Gold Medal 1972,Canadian A Mens

THN.com Blog: Very few NHL goaltender openings remain

MartinBiron led the Flyers to the Eastern final two years ago, but couldn'tget his team out of the first round last year. (Getty Images)

Brian Costello

2009-07-12 08:55:00

Did Martin Biron price himself out of a job in the NHL? Looks like it.

Eleven days into the free agent season and virtually every team has filled their starter and backup jobs for 2009-10.

SoBiron may have to look for a job in Europe or the Kontinental League.Same with the other NHL proven UFA goalies Manny Fernandez, MannyLegace, Martin Gerber, Brent Johnson, Joey MacDonald, Curtis Sanford,Wade Dubielewicz and Kevin Weekes. That’s nine looking-for-workstoppers and a shrunken market.

Here are the new goaltender jobs this summer:

Bostonhas top prospect Tuukka Rask as backup. Chicago has Cristobal Huet asstarter and top prospect Corey Crawford as backup. Colorado has CraigAnderson as starter and Peter Budaj is relegated to backup. Dallas hasAlex Auld as backup. Detroit has prospect Jimmy Howard as backup.Edmonton has Nikolai Khabibulin as starter. Columbus has Mathieu Garonas backup. Florida has Scott Clemmensen as backup. New Jersey hasprospect Jeff Frazee as backup. The Islanders have Dwayne Roloson asbackup. Ottawa has Brian Elliott as backup. Philadelphia has Ray Emeryas starter and Brian Boucher as backup. Phoenix has Jason LaBarbera asbackup. Pittsburgh has John Curry as backup. San Jose has Thomas Greissas backup. St. Louis has Ty Conklin as backup. Tampa Bay has AnteroNiittymaki as backup. Toronto has Jonas Gustavsson as backup. Vancouverhas Andrew Raycroft as backup.

From my point of view, here are the only openings remaining and a possible outcome. Good health is presumed at this point.

Calgarymight want an experienced backup to spell an overworked MiikkaKiprusoff, but Curtis McElhinney makes the $500,000 minimum and theFlames are up against the cap. Maybe one of those nine UFAs getsdesperate and settles for $700,000 or $800,000.

Related Links

Martin Biron player pageMore from Brian CostelloTHN.com Free Agency CentralAll THN.com blogsThe Los Angeles Kings maintain they’re not looking to sign agoalie and will open the season with Jonathan Quick and Erik Ersberg onthe roster. Top prospect Jonathan Bernier will push for a job as well.A slow start may prompt the team to consider signing a veteran.

NewJersey is high on Frazee to eventually spell the aging Martin Brodeur,but 50 games in the American League would be better for the 22-year-oldthan 15 in the NHL. Opening for a backup here…if they’re not happy withthe recently signed Yann Denis.

There’s another opening for a backup behind Marc-Andre Fleury in Pittsburgh, but Curry is 25 and it’s now or never time for him.

EvgeniNabokov plays a lot in San Jose and the Sharks have a stable ofgoaltending prospects on the farm team. They’ll probably stick with23-year-old Greiss as the 10-15 game backup.

So just a fewbackup openings for nine available NHL goalies. And Biron looks to bethe only one who wouldn’t be satisfied with fewer than 40 games. Startlooking east of the Atlantic, Marty.

Brian Costello is The Hockey News’s senior special editions editor and a regular contributor to THN.com. You can find his blog each weekend.

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