The next San Jose Sharks backup goalie is already in house. The leading two candidates are already a few season into their careers for the Sharks, and the newcomer is coming off his best year in the SHL.
After James Reimer signed as a free agent with the Florida Panters, there was much speculation where the Sharks would turn next to backup Martin Jones. Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson did not rest on the laurels of a team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final. His signing of Aaron Dell and Mantas Armalis helped solidify the Sharks goaltending depth, which is still an area of concern for the franchise. Troy Grosenick was already under contract for the 2016-17 campaign after a two-year extension last offseason. San Jose’s history of giving its own players the first opportunity at roster vacancies will continue this year.
Internal Candidates Only…For Now
At the Rookie Showcase, Wilson stated that the plan for training camp is not to bring a PTO goalie in to compete for a roster spot. The pickings are pretty slim. Instead, the current Sharks prospect netminders will vie for the job.
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Whoever wins the job needs to succeed. While believing in promotion from within, if the job isn’t getting done, there are plenty of sellers on the goalie market.
“There will be other goalies that will potentially be available, there are a lot of teams that have excess goalies,” said Wilson at the Rookie Showcase last week in Colorado. “But we really think they (Armalis, Dell, and Grosenick) are ready for the opportunity.”
Wilson played this hand last season. Backup Alex Stalock regressed to the point that Wilson returned to the Toronto Maple Leafs fire sale and picked up Reimer, who performed exceedingly well while giving Martin Jones some much-needed rest down the stretch. Whoever wins the backup job, will need to do the job to keep it.
Mantas Armalis
Hailing from Plunge, Lithuania, Armalis lead SHL’s Djurgårdens with 34 appearances and posted a .918 save percentage and 2.42 goals-against average. The move from the larger ice surface and North American style of play is a lot for any player, but for a goaltender, it can be even more challenging. Armalis attended the development camp back in July and part of the Rookie roster at training camp. He also got a full 60 minutes in against the Colorado Avalanche at the Rookie Showcase, dropping the contests 4-1.
“It’s a lot about the angles obviously. The ice is much more narrow and also the pucks coming in much faster,” said Armalis.
When asked if the crease traffic in the North American game was a change, he pointed to the first goal at the Rookie Showcase when he faced a heavy screen in front of the net.
“There is some adjustment to that, too, of course, but it’s still hockey.”
Armalis’ size is an attribute, standing at 6’4″ and stays big in net when he is down on the ice. The angles and chaotic play in front of the net have been an adjustment and one that takes some time to adjust is always a work in progress.
Aaron Dell
Dell, 27, has risen through the ranks to be the favorite in the goaltending battle. His path the NHL, where he dressed as the Sharks backup but never saw any game action, included stops in the Central Hockey League, ECHL, AHL, and now challenging for one of 60 or so top goaltending jobs in the world.
“I think my path is a big reason of why I’m here. I got to mature at the pro levels, all the way up. It’s pretty humbling to be here now,” said Dell. “It’s real exciting to be here and have the opportunity I have now.”
Dell was the goalie that San Jose Barracuda Head Coach Roy Sommer turned to when the Barracuda were fighting for the final AHL playoff spot in the West, which Dell’s performance and stabling presence in net helped them squeeze in the last days of the 2015-16 season. Dell’s save percentage was an excellent .923, good enough for third in the league.
“It’s a big opportunity,” said Dell of the open backup spot. “I try to push it to the back of my mind and just do what I can do. That’s all I can control.”
Troy Grosenick
Grosenick spent the summer working on both the physical and the mental side of goaltending. Working on goalie specific strength training in Kelowna coupled with mental and eye training in Minnesota, the former Union College netminder, had a busy off-season. Reflecting on his year with the Barracuda, the ups, and downs of his season weighed on him.
“I actually did some different stuff this summer than I had. I went up to Kelowna and trained with Adam Francillia,” said Grosenick of his time with the noted fitness trainer to a number of NHL goalies. “Working with him and talking to [Sharks Goaltender Development Coach Evgeny Nabokov] throughout the summer, try to work on a few things in my game. Be able to stay more patient, and build core and leg strength. I think I had a really good summer, and now it’s time to go out and prove it.”
Grosenick is the only player of the three to have played for the Sharks. On November 16, 2014, Grosenick would turn away all 45 shots he faced in a 2-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, his very first NHL start. Two nights later he would get the loss as the Sharks fell to the Buffalo Sabres by a 4-1 score. Last year with the Barracuda was the lowest save percentage of his AHL career at only .894 with a rough 3.16 goals against average.
So Who Wins?
Aaron Dell has the inside track for starting the season as the backup in San Jose, and will get a push from Grosenick. Dell has produced at every level of play and has a proven track record. He doesn’t have the ideal size, but plays his game and plays it well.
That doesn’t mean it’s a certainty. All three netminders mentioned here will get long looks as the Sharks main camp opens. While Dell might have had a more solid 2015-16 campaign, the goaltenders right behind him had good summers as well. But Aaron Dell, the World’s Okayest Goalie, is the likely backup on October 12 against the Los Angeles Kings.
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