Top 5 NHL Free Agent Goalies For The Summer of 2014

Apr 23, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Blues goalie

(39) covers the puck against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period in game four of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

The Stanley Cup has been hoisted and the awards have been handed out.  The draft takes place this Friday and Saturday, but don’t get too comfortable on the baseball channel.  Free agency opens up on July 1 and although the free agent class is relatively weak, there are still a few big names on the market.

As far as goalies go, the free-agent class gets even thinner. But there are a few goalies worth looking into for teams that have the need.

Here’s a look at the top five goaltenders available this offseason.

Apr 23, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; St. Louis Blues goalie Ryan Miller (39) covers the puck against the Chicago Blackhawks during the second period in game four of the first round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Miller

The easy choice for the top netminder to be had this year is Ryan Miller. After spending parts of 10 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Miller was shipped to St. Louis at the trade deadline last season in what turned out to be a failed experiment.

Miller was sent to the Blues along with Steve Ott in exchange for goalie Jaroslav Halak, forward Chris Stewart and a  first-round pick in the 2015 draft. The Blues were at the top of the league at that point and thought adding Miller would be the piece to put them over the top for a long playoff run.

At the time of the trade, the Blues held a .661 winning percentage. By season’s end, that had dropped to .565. The trend continued into the playoffs as the team was eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.

Of course, the blame isn’t all on Miller, but he didn’t exactly hold up his end of the deal. Miller began his St. Louis career with outstanding success, posting stats of 9-3-1 in March, with a .912 save percentage and a 2.18 goals-against-average (GAA). However, the success didn’t carry over into April, a month in which he lost five of his six starts, including five straight. Miller put up an .885 save percentage and a 3.11 GAA over that period.

The playoffs were more of the same as Miller recorded an .897 save percentage with a 2.70 GAA in the Blues’ first-round exit.

Saying all that however, Miller is still the best goalie available and he is still a top player. His career .915 save percentage will attest to that.

The problem is that most teams look set at the starter position. A handful of teams are in need of backup goalies, but no team is in dire need of a starter. There are a few teams that would be upgraded by acquiring Miller. I think the Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets, and Calgary Flames could all be considered.

We can probably rule out Calgary due to Miller just left a team that won’t be competitive for a few years. Winnipeg and Washington are interesting, though.

The Capitals let Halak go to the Islanders and suggested they are content with Braden Holtby as their starter. Considering Holtby’s inconsistency last season, the Capitals could (and probably should) be interested in Miller for the right price.

The Jets have Ondrej Pavelec slotted as their number one guy. To go with a guy that has a career .906 save percentage and 2.96 GAA in 288 NHL games seems irresponsible for a team that was mostly competitive last year. I don’t know how Miller would feel about going to Winnipeg or if the Jets could afford him, but Miller would certainly be an upgrade for them.

May 16, 2014; Anaheim, CA, USA; Anaheim Ducks goalie

(1) makes a save against the Los Angeles Kings during the second period in game seven of the second round of the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

Jonas Hiller

This is just another story of a good goalie who got squeezed out by two very good young goalies. Age and salary certainly come into play with the Anaheim Ducks’ decision not to offer a contract to Jonas Hiller.

Hiller made $4.5 million last season with the Ducks, so the emergence of Frederik Andersen and highly-acclaimed John Gibson made the decision easy for Anaheim.

Hiller played very well most of the year, but his performance trailed off in the last two months of the season, resulting in him losing his starter’s role for the playoffs.

Hiller’s career numbers are great – .916 save percentage, 2.51 GAA, 21 shutouts – so his career isn’t downhill from here.

I can see Hiller fitting in nicely in Winnipeg with Pavelec backing him up. The Capitals also could do something similar to what they did with Halak and Holtby down the stretch – a strong tandem of sorts.

I expect to see Hiller sign somewhere before Miller, so it will be interesting to see where those two end up.

March 29, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Winnipeg Jets goalie

(35) defends the goal against the Los Angeles Kings during the third period at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

Al Montoya

 Al Montoya put up strong numbers as the Winnipeg Jets number two goalie. He set career highs of 13 wins, 2 shutouts, and a 2.30 GAA to go with a .920 save percentage.

A pro to signing Montoya is he only made $600,000 last year, so he won’t command a high salary. Besides the issue of few starter jobs available, I don’t foresee Montoya as a reliable starter anytime soon. He is a solid backup, however.

Montoya would be a good fit as a backup with more playing time than customary for backups. As I’ve said for a couple others, Calgary would fit that. Washington has been that way for a few years.

Montoya is a cheap and reliable backup goaltender and I don’t expect him to be a free agent for long.

Apr 13, 2014; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils goalie

(30) is honored by fans after his 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports

Martin Brodeur

And then there’s Martin Brodeur, perhaps the most interesting of the free agent goalies. After a storied 20-year career with the New Jersey Devils as arguably the best goalie of all-time, Brodeur has made it clear he plans to move on for what is likely to be his final year.

With Brodeur, you’re going to be paying for a legend, regardless of his declining skill. Last season, Brodeur posted a line of 19-4-6, .901, 2.51, splitting time with Cory Schneider.

Brodeur still has solid backup skills and he brings more than just skill to a team, which increases his value. He can mentor a young starter like Philadelphia’s Steve Mason or Ramo in Calgary while also relieving them occasionally.

I like the idea of him in Philadelphia. Mason improved a lot last season and the Flyers really need Mason to finally be the number one Philadelphia has been missing for years. Brodeur mentoring Mason could fine-tune his skills even more. I’m sure Brodeur is also looking to go to a competitive team in search of one final ring.

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