the Great Goaltending Quandry and the G Window

[wbon22]

Right now the Flyers have NO goaltenders under contract for next season. Not Mason, Not Neuvy, not Stolarz, not Lyon. None.

They also have Carter Hart who is destroying the WHL and could well be the starter for Canada at the Junior Worlds.

What does this all mean...it means that a lot of money and contracts and roster spots are available at the position. Personally, I don't want to go too crazy on Ben Bishop or any of the other rumored options.
I would rather resign Mason or Neuvy (as a backup) and play Stolarz or Lyon or go with just Stolarz and Lyon for the next two years...why two years...because Carter Hart is only not even 19 yet. As good as he is, he is not going to be NHL ready next year, and he won't be able to go to the AHL because he is too young...so...that takes care of next year. The year after that he could well either take the job or start the year as a Phantom and then take the job as the season progresses....

The one big caveat that I have been reminded of is the "Giroux Window". G is not that brash first or second year pro who is taking the league by storm. He has some wear on the tires. He has some city miles on the odometer and the pot holes have taken a toll. If the Flyers are going to win a cup with G it is going to be in the next three to four years. that would mean that just about all of the Flyers decisions are going to be with not just long term development in mind, but also with the G Window.

I could see the Flyers saying good bye to Mason and Neuvy and signing someone and bringing up Stolarz (Ben Bishop maybe) to carry the water for the next four years. I could see them resigning Mason and going with Mason and Stolarz. I could see them resigning Neuvy and in a year or two Stolarz is the starter and Lyon is the backup and Neuvy has been dealt as well...Really...right now the position is about as fixed as it is going to be because until someone gets re-upped, all bets are off.

 

[awaz]

I expect it to be Mase/Stolarz next year, with Lyon resigned and the starter for the Phantoms. Hart will have to go back to juniors next year as he won't be age-eligible for the AHL yet (i think).

Sandstrom and Madsen are also having good years in Sweden and at the NCAA level. I'm not worried at all about the goaltending situation, if anything they have too many good options.

I would be irate if they gave any goalie longer than a 2 year deal or so. Especially if it's Bishop on a high $$ contract also. Mase has shown, even though lots of people refuse to see it, that he's a quality NHL starter. He's not a top 5 goalie, but the Flyers can win with him in net. He just has a fragile ego.

As for G, it's definitely a tight window to me. However, most of his damage comes on the PP and he could keep doing that for longer, even if he's not a #1 center. The issue I see is that they don't really have a #1 C prospect in the system at the moment. IMO, Rubtsov is a 2 at best, though he's not going to be anything if he keeps playing < 2 minutes per game in the KHL. But, the good side of that is forwards develop faster than dmen and goalies, so they can look in the next two drafts for a #1 center, or they can move a dman in the future for a #1 center.