F.Andersen can he be #1 next year

[davewave]

With Hiller not signed for next year do you think Andersen is good enough to be the goalie or they will go with Gibson

[mounD]

I think Andersen / Gibson could be one of the best long-term tandems in the NHL. Both guys have stud #1 upside, and have dominated basically every league they've ever played in. It's a toss-up really. I own Gibson in my deep dynasty league, and I've been frantically trying to acquire Andersen, as well, because both guys have elite upside and could make the ANH crease situation a little bit confusing in the coming seasons. Both are studs.

[The Bottlenecker]

Andersen may very well be #1 if, and that is a big " if", Hiller isn't signed. My only question would be for how long given that I think the Ducks' brass is super high on Gibson. We have seen in recent years how teams loathe the 1a & 1b situation (Luongo & Schneider) and if push comes to shove, I think Andersen will get let go before Gibson. Now of course, he could become a #1 elsewhere but the Ducks have a good team in front of him which can occasionally hide the odd bad start.

[metaldude26]

If Hiller is re-signed I'd imagine the Ducks find another veteran option. Their goaltending depth has paid off in a big way when Hiller and Fasth were injured for stretches this season. Always safer to have multiple options available rather than handing the reigns to two mostly unproven commodities. I actually expect the team to go with a different vet than Hiller on a shorter deal because Gibson is their man for the future so they don't want to sign a long deal and have someone in his way.

[Big Ev]

Doesn't make sense to go with Andersen or Gibson next season. They need hiller. A playoff team, top team, can't go with young guys.

[metaldude26]

Doesn't make sense to go with Andersen or Gibson next season. They need hiller. A playoff team, top team, can't go with young guys.

Yup.

And I was just thinking, as an addendum to my previous post, the Ducks might just be able to get Hiller re-signed on a shorter deal. If you look at the goalie market, there aren't that many teams in need of a vet #1 so it's not like Hiller is going to have teams lining up for his services.

[ericdaoust]

Even if Hiller leaves I expect the Ducks to sign a vet. No way they go with two young guys.

[VincentVega]

Gibson is definitely in the mix but is a few years away from being a starter. Now Andersen in his own right has shown very capable of being a starter in the NHL. Yes, small sample space blah blah blah but that's pretty much the only thing going against him right now. Just because there is Gibson in the pipeline, it doesn't mean Andersen won't be given the opportunity to start and if he runs with it why would the Ducks not go with him?

Now as far as next season, I think Hiller is as good as gone. Why? He is 32 and a UFA so he'll be looking for a longer term, something in the range of 4-5 years with a cap hit around 6 mil, which is something he'll likely get in the open market with a few teams needing a true number one. The Ducks will not commit to such a term with Andersen and Gibson around. They might however, as metaldude suggested, bring in a vet as an insurance for Andersen next year. Someone like Thomas perhaps signed for one year?

[mounD]

Yup.

And I was just thinking, as an addendum to my previous post, the Ducks might just be able to get Hiller re-signed on a shorter deal. If you look at the goalie market, there aren't that many teams in need of a vet #1 so it's not like Hiller is going to have teams lining up for his services.

Exactly. Maybe something like 3 years where he will see an ever-decreasing share of starts in favor of Gibson/Andersen (whoever it may be)?

[VincentVega]

For some reason I'm thinking Hiller signs with the Islanders - 5 or 6 year term. Nothing to back this up with, just my intuition. It seems like a very good fit.

[metaldude26]

For some reason I'm thinking Hiller signs with the Islanders - 5 or 6 year term. Nothing to back this up with, just my intuition. It seems like a very good fit.

Yeah but the Islanders are probably the only logical fit out there for him. Look at the market:

Long Island - the most logical destination but there may be competition if they go after a trade option.
Vancouver - but maybe they just want to roll with Eddie and Markstrom and spend dough elsewhere. Especially if they are rebuilding.
Buffalo - can they even lure a goaltender to willingly play there?
Washington - if they don't re-up Halak and aren't committed to Revoltby
Minnesota - You'd think they are an option but Backstrom and Harding are both still under contract for next year.
St. Louis - only if Miller doesn't re-sign, which he probably will.
Winnipeg - need to amnesty Pavelec first, which they should but no guarantees.

The way I look at it unless Garth Snow decides to throw all the money at Hiller he probably ends up back in Anaheim. Which could happen but Hiller has to want to go there. And we still haven't seen the playoffs shake out. Ducks could win the Cup or come close with Hiller standing on his head.

[Chico Resch]

Unless he gets traded, there's no chance he's the starter. Can't see them letting Hiller go.

[VincentVega]

Yeah but the Islanders are probably the only logical fit out there for him. Look at the market:

Long Island - the most logical destination but there may be competition if they go after a trade option.
Vancouver - but maybe they just want to roll with Eddie and Markstrom and spend dough elsewhere. Especially if they are rebuilding.
Buffalo - can they even lure a goaltender to willingly play there?
Washington - if they don't re-up Halak and aren't committed to Revoltby
Minnesota - You'd think they are an option but Backstrom and Harding are both still under contract for next year.
St. Louis - only if Miller doesn't re-sign, which he probably will.
Winnipeg - need to amnesty Pavelec first, which they should but no guarantees.

The way I look at it unless Garth Snow decides to throw all the money at Hiller he probably ends up back in Anaheim. Which could happen but Hiller has to want to go there. And we still haven't seen the playoffs shake out. Ducks could win the Cup or come close with Hiller standing on his head.

Yeah, the Islanders are the most logical fit but some of the others are not all that unlikely.

Also, you'd have to consider cap and budget and I can see the Ducks not wanting to invest a lot of money in Hiller given what they've got in Andersen for much cheaper. I'm sure they'll love to bring Hiller back for 2 more years. At this point, it seems likely that Hiller will at least test free agency in the summer.

[metaldude26]

Yeah, the Islanders are the most logical fit but some of the others are not all that unlikely.

Also, you'd have to consider cap and budget and I can see the Ducks not wanting to invest a lot of money in Hiller given what they've got in Andersen for much cheaper. I'm sure they'll love to bring Hiller back for 2 more years. At this point, it seems likely that Hiller will at least test free agency in the summer.

I think he tests the market too and finds it wanting. One team with a legitimate need to bid for his services? Not ideal. He is the prize goalie on the market though.

[mounD]

I think Reimer is going to be the guy who ends up signing in Long Island. It's been my hunch all year, basically.