is too small of a sample size to get an accurate feel for. Anyways, he created a much needed buzz for his career
Pickard- He will be done with his Junior career. This guy has been well tested, and should have a solid skill set. I got to see him play in Dallas and I could say he was better the Cann. Other then that he made some colossal Roy giveaways. He is talented but could be better then the game I saw. It could be the difference of the speed of the game because he was deep in his net. I think he can be a solid goalie.
Patterson- Some say he is the best goalie in the NCAA. He could be, I don’t really follow the NCAA much. He is leaving NCAA this year.
Milan- Led BU to an NCAA title his freshman year. Kinda underperformed for a year, then has played well from what I have heard. He also is leaving the NCAA rank.
This means we have 8 goalies that needs to have a place to play. Sami A will do so in Finland, Cann seems to be an odd man out and his contract is over at this year. Desjardins is a RFA at season end. Pickard, Milan, Patterson will need teams to play for. Not a bad problem to have. I would rather see Milan, Patterson or Pickard to be allowed to go to Europe to train versus playing for the Allen Americans. I dont know if that is even allowable, but that is assuming the two NCAA goalies get contract offers.
I’d like to see this organization make it very clear that as long as Jiggy wants to play NHL hockey, he’ll be welcome in CO. Theoretically, we could get another 3-4 years from him (He’s 34 now – Tim Thomas is 37 and still a beast). If he keeps playing like he has this season, the goalie prospects are just going to have to wait to get their shot.
It will be interesting to see which of the prospects the Avs decide to hang on to though. Who we decide to sign or trade/not sign could have a very long-lasting effect on this franchise. I just hope we can at least trade the ones we don’t want so we don’t let them walk for nothing. I’m sure there’s a club out there that would be willing to do a goalie prospect for forward prospect or pick trade.
Just a Colorado girl in Montana who ♥s the Avs and writes for Mile High Hockey.
I am sort of baffled as to why TB didn’t re-sign Desjardins. For a team that seems so weak at NHL-level goaltenders, you’d think they could have found a spot for him in their organization. Were they scared away by his injury?
No soup for you!
I have coveted Desjardins since I saw him steal a couple of games for TBL on a brief callup last year, so I started following him then.
TBL picked up Desjardins in August 2010 in a “we’re done with this guy, let’s see if you can get anything out of him” type swap with MTL for Kari Ramo. Desjardins was set for UFA and TBL had Tokarski and several other of their picks in their goalie pipeline. With Desjardins’ shoulder injury late last season, they decided to let him walk. Though he played well for the MTL affiliate in 08-09, he absolutely exploded this year in the AHL, though he has been injured for quite a while. Relative stats for each this year in the AHL:
Desjardins:
14GP 8-5-1, 1.85GAA .941SV
Tokarski:
23GP 14-9-0 2.47GAA .901SV
2011-2012 Lokomotiv Yaroslavl: Vyechnaya Pamyat!
2011-2012 Colorado Avalanche: Chances are rapidly diminishing that this will not suck.
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