Gone Puck Wild
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The Minnesota Wild’s Goalie Conundrum and How to Fix it

By Lake Martin

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA - APRIL 20: Alex Stalock #32 of the Minnesota Wild replaces teammate Devan Dubnyk #40 in Game Five of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Winnipeg Jets on April 20, 2018 at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jason Halstead /Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA - APRIL 20: Alex Stalock #32 of the Minnesota Wild replaces teammate Devan Dubnyk #40 in Game Five of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Winnipeg Jets on April 20, 2018 at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jason Halstead /Getty Images) /
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The Market is Ripe for Team’s Looking to Pickup a Goaltender. Who Could the Wild Look at?

Vegas Golden Knights, Robin Lehner #90 (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images)
Vegas Golden Knights, Robin Lehner #90 (Photo by Derek Leung/Getty Images) /

There’s an interesting amount of Goalie’s who are/could be available in the upcoming offseason (whenever that may be). First, we’ll go over goalies that’ll be available in Free Agency.

Robin Lehner

Didn’t it seem rather odd that Lehner ended up in Chicago? After an excellent season on Long Island, it would have made a lot of sense to see him get a 3-5yr contract with the Islanders. Instead, New York made a run at Sergei Bobvrosky (at least according to the rumor mill), and let Lehner walk. And of all the places Lehner could have gone, he ended up in Chicago, a team that looked like they were actively on the decline? Just odd.

Now Stan Bowman could have flipped Lehner for a ransom. Lehner stole some games for the Blackhawks. In the 31 games he started, he went 16-10-5 with a .918 save percentage and a 3.01 GAA. Instead, Bowman traded away one of the few highlights of the Blackhawks this season for Malcolm Subban, Stanislav Demin, and a 2nd rd pick in the 2020 draft. Demin, a prospect, hasn’t done much for the Denver Pioneers in his two seasons there, only 23 points in 75 games. Perhaps it could be because the Pioneers have a deep roster, but who knows.

Bowman should have commanded a much higher price for Lehner, especially with what Vegas could realistically give, OR Bowman should have extended Lehner and used him to rebuild that roster with. Instead, he did neither.

Lehner has been a solid tender for the last couple of seasons. In the past five seasons, he has been at or above .920 save percentage for four of the five seasons, the only season he failed to do so, the Buffalo Sabres finished last in the league. Lehner is currently making $5M this season.

Lehner’s ability to consistently make a high volume of saves per game compounded with the Wild’s strong defensive core could greatly allow for a team that is maximum security in their own end.

Braden Holtby

Washington Capitals, Braden Holtby #70 (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Washington Capitals, Braden Holtby #70 (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) /

The 2015-2016 Vezina Winner, 2016-2017 Jennings Winner, 2x All-Star, and 2018 Stanley Cup Champion, Braden Holtby has built a solid resume. The Trophy Cabinet shelters a rather unimpressive season this year. In 48GP, Holtby has only saved .897 percentage of shots and allows on average 3.11 goals a game.

Now, Holtby might be experiencing a bit of what Dubnyk has. Since 2014-2015, only one goalie has played more games than Dubnyk and that is Braden Holtby. Since the 2014-2015 season, Braden Holtby has played over 66% of games in a season. The poor season this year may be due to the heavy workload he’s had for over five seasons.

Holtby is currently making $6.1M AAV so what may he command in this upcoming free agency? Who knows. The pandemic may make it difficult for teams to spend, it’s near impossible for the cap to rise next season.

The other concern is will Holtby return to tip-top shape? Through his career, he’s had a save percentage around .913 and a GAA of 2.53. At 30, I think he could certainly return to form. The Capitals aren’t exactly the most defensively sound of teams that could help his stat line.

Holtby could also use a bit of a lightened workload, which would work hand in hand with bringing up Kaapo Kahkonen.

Jacob Markstrom

Vancouver Canucks, Jacob Markstrom #25 (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images)
Vancouver Canucks, Jacob Markstrom #25 (Photo by Rich Lam/Getty Images) /

Jacob Markstrom is a UFA at the end of the season, but I struggle to see the 6′ 6″ tender leaving British Columbia. He’s been a model of consistency since playing his first full season for Vancouver, consistently around .915 save percentage and a GAA of 2.73. Still, he could depart and it’s worth mentioning the idea of the Wild joining him.

Can’t forget that the Canucks have Thatcher Demko and Michael DiPietro who could be ready for full-time duty.

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