Most Promising Goalies Under 30
Every job in sports evolves over time, wether it’s quarterback, pitcher, pointguard and so on. But none as much as the goaltender’s. By players’ influence, rules and equipment, the goalies’ job is an ever fluctuating one. Here’s a look at some of the most dynamic and promising stars under thirty.
Jonas Hiller, Anaheim Ducks: At age twenty-eight, swiss netminder Hiller has taken his Anaheim Ducks to the Conference Semi-Finals in 2009 as they soundly defeated the heavily favoured San Jose Sharks before bowing out to the the Detroit Red Wings in seven.
This past season was rather unkind to Jonas Hiller as most of his number stayed in the same ballpark whereas his goals against average was less than satisfactory. With many years of hockey ahead of him, he will still have the chance to flourish and evolve towards his full potential and take back the Ducks, or another team, to the playoffs.
Cam Ward, Carolina Hurricanes:
Coming off a season plagued with injuries, Cam Ward will set out to prove that he is still one of the top men of his profession. The woes of this past season can be partly explained by the fact that he faced more shots than in almost any other season and that his team played a gave a severely sub-par effort in front of him. Ward stood on his head during the 2006 season and brought his Caroline Hurricanes to the Stanley Cup. Unless his team improves drastically in front of him in the near future, Ward will have to multiply the miracles (and remain healthy) if he wants to take his team once again, to the promised land.
Marc-Andre Fleury, Pittsburgh Penguins:
Even as the Penguins’ honeymoon with success lingers on, Marc-Andre Fleury’s play have declined over the past season. Despite being one of the most naturally-gifted and athletics goalies in the league, Fleury has struggled controlling his rebounds which all too often have a tendency to find their way behind the goaltender. Even with this flaw, Fleury has led his team to the Stanley Cup Finals twice in the last three years, winning it all during his last presence against the Detroit Red Wings.
This year should be a trying one for Fleury, who will be playing with a diminished talent pool in the defence corps in front of him. The loss of Sergei Gonchar to the Ottawa Senators will force Fleury to make better decisions and be doubly careful about his rebounds. With some more maturing in front of him, he could well become the franchise goaltender that he was hailed to be when drafted first overall in 2003.
Jonathan Quick, Los Angeles Kings:
Many factors can explain the L.A. Kings’ rise in the NHL firmament but none moreso than the play of young netminder Jonathan Quick. Thanks to his inspired play, the Kings have participated in the Playoffs for the first time since 2002. While posting a .907 average in 2009-2010 was nothing remarkable, his 2.56 goals per game average and four shutouts were paramount to the Kings’ success. With a good core of players up front and an unbelievable back-end led by Drew Doughty, Quick will only get better with time as he and the young crew in front of him find experience and maturity at the same time. It is safe to say that the Kings’ progress will only mirror that of Quick.
Jimmy Howard, Detroit Red Wings:
Where some teams have a push-and-shove attitude when it comes to development, the Detroit Red Wings can be, very, very patient. In Jimmy Howard, they saw enough good things to allow him many a season in Grand Rapids before giving him a shot at the starter’s job last year, which Howard grabbed from Osgood and never looked back since.
Howard was eighth in wins, and finished fourth in save percentage over the course of 63 games. It can be said that Howard played less than brilliantly in the Playoffs, doing decently in the first round against Phoenix and all but sabotaging his team’s chances in the second. Having played 63 games last season, coach Babcock plainly showed his faith in Howard. If the young goalie is given a bit more time and proper mentoring –two things that the Red Wings organization is well-known to provide- there is every reason to believe that Howard will be a legitimate star in the league and could at some point, bring back the Wings to the promised land.
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