Bruins could target backup goalie ahead of trade deadline
Don't underestimate the value of depth between the pipes.
After the Boston Bruins dismissed coach Claude Julien earlier this month, general manager Don Sweeney acknowledged his own failure to equip his club with proper depth in goal, a factor that led to too many lost nights under Julien.
This season, after franchise netminder Tuukka Rask, the Bruins have run through a slew of net options. A combination of second stringers have chipped in on crease time but have come away with a collective five wins.
| Goalie | Games | Record | GAA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tuukka Rask | 48 | 28-14-4 | 2.28 | .912 |
| Anton Khudobin | 9 | 2-5-1 | 3.05 | .888 |
| Zane McIntyre | 8 | 0-4-1 | 3.97 | .858 |
| Malcolm Subban | 1 | 0-1-0 | 5.88 | .813 |
"We've seen teams with 1A and 1B (goaltending) that have really hung around - even though they have had other injuries - because of it," Sweeney told Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe. "We've had a tough time with that this year. No question about it."
Sitting two points outside of a playoff position, Sweeney notes his club could pursue netminding insurance prior to the March 1 trade deadline.
"It's tough to find at this time, but they exist," Sweeney added. "But it's just a matter of teams are like, 'Well, what are you giving up for it?' That's a big part of it."
After waiving Anton Khudobin in January, he has since returned to the Bruins following a short stint in the AHL. Khudobin won his last outing, a 4-3 result over the Vancouver Canucks on Feb. 11. The veteran goalie is signed through the 2017-18 campaign.
If Sweeney elects to go shopping ahead of the deadline, among the more affordable options who could be available include Philadelphia Flyers netminder Michal Neuvirth and Anders Nilsson of the Buffalo Sabres.