MASON, help please

[Peteyzero]

Anyone have any guess on how much play time Mason will actually receive in the next year or 2 in the peg?

[PenguinHunter]

I am guessing he gets a pretty good chunk of the games.

This is based on the contract that Hellebuyck received. It is only 1 year... so Winnipeg is no committing to Helleyebuyck for a long term... so I feel like it is Mason's net to lose.

[evans334]

I think you see a similar progression here as to what happened with Bishop and Vasilevky in Tampa.

Mason will get the bulk, unless injury, and Hellebuyck will get sheltered starts to boost confidence.

They rushed Helly last year, but I think they made a clear statement by waiving Pavalec that they see Helly as the goalie of the future.

Mason is just a stop gap.

[ericdaoust]

He'll get close to half of the starts but I don't think it goes overly well. The Jets take too many penalties and Mason has historically been bad while killing penalties. Just not a good fit IMO.

[Axeman33]

He'll get as many as he earns. I also think the crease is his to lose. He'll lose it a few times and will get it back a few times. I won't be surprised if he doesn't get anything from 60-70% of the starts unless he tanks terribly.

[BreadManPanarin]

He'll get close to half of the starts but I don't think it goes overly well. The Jets take too many penalties and Mason has historically been bad while killing penalties. Just not a good fit IMO.

Has any team ever experimented with using one goalie for even strength work and a specialist goalie for penalty killing? Seems like that would work very well with Mason. Just imagine how good a goalie's GAA and Save% for a season would look if they didn't have to play shorthanded!

[tobias]

I sort of think the slightly differently than some of the posts above. The one year contract looks more to me like it was given to allow Hellebuyck to prove what he is capable of. Is he the franchise goalie who they envisioned him to be two years ago? Or were last year's struggles for in line with what to expect? The only way to know is by giving him a chance. I also think that the Jets realize that their defence was injured and horrendous last year. One year; earn your starter's contract, or move on.

The $4.1 million given to Mason doesn't feel like starter's money to me. It looks more like management knew that they needed to support Hellebuyck, so giving Mason exactly what he was already earning (not a penny more, which I think is important here), was a relatively low cost, low risk move. If this year doesn't pan out for Hellebuyck, then they've got another "top prospect" goalie, Eric Comrie, who they would likely bring into the fold next season (thus, Mason signed for two years means that he will be around to solidify the net and allow Comrie to slowly try easing in).

What was the original post again? Playing time for Mason? I'm going to say 37 games for Mason this year (45 for Hellebuyck), it goes well for Hellebuyck, and Mason plays closer to 32 games the following year (50 for Hellebuyck).

Just my two cents.

[35KrazyKanuck]

Peteyzero... I think Mason and Hellebuyck will play 50/50 starts for this season and whoever plays better will probably have more starts next year.

[ericdaoust]

Has any team ever experimented with using one goalie for even strength work and a specialist goalie for penalty killing? Seems like that would work very well with Mason. Just imagine how good a goalie's GAA and Save% for a season would look if they didn't have to play shorthanded!

I'd do it for the NHL minimum salary.

[Axeman33]

I sort of think the slightly differently than some of the posts above. The one year contract looks more to me like it was given to allow Hellebuyck to prove what he is capable of. Is he the franchise goalie who they envisioned him to be two years ago? Or were last year's struggles for in line with what to expect? The only way to know is by giving him a chance. I also think that the Jets realize that their defence was injured and horrendous last year. One year; earn your starter's contract, or move on.

The $4.1 million given to Mason doesn't feel like starter's money to me. It looks more like management knew that they needed to support Hellebuyck, so giving Mason exactly what he was already earning (not a penny more, which I think is important here), was a relatively low cost, low risk move. If this year doesn't pan out for Hellebuyck, then they've got another "top prospect" goalie, Eric Comrie, who they would likely bring into the fold next season (thus, Mason signed for two years means that he will be around to solidify the net and allow Comrie to slowly try easing in).

What was the original post again? Playing time for Mason? I'm going to say 37 games for Mason this year (45 for Hellebuyck), it goes well for Hellebuyck, and Mason plays closer to 32 games the following year (50 for Hellebuyck).

Just my two cents.

Does $4.1M look like back up money?

[tobias]

Does $4.1M look like back up money?

Normally, no.
In the context of this situation, it doesn't say starter money to me, either.

[Axeman33]

Normally, no.
In the context of this situation, it doesn't say starter money to me, either.

Talbot, Vasilevskiy, Darling, Markstrom, and Murray may disagree with you.

[tobias]

Talbot, Vasilevskiy, Darling, Markstrom, and Murray may disagree with you.

As I said, in the context of this situation. Those situations are all totally different (individually for each goalie, and from the teams' points of view). The Jets needed some help on the back end. Mason wasn't going to take a pay cut, but he also must have realized that his options for a pay raise and a 1A gig were not all that great, so they kept him at his current contract and considered it a win-win. The Jets have been touting Hellebuyck for a few years now, especially GMTC, who is in the last year of his contract. This is the guy who they desperately want to take over the net. I think that for every second chance that Mason gets, Hellebuyck will get two.

Most predictions on these forums have been around a 50-50 split (41-41 games). I went with 45-37 games. We're close to splitting hairs here.

[Bass56]

Talbot, Vasilevskiy, Darling, Markstrom, and Murray may disagree with you.

Ya but Reimer, Niemi and Bernier may have dissagreed with you last year