Photo Credit: chatsports.com
Most teams have started to recognize just how essential the role of a backup goaltender really is. The current rigorous schedule of the NHL season (one where there are an ever-increasing number of teams) can only mean more back-to-back nights and more time spent on a plane traveling to further and further destinations. Seeing that each team must now play each other twice in a season, there are not as many easy bus trips up the New Jersey Turnpike, or quick train rides into New York to play a game. Gone are the days of netminders like Martin Brodeur being able to play in 75 regular season games a year. Now, even a dominant NHL goaltender like Andrei Vasilevskiy for the Tampa Bay Lightning only plays in (maybe) 55 games in the regular season. This requires the role of a backup goalie to now transform from a number two into more of One Alpha.
Take a glimpse at the teams who sit atop their respected divisions: You can see that they all have goaltending tandems. These duos are comprised of a Stanley Cup Champion netminder along with a guy who has (at least at one time in his career) not only been a starting goaltender for another team, but who has had seasons in which they have been in serious contention for the Vezina Trophy (which is voted on by all the leagues General Managers (GM) and given to the goaltender they think to be the league’s best at his position). The Boston Bruins: Tuukka Rask & Jaroslav Halak; Washington Capitals: Braden Holtby & Ilya Samsonnov (who just might take Holtby’s job sooner rather than later); Las Vegas Golden Knights: Marc-Andre Fleury & Robin Lehner; and the St. Louis Blues: Jordan Binnington & Jake Allen.
Now the Flyers most certainly have their undisputed number one in Carter Hart. In order to really contend against the likes of these powerhouse teams (mentioned above) should the Flyers look to move on from the now 35-year-old veteran netminder Brian Elliott (a.k.a. Moose)? In an interesting turn of events, Elliott (who will turn 36 during the next season) did have one of his healthiest, and therefore more productive years for the orange and black. This season he has posted 2.87 goals against average (GAA) and a .899 save percentage (SV%) while managing to muster out 16 wins in 31 games played (GP). While these numbers aren’t stellar, Elliott’s health did allow for continuity of goaltending (avoiding the merry-go-round of goalies that the Flyers saw in 2018-2019) and to also allow Hart to recuperate between games.
Even though, Moose managed to post only semi-acceptable numbers this season, he has no doubt been a phenomenal mentor to the young and talented Carter Hart. Elliott is not getting any younger though and had his fair share of injuries in his career. The Flyers do have an impressive list of goaltending prospects that are on their way: none of which will be ready to make the jump to the NHL next season (and take on the role as Hart’s backup). This puts the Flyers in a tough spot. Do they stick to what they know (Elliott) and hope that the hockey Gods let him have one more healthy year- a year that would give their prospects more time to develop? Or, do they try to keep up with the Joneses and better themselves by bringing in another short-term back up, that could provide better numbers than the sub .900 SV% and the nearly 3 goals a game average that Elliott posted last season?
If the Flyers were to look elsewhere and move on from Elliott, where should they be looking? The Dallas Stars Anton Khudobin would be a good candidate, and has thrived in this role as back-up goalie for a multitude of teams. Khudobin is a 33-year-old unrestricted free agent next season, and before the halt in play he was having an astounding year by amassing 16 wins in 30 games played while posting some numbers that absolutely jump off the page (a 2.22 GAA and a .930 SV%). With numbers like these, it’s easy to see why Anton would make a great addition to the Flyers. Along with those impressive stats, Khudobin would also bring some Stanley Cup-winning experience to Philadelphia seeing as how he was called up from the minors at the start of the 2011 playoffs for the Bruins in order to back up Tuukka Rask- the year that the Bruins won the Cup.
Khudobin is only 5’11″ but he somehow manages to stand tall in the net even when down in the butterfly position; Anton works hard at keeping his hands held high and gives away no holes at the top of the net. Armed with an exceptional glove hand, he often makes highlight-reel saves on some of the best shooters in the league. To go along with that Khudobin has a very rapid reaction time that allows him to protect the bottom of the net well by making impressive kick saves. When forced into a shootout after an overtime session he excels; showing extreme patience waiting for the shooter to make the first move. With us all bearing witness to just how tight of a race the Metro Division has been this season, this trait could help the Flyers add some much-needed points to their final season totals next year: Perhaps even pushing them into a higher playoff seed.
Both Elliott and Khudobin are signed currently to similar contracts, with Khudobin making just $500,000 more on the season. The Flyers could conceivably sign Khudobin to a less expensive contract next season seeing that Anton may be forced to look for employment elsewhere: Jake Oettinger is a well-known Boston University goaltending prospect who is waiting in the wings for his chance to make the jump into the NHL since being drafted by the Dallas Stars. Oettinger shined this season playing for the Texas Stars, Dallas’s American Hockey League affiliate.
The Flyers GM has a very trying decision ahead of him this offseason at the goaltending position. Chuck Fletcher needs to decide whether to stay with what the team knows and re-sign Brian Elliott (hopefully to a home-team discount), who has been there, knows the system and has been an excellent mentor to Carter Hart. Or will he decide to take a chance and try his hand at acquiring a slightly younger and considerably more efficient model (at least in the terms of goaltending stats) in the form of Anton Khudobin. With having to weigh the pros and cons of both, who knows just what Chuck will decide. We will have to wait and see what the free-agency offseason brings once everything returns to the new normal.
