Back Up Goaltending

Posted 12:16 PM ET | Comments 6

A quick hit on this Sunday morning about the state of Calgary’s backup goalie situation. Curtis McElhinney might just not be good enough to play for the Flames. He has a whopping total of one win in the year and a half he has been with the team and constantly disappoints every time he gets between the pipes. He does not make the saves that Kipper does and unfortunately for Mac, that is who he is compared to. Is it time to dump the Curtis experiment? I think so.

In the 07/08 campaign Sutter went out and grabbed Cujo of the free agent wire. He turned in some better performances, albeit with some of the most awkward saves of all time, including a magnificent showing coming off the bench against San Jose in Game 3 of the playoffs. With Cujo older than dirt now, what are some of Sutter’s other options?

Well he can give Mac a couple more starts which will probably happen with the copious amounts of hockey in the next month and a half including the Blackhawks and Blue Jackets tomorrow and Tuesday. If Mac does not provide the Flames with the supplementary goaltending that they need, who else is there?

There is David Shantz, Matt Keetley and Leland Irving in the AHL. Shantz had a great pre season and probably warrants a look for the back up job. Irving has been touted as the “Heir to Kippers Throne” since he arrived here. Keetley has been simply average.

Sutter could go grab a veteran via trade or free agent signing. I think Manny Legace is still out there…

Regardless of what Sutter does, this issue must be solved or Kipper is going to be subject to another 70+ game season, which will most likely lead to another early playoff exit.

What are you thoughts on what the Flames should do?

This has been,

Newman on the Flames

Be sure to check out my website: http://calgaryontheflames.blogspot.com/

Filed Under: hockey flames calgary kiprusoff

Oster22

October 11, 2009 4:30 PM ET | Delete
The two Manny's - Fernandez and Legace, are two experienced, pretty good goaltenders who are looking for work. I'm sure they would love to sign with any team, let alone the Flames, for one million dollars or less, and if we trade away just one of our good forward prospects that'll never make the Flames(Van der Gulik, Germyn, ect.), I'm sure we could get enough cap space to both sign one of the two manny's, as well as have some cash left over so last year's situation doesn't happen again.

captainlukeschenn

October 11, 2009 6:07 PM ET | Delete
Oster22 you dont need to trade those players away as they dont count against the cap. But the idea of Fernandez or Legace is good... Manny Fernandez is likely the better option with the numbers he put up last year.

Oster22

October 11, 2009 10:02 PM ET | Delete
My bad captain

Crusty Sucks

October 12, 2009 3:36 AM ET | Delete
Based on Fernandez's numbers, he would probably expect somewhere in the 2-2.5 million dollar range. Legace might take 1-1.5.

mslepp

October 12, 2009 10:04 PM ET | Delete
Those guys will sign for cheaper than what they're worth if they want to play. However, I'd like to give McElhinney a start or two more before I get too rowdy. He played great in the first (after letting in the first shot...) but the team let him down in the 2nd and 3rd. I'm not a full supporter of him, but we need to give him a shot.

jcherrier