Sorry Jets fans... Pavelec still #1

[Rodgort]

https://twitter.com/NHLJets/status/456449715706396673

@NHLJets: "Yes. Ondrej Pavelec is the number one goaltender going into next season." -Cheveldayoff.

My favorite is reading the comments that follow of "WHY?" and "hahahahha" among others

[ericdaoust]

He is still #1 because they don't have a better option. Yet.

[Shiva Blaster]

Man, Pavelec is terri-bad......

[Shiva Blaster]

What opponents see when Pavelec is in net:

kari-lehtonen-sitting-on-net.jpg

[agentzero]

What opponents see when Pavelec is in net:

kari-lehtonen-sitting-on-net.jpg

Lol.

Pavelec has had stretches of brilliance too, which are all too easily forgotten when he is struggling.. He's not an all-star, but how many all-star goalies are available? The Jets didn't exactly play the best team defense either... I think he plays better next year, like much of the Jets will.

[metaldude26]

He is still #1 because they don't have a better option. Yet.

I'm pretty sure they employ multiple able-bodied humans in the organization.

[Shiva Blaster]

Lol.

Pavelec has had stretches of brilliance too, which are all too easily forgotten when he is struggling.. He's not an all-star, but how many all-star goalies are available? The Jets didn't exactly play the best team defense either... I think he plays better next year, like much of the Jets will.

Not an All-Star? That's the understatement of the year, lol. I don't know one Winnipeg fan (and I know a lot of them) that would even say that Pavelec is a legit NHL starting goalie.....they all would have rejoiced if the Jets would have handed Montoya (who outplayed Pavelec the entire year) the reigns. Any goalie can throw together short stretches of solid play, it is consistency that separates the quality starters from everyone else. Pavelec will never achieve the required consistency, every season is like a roller coaster with him and he has yet to show that he can play at a high level for more than a few weeks at a time.

[Pengwin7]

https://twitter.com/NHLJets/status/456449715706396673

@NHLJets: "Yes. Ondrej Pavelec is the number one goaltender going into next season." -Cheveldayoff.

My favorite is reading the comments that follow of "WHY?" and "hahahahha" among others

This isn't really anything.
Part of the "things you are supposed to say" as a member of the NHL.

GMs... are supposed to say they are trying to work hard to re-sign a player... even if the player has told them they aren't coming back.
Players... are supposed to say they'd love to re-sign with the team... even if the player has told them they aren't coming back.
A team's highest paid goalie... is supposed to be supported as the #1 goalie... even if there are different plans.

Winnipeg's not going anywhere with Pavelec in net.
But until they get somebody better - it makes no sense to destroy his confidence by saying otherwise.

Nothing here folks... move along...

[SeaDawg]

I agree with Pengwin here...as long as Winnipeg hasn't signed or acquired a better goalie, Pavelec is the #1.

I'm sure Winnipeg will look into their options, and if something presents itself, Pavelec at that point may no longer be the team's #1 goalie. There is going to be lots of action in the goalie market this summer.

[agentzero]

Not an All-Star? That's the understatement of the year, lol. I don't know one Winnipeg fan (and I know a lot of them) that would even say that Pavelec is a legit NHL starting goalie.....they all would have rejoiced if the Jets would have handed Montoya (who outplayed Pavelec the entire year) the reigns. Any goalie can throw together short stretches of solid play, it is consistency that separates the quality starters from everyone else. Pavelec will never achieve the required consistency, every season is like a roller coaster with him and he has yet to show that he can play at a high level for more than a few weeks at a time.

lol I can feel the anger and as a Habs fan I'm certainly glad to have some distance from the frustrating situations in WPG, one of them being the obvious problem in goal. I agree consistency separates the better starters from the weak ones/ones that can't be starters... I agree his stats pretty well scream backup, but he hasn't exactly had the best teams in front of him either. He'd probably have to be World class to string 33+ Ws playing behind that team.. He has certainly had a season to forget, but I don't think the guy is doormat quality. Maybe it is just me but there has to have been a reason why the Jets and formerly Thrashers thought this guy could play. For some reason I see some bounce back in him.. but maybe not.

So do they buy him out of his deal?

[Shiva Blaster]

lol I can feel the anger and as a Habs fan I'm certainly glad to have some distance from the frustrating situations in WPG, one of them being the obvious problem in goal. I agree consistency separates the better starters from the weak ones/ones that can't be starters... I agree his stats pretty well scream backup, but he hasn't exactly had the best teams in front of him either. He'd probably have to be World class to string 33+ Ws playing behind that team.. He has certainly had a season to forget, but I don't think the guy is doormat quality. Maybe it is just me but there has to have been a reason why the Jets and formerly Thrashers thought this guy could play. For some reason I see some bounce back in him.. but maybe not.

So do they buy him out of his deal?

The Jets are a small-market budget team, I'm not sure they can afford any buy-outs to be honest. Regardless of what they say publicly, I am sure that they are looking at their options in net, but I'd be surprised to see a buy-out on Pavelec. Also, they are nowhere near being a legitimate contender in the next couple of years, so they wouldn't have much to gain by making a drastic and expensive move with a buy-out.

[agentzero]

The Jets are a small-market budget team, I'm not sure they can afford any buy-outs to be honest. Regardless of what they say publicly, I am sure that they are looking at their options in net, but I'd be surprised to see a buy-out on Pavelec.

I was thinking that.. Which means keep or trade.. and trade is tough if you want someone to take on that contract for a player that you think sucks.. I bet it turns into an Ales Hemsky/Sam Gagner Edmonton thing.. where you basically only get out of it for a draft pick, with like 1 or 2 years left on the deal.. Not before then.

Touch situation... I hope he bounces back and at least plays as a "capable" starter, even if not a good one.

[CascadeFilly]

I suspect that they had a very frank exit meeting with Pavelec, and that he's going to bust his hump this off-season. He'll get another crack at it, and he's got to prove something. I'm sure Maurice is telling Pavelec that he'll see a much more consistent team in front of him next season, but he's got to step his game up.

If he craps the bed again next season, I could see the team handing Montoya the reins (although I don't think he's got the consistency long-term, either), maybe giving a guy like Hutchinson some starts again, and then look at making an eventual change.

As a Jets fan, I would be happy to see them go in another direction, but to be fair to Pavs, this season was a disaster. Things were very, very ugly at the end of Noel's tenure. I think this buys Pavelec a bit more of a leash.

I don't see a buyout happening, and I think Chevy will likely bring back Montoya. Chevy may look into other options this summer, but I bet that that will amount to nothing, as he won't be willing to leap into anything major yet.

[The Comish]

Next year will be very telling in Pavelec's NHL career. To be fair, he's only 25 years old and goalies are typically the slowest of all positions to "make it" in the big league. I think we see an improved Jets team as well as a "new and improved" Pavelec. I say this as a desperate Pavelec owner! lol Go Jets!

[Ed.]

If Winnipeg is serious about this guy, they need to find him a new goalie coach. Obviously something isn't working. That, and perhaps a backup who frightens him a little more. Montoya has been adequate for stretches of his NHL career, but he's never really threatened anyone's job. Khudobin or Reimer behind Pavelec, or splitting time with him 50-50 might force him to work a little harder.