Keetley vs Irving rankings (What gives Dobber?)

[4horsemen]

I\'m curious as to why Leland Irving has been holding steady at 64 on the goalie list while Keetley has dropped to 80.

From everything I\'ve read so far this year Keetley is THE MAN in Quad City. His numbers are great (apart from wins-the team sucks) and he\'s started 10 games to Irving\'s 2 (in which he\'s been horrible).

So Dobber, what gives? Is it time to admit that Irving is not developing into the goalie people thought he\'d be.

[Dobber]

What is he 20? Come on man. For goalies, you can\'t even start looking at them until they are 22 (unless we\'re talking a Top 3 draft pick). How many games did Miller play in the NHL before he was 25? What about Bryzgalov? Thomas? Huet? Khabibulin? Roloson? Backstrom? Legace?

I\'d rather sit on a goalie with an ounce of star potential for six years, then select a goalie who will probably peak as a 1A goalie and is ready in one year.

But do you really have a bone to pick about a goalie who is ranked 80th and should be 63rd? It\'s 17 spots or 13 rating points, which is fairly slim.


I won\'t admit anything about goalies until their 22nd birthday.

[4horsemen]

Thanks for the response Dobber. So it\'s clear you\'re not buying into my theory that Keetley could be a more valuable keeper than Irving.

I went back to review your criteria for the goalie rankings and I\'d have to say that I agree with them completly but I differ in how they\'ve been weighted. Your Criteria are:

1. How many wins the goaltender will pick up next season.
2. The team they play for (this could give them added playoff value).
3. Where they sit on the depth chart.
4. How many years before they become a number one. If they already are a number one goalie, they obviously have an advantage.
5. Proneness to injury.
6. General talent level, based on scouting reports and statistical performance.
7. Age. So young you have to wait awhile? So old his numbers are slipping? Or...hitting his prime?

I see Keetley as a guy proving himself and impressing people every game. He could be contributing at an NHL level by next year so the only category that I see Irving having an advantage in is #6 and as you say, it\'s very hard to tell how young goalies will pan out. I tend to err on the side of caution and go with the guy that\'s proving he can play. I can\'t possibly wrap my head around sitting on a goalie for up to six years that may or may not amount to anything. That being said, I\'m not trying to write off Irving and I take your point that he\'s only 20 but ounces of star potential can come early then fade out whereas others find that ounce at just the right time.