Detroit Red Wings sign goalie Ty Conklin to one-year, $750,000 contract –NHL offseason Update
After veteran goalie Chris Osgood decided to retire after not coming to terms with Detroit about his future as their goaltender, Red Wings signed veteran defender, Ty Conklin, to a one-year deal worth an estimated $750,000 on Wednesday, July 20.
Fitting into the line-up as Jimmy Howard’s backup goalie will not be an issue for the 35-year-old goalie, having played 40 games with Detroit during the 2008-2009 season, it might just be what Conklin is looking for after having spent two low-key seasons
with St. Louis Blues.
"Just finding the rink, you worry about that coming to a new city", said Conklin. "I won't have that problem here. A lot of familiar faces, great team; it's exciting to be back".
Conklin himself failed to reach an agreement with St. Louis after playing back-to-back seasons with the team and participating in a total of 51 games with them and up until now, had remained an unrestricted free agent.
The undrafted player was picked up for his first National Hockey League (NHL) season by Edmonton Oilers during their 2001-2002 season, in which he appeared in four games and won two of them.
Conklin mainly continued to play with Hamilton Bulldogs in the American Hockey League (AHL), until finally playing 38 major league games with Edmonton during the 2003-2004 season.
The Anchorage, Alaska, United States native, continued to play with teams like Columbus Blue Jackets, Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and St. Louis, including one season with Detroit.
It was not hard to notice that Conklin faced a tough time with St. Louis as he maintained a .921 save percentage the first season, but drastically dropped during the one following it with a .881 percentage in the end.
"It wasn't my best year", Coklin said. "I didn't play a ton, but in all honesty, when you're out there you're still playing hockey".
According to Detroit, the position they wish to use him in, which is the first backup to Howard, followed by Joey MacDonald, his skill and level of experience is more than enough and plentiful from the other prospects that remain in the free market.
Being a team that has entered the plays for last 20 years, worrying about performance is the last things on their mind at the moment.
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