Courtesy: Washington Post
While the Washington Capitals still remain on the outside looking in of the NHL’s playoff picture, their goaltending situation has been a bright spot since the acquisition of Jaroslav Halak from the Buffalo Sabres before the trade deadline.
Even though goalie was not necessarily the top priority heading into the deadline as the Capitals are still in search of another top four defenseman or two, the threesome of Braden Holtby, Philipp Grubauer and Michal Neuvirth weren’t consistent enough to satisfy general manager George McPhee as he hopes to help prevent his organization for missing the postseason for the first time since 2006-2007. Going out and grabbing Halak, while also getting rid of a disgruntled Neuvirth was the right thing to do because it’s what the market demanded. There weren’t a lot of top flight defenseman available and likely they weren’t able to make the trip to D.C. due to price and value constraints. But is this move really worth it?
Absolutely… even if Washington fails to make the postseason.
What Halak brings to the table is a goalie looking to further prove himself in the NHL. He already has the reputation of being a solid goaltender, but tends to be streaky at times and is likely one of the reasons he and the St. Louis Blues initially parted ways. But his numbers can’t be discarded as he has been a productive goaltender, albeit for one of the better defensive hockey teams in the National Hockey League.
His numbers for both the Capitals and Blues in 2013-14 are as follows: 28-11-5, 2.21 GAA, .920 SV% 4 shutouts
For the Capitals: 4-2-1, 2.13 GAA, .935 SV%, 0 shutouts
Obviously, the sample size for the Capitals is much smaller than that of the Blues, but it goes to show that even in adjusting to a new system, new set of players and a different conference, Halak is propelling Washington as opposed to flat-lining them.
Some may ask what a guy like Halak does that is so much better than the threesome of Holtby, Neuvirth and Grubauer. Those guys are talented in different aspects, but Halak does a few more of the little things better that often go unrecognized outside of the major statistical goalie categories.
The main different in Halak as to why he is superior to these goaltenders is confidence. In coming over from the Blues to the Capitals, there could have been a possibility of being overwhelmed by the higher volume of shots thrown in his direction, inexperience of the defenseman in front of him and just a lesser brand of hockey IQ in terms of keeping pucks and traffic away from the net. Holtby hasn’t had the right body language and psyche since being pulled and losing starts in favor of Grubauer. Grubauer played with confidence, but still looked unsure of himself at times with the adjustment of skill levels from the AHL level of competition to the NHL. And then there’s Neuvirth, who found himself either on the injured list or an occasional spot start here and there just to keep him happy.
Halak gives the Capitals a stopper. Not a great one, but a good one. They’ve been satisfied with “serviceable” goaltenders ever since Olaf Kolzig ceased his duties between the pipes as he retired from the NHL after a brief stint with the Tampa Bay Lightning 2008-09. Halak is better than the Cristobal Huet’s and the Tomas Vokoun’s of the world. He isn’t an upper echelon netminder, but he is a guy who exudes confidence and plays at a very high level.
Another glaring difference in play between Halak and the previous goalies is his overall awareness is vastly superior. Halak does the ability to eat rebounds a little better than the other goalies, but his awareness of where opposing forecheckers are attacking and his wherewithal to cover up the puck more frequently than his predecessors has prevented the Capitals in doing something they’ve done a lot of this season: allow too many goals.
Even though the Capitals still aren’t a great puck possession team – and that largely stems from struggling in the faceoff circle – sometimes, a chance to reset, change lines and get a breath of fresh air a midst a tough in-game stretch is necessary. Halak, 28, has that experience advantage over the other three options in net this season for Washington and while it remains to be seen as to whether or not his services will be retained for the long term, he certainly has been a difference maker.
Halak is a $3.5 million player this season and will be an unrestricted free agent at season’s end. At this rate, he is earning himself some money for what could potentially be his largest contract as a professional given his current stage of his career. If the Capitals make the postseason, he has all of the leverage to squeeze out more money from the D.C. franchise. If they fail to make the postseason, he doesn’t have as much leverage with the Capitals, but the rest of the NHL has taken notice of his prowess with a below average defensive unit in front of him.
It’s not often that moves pegged as “rentals” work out long-term for teams, but this is a move the Capitals need to make as they need that stable piece in net for the next four-five years while they try to stockpile defenseman and fix the biggest issue on the surface.
