The Detroit Red Wings chose to take a safe route in terms of managing the organization’s crease this month, with the team signing big goaltender Daniil Tarasov as John Gibson’s back-up goaltender.
As such, Michal Postava and Trey Augustine appear set to split time in the Grand Rapids Griffins’ crease, with Carter Gylander reprising his role as the Wings’ representative on the Toledo Walleye.
This morning, Detroit Hockey Now’s Max Smith suggests that Postava could very well unseat the 27-year-old Tarasov as Detroit’s back-up goaltender, given that Tarasov’s only significant NHL experience involves serving as Sergei Bobrovsky’s injury replacement this past season in Florida:
Prior to last year when injuries to the Florida Panthers lineup forced him in-net for 33 games, Tarasov had never started 25 games in a season.
In his five years playing with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Florida Panthers, Tarasov has a record of 32-49-9. His GAA remains solidly above a 3.00 in that span as well. Tarasov certainly can play at the NHL level.
If the Red Wings were looking to send a message to Postava that he wasn’t expected to seriously compete for the backup job, they probably would have looked for more solid options. Or re-signed Cam Talbot.
The Red Wings gave themselves the flexibility to bring Postava up, and potentially send Tarasov down during the season by signing him to a one year, two million dollar deal. If Postava wins the backup job after camp, then Tarasov would be able to help shelter a young Trey Augustine in his first season at the professional level. Not many teams want that kind of cap hit buried in the AHL.
Either way, it’s time for Yzerman and the Red Wings to let their young goalies have their run.
Smith suggests that Postava is the Wings’ current “goaltender of the future,” but I’d suggest that such a term is a little optimistic given that Sebastian Cossa was supposed to be the “goaltender of the future,” too…
And, with a crease that includes Postava, Augustine, Gylander, Rudy Guimond, Michal Pradel and Michal Orsulak all in the pipeline, Detroit arguably has several “goaltenders of the future.”
At present, Augustine is the long-term jewel in the crown, but goaltender development is wildly unpredictable, though the studious Augustine’s a pretty safe bet to continue to develop somewhat linearly.
