Re Evaluating the Goalie Situation

As the Ottawa Senators activate Cam Talbot off of the Injured Reserve and have sent Kevin Mandolese back to the minors, I think it’s time to discuss the goaltending carousel that the Ottawa Senators are currently facing. For purposes of this article, I’m going to break down each goaltender that has played for the Sens this season, and where they sit.

Cam Talbot

Cam Talbot was acquired by the Ottawa Senators this past summer in exchange for Filip Gustavsson one-for-one. I’m not going to revisit that trade (yet), I’m going to rather talk about Talbot’s performance this year in Ottawa. In 28 games played this season, he sports a 12-13-1 record with a .905 S% and a 2.90 GAA. Compared to last season, these numbers are not as good, considering he netted 32-12-4 in 48 games, with a .911 S% and a 2.76 GAA. Considering that he was playing with a more defensively responsible team in Minnesota, a bit of a step back had to be expected. Talbot’s play has been pretty good if we’re considering the lackluster defence he’s playing behind. He’s up for a contract this offseason, and it’s been mentioned that he’d be traded, but that was before Anton Forsberg went down with an injury. He could very well still be traded but I honestly don’t see it because of this new injury.

Anton Forsberg

As mentioned above, Forsberg is currently battling a pretty intense injury as he has torn his MCLs in both knees. It’s expected that he will miss the remainder of the season, but should be ready for training camp. Forsberg spotted an 11-11-2 this season with a save percentage of .902% and a GAA of 3.26. These numbers are down compared to last year’s 22-17-4, .917 S% and GAA of 2.82. Forsberg’s slower season can be attributed to multiple injuries to himself and then when he got back, it was the dreadful month of November where Ottawa just could not find a way to win. He should be able to bounce back next season when he returns to a clean bill of health.

Mads Sogaard

Mads Sogaard was called up due to injuries to both Talbot and Forsberg, and in his short stint has played pretty well. In two games this season he’s 2-0 so far, and in one game where he came in relief, lost in overtime. Obviously, no goalie will remain undefeated, but his play surely sparks optimism for Sens future in net. Sogaard appears to be the current top prospect in net. Standing at 6’7, he truly gives me Ben Bishop vibes, and not only because of his height or the fact they both have Ottawa Senators routes. I find that their style of play is somewhat similar, using their large frame to cover over 90% of the net. Sogaard plays a strong positional game and covers his angles tremendously and tracks the puck like Craig Anderson once did for the nation’s capital. He has a strong starter upside and appears to be one of the better goalie prospects in the NHL. I expect him to slot in as the backup to Forsberg next season and will win the starter crease by the time Forsberg’s contract is up.

Kevin Mandolese

Kevin Mandolese is the second rookie to be mentioned in this article, and he’s played just as well as Sogaard. As I mentioned above, he’s been sent back to the minors. Mandolese has struggled in the AHL so far this year but has played lights out in the ECHL. This can be used to infer that he’s not ready for a full-time NHL gig quite yet. I project him to be more of a backup, or even third string, but that’s okay. Not every prospect will turn into Andrei Vasilevksiy

Leevi Merilainen

Leevi Merilainen is the one goalie I am mentioning with no NHL games under his belt. He’s currently playing in Liiga with Karpat. He’s got a stunning record of 17-9-5 with a .928S% and a 1.72 GAA. I bring him up because entering this season, he was the goalie prospect I think has the highest potential for the Senators. I still think he has great potential in the NHL, but Sogaard has surpassed him on the depth chart in my eyes. I see him and Mandolese in Belleville next year, and after that whatever goalie surpasses the other would form a tandem with Sogaard in the NHL once Forsberg moves on.