The Goaltending Riddle Solved!

The Senators’ big deadline deal today finally addressed their goaltending issues, their most glaring need. They shipped forward Antoine Vermette to the Columbus Blue Jackets in exchange for goaltender Pascal Leclaire and a second round draft pick in the upcoming NHL entry draft.

I love this deal. I asked TSN’s Pierre Mcguire about this deal when it was only a rumour yesterday. He said, “The Sens would have to give up more than Vermette to make it work. In Leclaire, you have a bonafide potential number one goalie.” However, it was Columbus that gave up more, throwing in a 2nd rounder. Today Mcguire went a step further calling Leclaire the greatest goalie in Sens history.

Leclaire has a great pedigree. Columbus chose him as the top goalie in the 2001 NHL draft. He went 8th overall, six picks after Jason Spezza. As with most all goalies, it has taken some time for Leclaire to mature but he finally arrived in a big way last year and was one of the top goalies last season. Leclaire ranked 2nd in the NHL in goals against (2.25), 2nd in shutouts (9) and third in save percentage (.919).

Critics of the deal are suggesting he’s another Martin Gerber since he has had only one good season under his belt. Let’s review the resumes. Gerber was chosen the same year as Leclaire – 224 picks later. In Gerber’s big year, he posted just 3 shutouts, a 2.78 goals against and a save percentage of .919. And I’ll take a star Quebec League goalie any day. The Q tends to be a little more of a goalie factory than the Swiss league.

And let’s keep rolling with the “he’s only had one good year” theory. So you don’t like his history? What is it about Vermette’s history that has you so jacked up to NOT make this deal? You think Vermette will get 70 points next season? What makes you think that? Is it his 28 points this season? Is it his career average of 38 points per season? You can’t be a skeptic about Leclaire being a star because he’s only done it for one season then turn around and be an optimist that Vermette will do something he’s never done.

Even if Vermette is ready to explode, the Sens don’t need what he occasionally delivers as badly as they need goaltending.

Sure, you wish the Senators had chosen instead to acquire Roberto Luongo. But my sources tell me the Canucks really, really like Robert Luongo. The truly great goalies aren’t available. At 26, I believe Leclaire still has a shot at becoming one of them. I understand the concerns that he’s been injury prone. But so was another Senator when he was right around Leclaire’s age. They’ll be hanging that guy’s number 11 from the SBP rafters in a couple of years.

The question is, based on the way the Sens goalies have played this season, getting worse as the season progresses, is it a good idea to allow goaltending coach Eli Wilson to get his mitts on Leclaire?

Inside Trading

Sens’ GM Bryan Murray hasn’t had a bad year in making trades. He was a good deal better than last season.

Since last summer, he’s acquired Pascal Leclaire, Chris Campoli, Mike Comrie, Ryan Shannon, Filip Kuba and Alex Picard. Basically all it cost him was Andrej Meszaros, Lawrence Nycolat, Dean McAmmond and Antoine Vermette. The first rounder he got in the Meszaros deal is a wash, as it was both acquired and traded. Maybe Murray could let someone else pick the coaches and stick to trading.

Getting Gerber off the books doesn’t hurt either. By acquiring him, I have to assume the Blue team is trying to climb back into the Tavares sweepstakes.