The spinning of the goalie carousel was on full display during the past week, as previously open starting spots begin to get filled.
In this high-stakes game of musical chairs, the three trades involving Jacob Markstrom, Darcy Kuemper and Linus Ullmark could have a direct impact on the next destination for soon-to-be former Winnipeg Jets netminder Laurent Brossoit.
Brossoit is coming off the best season of his NHL career and is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.
Goaltender Laurent Brossoit is coming off the best season of his NHL career and is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. (Tony Gutierrez / The Associated Press files)
Without viewing his list of preferred destinations, three teams that were in the market for a No. 1 guy made moves, eliminating the New Jersey Devils, Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators from the list of potential suitors.
The link between Markstrom and the Devils goes back to before the NHL trade deadline, while the Kuemper move was more of a surprise.
The Kings are expected to roll with Kuemper, who lost his starting job to Charlie Lindgren last season but helped the Colorado Avalanche capture the Stanley Cup in 2022.
Kuemper will share the crease with another former Jets backup, David Rittich, who had an excellent bounce-back campaign and re-upped with the Kings.
Meanwhile, the Ottawa Senators acquired Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins on Monday in a package that sent Joonas Korpisalo to serve as the backup for Jeremy Swayman.
So where does that leave Brossoit?
There are still enough teams that are looking for an upgrade, whether that’s as a bona fide No. 1 job or more of a job share that looks more like a 1A and 1B situation.
The belief within the industry is that the Nashville Predators are going to find a way to extend Juuse Saros, so that eliminates another team — though Barry Trotz could make things interesting if he chooses to move top goalie prospect Yaroslav Askarov in an effort to add scoring.
The Pittsburgh Penguins appear to have solidified their tandem by re-upping Alex Nedeljkovic on a two-year deal, extending the partnership with Tristan Jarry.
With that in mind, here are several situations that still make sense for Brossoit:
Toronto Maple Leafs
There’s been a bit of a revolving door at this position during the past several years, with a mix of results. But by only advancing past the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs once since 2004, the expectation is that this is the summer the position becomes a higher priority. There’s been some talk of pursuing Ullmark, but it seems unlikely the Bruins would send him to an Atlantic Division rival. Joseph Woll, when healthy, looks like he’s the goalie of the present and the future but his starts have been limited the past several seasons. That’s why bringing in Brossoit makes a whole lot of sense for the Maple Leafs. There would definitely be competition, but this job share could allow both players to raise their games played totals while supporting one another. It looks like a win-win situation. Brossoit has the type of demeanour required to deal with a high-pressure environment like the one in the centre of the hockey universe.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights captured the Stanley Cup in 2023, with Brossoit providing five of the 16 wins required to reach the top of the mountain before he was sidelined with a season-ending injury in the second-round series with the Edmonton Oilers. Adin Hill is signed for one more season at $4.9 million, while Logan Thompson has one more season at $766,667 before both netminders can become unrestricted free agents. The Golden Knights were eliminated in the opening round by the Dallas Stars and both goalies saw action. Vegas doesn’t have much cap space available right now, so bringing back Brossoit could be a tad complicated – though that doesn’t mean it’s a move that won’t be considered.
Detroit Red Wings
Since Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman prefers to work in the shadows, it’s tough to get a read on what might be happening in the crease in Motor City. But it’s not hard to envision a pairing that includes Alex Lyon and Brossoit being an upgrade to the trio that included Lyon, James Reimer and Ville Husso last season. Although the Red Wings need to do a better job defending, they also need more saves if they want this to be the season that they’re on the rise and back in the postseason. Bringing in someone with Brossoit’s championship pedigree and desire to be a No. 1 guy should be something Yzerman and company are giving strong consideration to.
Utah Hockey Club
At first glance, perhaps the fit isn’t there. But after Connor Ingram essentially grabbed the No. 1 job from Karel Vemeljka last season, there’s a chance the franchise that relocated from Arizona could be looking for an upgrade in the pairing. If Vemeljka (who has one more season with an AAV of $2.725 million before he can become a UFA) is moved, Brossoit could move into a job share situation. Brossoit has started as many as 53 games in the American Hockey League, but 24 is his highest regular-season total — and he’s hoping to see that number increase to around 40 (or higher) as early as the 2024-25 season. Ingram set a career-high with 50 games and six shutouts last season, but sharing the load with someone like Brossoit could help Utah work its way into the wild card discussion in the near future.
ken.wiebe@freepress.mb.ca
X: @WiebesWorld
Ken Wiebe
Sports reporter
Ken Wiebe is a sports reporter for the Free Press, with an emphasis on the Winnipeg Jets. He has covered hockey and provided analysis in this market since 2000 for the Winnipeg Sun, The Athletic, Sportsnet.ca and TSN. Ken was a summer intern at the Free Press in 1999 and returned to the Free Press in a full-time capacity in September of 2023. Read more about Ken.
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Goalie carousel spinning fast – Winnipeg Free Press - Winnipeg Free Press
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