Goalie Woes: NHL Teams With Hardships In Net

The NHL has a number of teams scrambling to remedy some dire goalie ‘situations’

A goalie is maybe the hardest thing on an NHL roster to replace.

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A good goaltender is pricey; it’s almost impossible to afford two starting-level guys in net. A good number one guy can set a team back as much as six or seven million per season, which accounts for almost a tenth of the salary cap; with twenty-two other roster spots to fill, teams have to figure out the best way to spend to protect the net.

Yet, with only one goalie in a game at a time, injuries — or major slumps — make it necessary to have someone NHL-ready on hand at all times. Which means a team’s backup should probably be competent at worst, and potential starting material at best.

Do you see the issue?

As Thanksgiving approaches, a couple of teams find themselves faced with this particular bind. Some are temporary issues, some seem more long-term… and yet another few could leave these teams high and dry in the league standings if a solution doesn’t pop up soon.

Here’s a look at the teams that might need to figure out a Plan B — and might need to figure it out now.

Next: Next: San Jose Sharks