Coyotes goalie situation

[letangerang58]

I don't see Phoenix doing much with their goalie situation. All your picks seem as though Phoenix will be trying to build a contender not a pretender. I don't see them going after bobrovsky, vokoun, varlamov, schndeider, bernier. Their just riding the wave to finish another year before they leave Phoenix. I think Nabokov might be an option. But here are my picks. Im going of your board. I have a feeling they will go with a Cheap UFA tender. The city is putting themselves in debt more and more. They aint signing top end guys like Vokoun.

Josh Harding UFA - Might take a chance on this guy. Showed upside in Minnesota for many years. Just came of injury. But could be a solid back up at worse.

Marty Turco UFA - A veteran with alot of credentials. I think he is the guy that ends up in Phoenix.

Mike Smith UFA - If TB doesn't resign him, I think he might find himself in a Coyotes jersey.

Pascal Leclaire UFA - Depend what his asking price might find himself another shot as a starter.

J.S. Giguere UFA- Much like Turco, they might give him a shot.

I agree. I think Phoenix will go with the cheap option and sign 2 goalies. These would be some good cheap targets. I think Varlamov should be a target for them. I don't think Nabokov will be interested in playing for the coyotes.
Right now they coyotes need to still be a good team while meeting a budget. That would make a tandem situation better for them to meet the budget while still being competitive.

[Jason_Banks]

UFA Names missing from this discussion:

Brian Boucher - Has played In Phx before will be cheap, but not a great option

Jose Theodore - How much barganing power does he have, 2 million tops? This is a decent candidate

Matt Garon - More than Cabable 1A/1B goalie that has done this with Jason Labarbera in the past with decent success, doesn't ask alot doesnt need alot, My Favorite Pick

Alex Auld - Very Capable 1A/B tender at 30 years old!

Matt Climie - Yes he is already there, but he can be resigned and can be thought of to win a spot outta camp to play with Labarbera with the better tender getting most games, Cheapest option

Peter Budaj - Just throwing the name there, I hate him and hope hes gone lol

David LeNeveu - was originally drafted by Phx, has never made the NHL fully, but is capable of stepping in like Montoya did in NYI, Very low chance of happening

Cedrick Desjardins - Tampa would like to keep him, a few team would likely give him a shot...

Anton Khudobin - Has shown all he can in the AHL and ready for a jump very few teams have that opening for him

Mark Dekanich - similer to Khudobin altho Nashville I beleive still wants to keep him in the fold

People really shouldn't Right off Labarbera quite yet as 'Not Starter material', he is 31 and was the 1 A starter in LA for a season and had a .910 SV%, and in 3 almost 4 years as the Big Man in the AHL his GAA/SV%'s were 2.57/.915, 1.59/.936, 1.84/.934 and 2.21/.933

No he is not the best option, but he is capable and if thrown in that role im sure he could post a 2.60-3 GAA with a +.910 SV% which is very decent and could get you in a playoff position.

Also Phx can sign cheap Goalies and then re-assess the situation January and Febuary and see if they need to go out and Trade for a more proven goalie from a team going no where, or sign one of the vets mentioned before in this thread that are likely to be sitting unsigned at seasons start (Giggy, Turco, Gerber, Conklin, Boucher ect)

[You Know]

I think there's a really good chance Vokoun could sign with Tampa Bay, which gives him both the chance to stay in Florida as well as the opportunity to play with a contender.

I see Phoenix going the cheap route as well. Given what Schneider and Bernier are worth to Vancouver and L.A. compared to the likely offers they would receive, I see both as likely staying put, at least until the early part of the season when teams may be more desperate for goaltending if there FA acquisitions don't work out.

To answer the initial post, I think Vancouver would trade Schneider+ for someone like Turris in a heartbeat if he was ever made available, although I don't see that happening. He'd be the perfect young, right-handed addition for the team right now, plus he's from BC and the Canucks went hard after that draft pick to try to be able to draft him back in '07.

[SeaDawg]

nice post all around, You Know

I gotta agree with pretty much everything you've said.

[Karbinkopy]

If Bryzgalov signs in Philly then it's Leighton not Bob that's expendable. I think a cheap trade of Leighton to Phoenix for a mid round draft pick is the way they go. A 1A/1B tandem of Leighton and Labarbara isn't bad and there could be a lot worse. Phoenix could be successful with those two and still be on the cheap. I initially thought that Leighton was going to end up in Colorado, but now Phoenix is my front runner. Phoenix can't go too cheap or they will look like they're selling the farm and won't be able to attract potential buyers. Leighton was a Stanley Cup Final starter, so he has a bit of a pedigree to sell. Plus they can use Tim Thomas's injury comeback story to use a selling point as well. Leighton Stanley Cup Final goalie to injury reduced year to a great goalie once again. If Timmy Thomas can do it, why not Leighton?

[yppupkcis]

i honestly think they might give labarbera a chance... look what happened with Anderson when he was given the starting position in Colorado... 2yrs ago.. i don't think phoenix will go and spend the money for a top end goalie... with the situation they are in. i don't think they want to end up like Khabibulan + Edmonton or Dipietro + NYI

[Sartavos]

That would be really nice, since LaBarbera and Bobrovski are my goalies in the UHL and I could really use a starter.... :-P

[Pengwin7]

i honestly think they might give labarbera a chance...

I think LaBarbera might be the starter too.

The Coyotes are owned/run by the league, right?
So, I'd expect the league would tell GM Maloney "We are a cap minimum team. Sign Yandle, fill the rest of the team as needed, up to $5m above the cap floor."
...something like that...

I can't see them breaking the bank for a goalie when the NHL is already eating losses.

[brosal04]

And boom Mike Smith to Phoenix. I guess my prediction was right. Cheap UFA.

[SeaDawg]

And boom Mike Smith to Phoenix. I guess my prediction was right. Cheap UFA.

yeap, you were correct, but it is a sad situation for sure when a team on the upswing, who was a potential playoff team, now has to rely on a goalie who shouldn't even be in the NHL as a backup. There is a big problem in the game when economics forces a team to make a move that they otherwise would not make. Similar to the Dallas situation. Once an owner stops caring, or completely disappears and leaves the team at the hands of the NHL, the franchise suffers.

[loco man]

I agree with the owner/franchise part for sure, but I can really see Smith doing well in the desert. Never been a fan, but this article really gave me pause for thought. Dobber's a believer, Goldman is a believer and I am starting to be as well...

http://thegoalieguild.com/2011/07/sm...ts-in-phoenix/