For the past three years, the Winnipeg Jets have been a competitive team since the National Hockey League’s return to Manitoba, but the goal of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs has been the Achilles’ Heel of the organization. There is no question that General Manger Kevin Cheveldayoff and his staff have been working very hard to put the pieces together to make a playoff run in the upcoming 2014-15 season. Last season the Jets ranked 15th in the NHL in scoring with 219 goals, proving that the team has the offensive and defensive skill to be a successful and competitive team, but there many questions moving forward when it comes to the sustainability of the goaltending.
Winnipeg Jets Goaltending Concerns
Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec has been the starter in the crease for the last couple of seasons, but his numbers are far from elite status. During his time in Winnipeg, Pavelec has appeared in 169 games, posting 72 wins, 74 losses, and 5 shutouts. Pavelec was originally drafted by the Atlanta Thrashers in the second round (41st overall) in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft and will be entering his sixth NHL season, and with the guidance of Jets goaltending coach Wade Flaherty, this upcoming training camp is going to be an important one for Pavelec’s confidence if he wants to help the team turnaround from a sub par goals-against that had the Jets ranked 21st in the league last season.
One goaltender that may be ready to take a hold of the starting position in Winnipeg in case of a Pavelec meltdown could be back-up Michael Hutchinson. Hutchinson, a 2008 3rd round pick (77th overall) of the Boston Bruins, was not re-signed after his three-year entry-level contract ended after he finished 2012-13 playing for the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League , making him a free agent. On July 19, 2013 Hutchinson signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Jets and was assigned to the East Coast Hockey League with the Ontario Reign. In Ontario he worked hard with the Jets secondary affiliate, posting a very impressive 22-4 record, a 2.10 goals against average, and a .920 save percentage in 28 appearances.
During the 2013-14 season, the Jets moved Hutchinson up to the St. John’s Ice Caps, getting him back in the AHL because of an unfortunate season-ending injury to goaltender Ed Pasquale (who has since been traded from the Jets to the Washington Capitals in exchange for draft picks). Hutchinson made a huge statement in his return to the AHL with the Ice Caps, as he took the number one starting role and did not look back. Hutchinson went 17-5 for the remaining games of the 2013-14 Ice Caps season, posting a 2.30 goals against, and a .923 save percentage.
Hutchinson really showed how to harness his skills during the Ice Caps’ playoff run, appearing in 21 games while posting a 12-9 record with an impressive goals against of 1.95 and a save percentage of .938, brick-walling the St. John’s Ice Caps all the way to the 2013-14 AHL Calder Cup Finals before ultimately losing in 5 games to the champion Texas Stars. For his efforts, the Jets signed the 24-year-old to a two-year deal with the intentions of making him the back-up in Winnipeg.
Journeyman goaltender Al Montoya was Pavelec’s back up last season and did a serviceable job for the Jets playing in 28 games with a 13-8 record, posting a goals against average of 2.30 and save percentage of .920 from the bench. After being released by the New York Islanders, the Jets signed him to a one-year deal in the summer of 2012. Montoya only played in seven games for the Jets in his first year, posting a 3-1 record. He was resigned by the Jets on July 4, 2013 by a very happy Cheveldayoff, who was certainly interested in retaining his rights, but the two sides could not get a deal done this year and Montoya chose to sign with the Florida Panthers on the first day of free agency back on July 1st, 2014.
With all this shuffling of goalies through the Jets organization, it seems clear that Hutchinson will have the back-up job behind Pavelec for this upcoming season, but for how long he keeps that title remains uncertain. Some well known analysts are saying that Cheveldayoff might be dangling picks in the front of the Toronto Maple Leafs GM Dave Nonis for goaltender James Reimer, or do the Jets save the picks and possibly give what free agent Martin Brodeur wants in a starting job, bumping Pavelec to the bench? In my opinion, I do not see Brodeur going to the Jets because it is obvious what he wants to do before he retires, and that is win.
With 60 days remaining till the season starts, the time may be running out on a decision to either stay with what they have and believe, or shake things up and make a deal for a goaltender that they can possibly sign long-term to continue the forever process of building a winner. You can really tell that the fans have certainly bought into Winnipeg Jets Hockey, because they have been selling out every game since the teams return only 3 years ago. The passion of the Jets fans is amazing, and there is still hope that they can get better and get out of this non-playoff funk, since a post-season appearance has not been reached since they were the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2006-07 season.
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