Understandable. I remember a time when I would dream of Alexander Polushin coming to the NHL just because I was desperate to see a high skill guy that we drafted come in and play.
I just can't be on board with wanting another backup "ready to start" story. We've been burned so many times. We're being burned right now.
I understand Lindback got hurt and didn't really get a chance but I'm just tired of the risk. I watch a guy like Markstrom on a team that's only 2 points out of last place in the entire league, in a game where his team gets largely dominated and he's able to steal 2 points for his team. Then I look back at how many one goal games we've lost and how many games where we've given up at least one soft goal.
A SOLID goaltender and this season is different. Not even a top 5-10 guy like Miller. If we have a top 20 guy this season is different. Just going to NHL stats and sorting by GAA, you have to go 48 slots to find Garon and 56 to find Lindback. Sort by SV% and you go to 52 and 53 to find the boys.
Now I'm not taking out guys with 1 and 2 games played but I counted maybe 10-11 with single digit games. Throw those guys out and you've still got two goaltenders in the high end of 30's.
Goaltending needs to be addressed and it needs to be addressed better than another "could be good" kind of guy. Even if it isn't Miller. It's gotta be someone better.
I agree and Im tired of this not having a goaltender ******** year after ****ing year. Its getting old, seriously.
I was thinking tonight was a pretty much buyer/seller game, if we would've won, make a push and get Miller, lose and just trade Malone, Brewer, etc or whoever.
At this point, its a low for me, I see the wholes that need to be filled, other GMs run out and fill them, ours did that with defense but left us out to dry in the most valuable position in hockey. Face it. Lindback isnt a #1 and it was a good year with the improvements, rooks, etc to make a push while Marty was still playing at his best(arguable this year for sure) but it was yet again another year wasted due to ONE position not being addressed. You're asking Garon to play all these games, he's no more than an average backup, not a starter. Lindback taking the reins is a gamble, especially considering you're throwing him to the wolves. Why do you think he was promising? He was playing behind a goalie he learned from, Rinne.
Bernier is behind Quick.
Schnieder is behind Luongo.
Rask was behind Thomas.
You dont try to develop a goalie with for starters, a piss poor goalie coach, and then put him in front of an average backup who is better than him to begin with. This wasnt a smart move from the beginning. Not at all. If you like settling and support "developing" goalies in such a piss poor place that has a terrible tracks record with goalies, then you probably settle for mediocrity in your life. You cant settle for this, this wasnt the move and yes its a condensed season and blah blah, but again, you cant argue this, we wasted another year away due to piss poor goaltending. Nothing else failed us, sure our defense is horrid at times but we need a goalie that gives our players 2 ounces of confidence, not just 1.
Dont settle for the maybe guy, make a ****ing splash and go big or go home. Other teams do it, why dont we? Say goodbye to Namestnikov, Connolly, etc because we have the depth, fill a NEED, not something we will have sitting in the press box next year.
****, it gets old after a while, it really does.