The Hockey News’s Connor Eargood asks “Three Burning Questions” ahead of training camp, and while he duly notes that the restricted free agents are probably question #1, it’s his second query that I’m most interested in:
How will the Red Wings break up their goaltending starts in camp and preseason? During the regular season, Detroit’s coaching staff will have its hands full figuring out how to divvy up its expected three-goalie rotation. During training camp, the logistics get even tougher.
The Red Wings’ goaltending needs look something like this: They need to get Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon in full game shape, giving them enough reps in training camp and the preseason to also evaluate who among them should be the starter. Detroit also needs to get Ville Husso in the mix, getting a sense of his game readiness after coming back from two major lower body injuries last season.
Then there’s Sebastian Cossa, who’s probably going to get his only minutes against NHL competition this season in his preseason ice time. If he’s the Red Wings’ goaltender of the future, potentially playing for the big club as soon as next season, then getting a sense of where he’s at coming out of this offseason is imperative.
Don’t forget about Jack Campbell, either, as Detroit’s fourth-string NHL option expected to stick in the AHL. He’ll need reps, too. And if the Red Wings can somehow make room for all five of those goalies to get adequate reps, they would do well to try out minor league prospects Carter Gylander and Gage Alexander in preseason games, too. Easy enough? This logistical problem reads like an SAT question. If it was one, you’d be wise to circle “C” and move along.
Last preseason, Detroit maximized its eight games by splitting the first five games between six goaltenders. Cossa got one period. Jan Bednar played half a game. Michael Hutchinson completed half of two games, James Reimer and Ville Husso each played two halves Lyon got one half and two thirds. In the final three games of the preseason, Detroit gave each of Lyon, Reimer and Husso a start.
A similar prescription could work out this preseason, but putting seven goaltenders in the mix might call for slightly different math. So too might new factors such as the conditioning needs of Husso and a more progressed timeline for Cossa. Dividing goaltending starts will be a major decision for the Red Wings’ coaching staff in September.
Continued; there’s also the question as to which players might end up signing Professional Try-Outs, which is always an x-factor.
I wouldn’t rule out an NHL veteran free agent signing a PTO, but other than affording a vet the time to play his way onto a two-way contract, the most important issue facing the Wings is definitely how to get all their goaltenders playing time over the course of Detroit’s 8 exhibition games.
From Talbot to Lyon to Husso, you want your NHL’ers to get as close to a whole game in as possible, if not more playing time;
Campbell and Cossa will earn limited time just because of the roster crunch, but the Wings will want glances at their respective progressions…
And while it looks like Carter Gylander and Gage Alexander are both headed to the ECHL to work in another three-headed goalie monster with Griffins-contracted Jan Bednar, one never knows what a good half-an-exhibition game might do for their respective causes.
It’s a bit of a mess, and coach Derek Lalonde, defensive coach Bob Boughner, goaltending coach Alex Westlund, goaltending development coach Phil Osaer and Griffins goaltending coach Roope Koistinen are going to be working overtime to attempt to sort out their goalies’ playing time–and, given the roster crunch, they’re going to be doing their best to maximize practice time for a total of 8 goaltenders, a potential invite to the prospect tournament not included.
The Wings could very realistically have 3 3-headed goalie monsters, and that’s a lot of goalies to work with.
