Goaltenders:
Dwayne Roloson:
Roloson did everything and more you can ask of any goaltender when he was this teams number one highlighted by that incredible game at Toronto, who was ten games over five hundred at one point, on a team five hundred or lower for a good part of 09-10.
The point has to be made why not just leave him in there as number one and let him run with it the rest of the season (or until he struggled) regardless of Biron or DiPietro?
Having written that he was signed to come off the bench and play well which did not happen nearly enough, not early in the season when he was splitting games with Biron, not when DiPietro returned and not late when Biron was getting the majority of the games.
That second game he started in Tampa late and a few others he came in and frankly let up some terrible goals out of nowhere.
This kind of play is a factor moving forward as he approaches age forty one, it has to be and sure the way he played in 2009-10 he could start full-time for several other NHL teams but his career history also does not lie having him split time with other goaltenders.
Perhaps as he said at one point, he needs more work/shots to play well but he has lost out to other goaltenders in the past and he has taken a team to a final before he got hurt.
Moving Forward:
Garth Snow has him signed as insurance for 10-11. I expect he will get his chances depending on DiPietro or who is signed, if anyone.
Grade: Starter A, Backup C
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Martin Biron:
I saw about what I expected to see if he did not win the number one spot.
An inconsistent goaltender who did not step up and take the job early when given a fair opportunity with a lot of poor goals against despite a shutout against Buffalo and one other win before DiPietro tied him in wins during one weekend.
The first game in Newark he let up a long/soft goal and that was the trend with some sloppy play/rebounds or just poor play and sure the point can be made the club did not play well in front of him at times. He held them in the second Newark game before the team imploded in front of him. Bottom line Roloson simply beat him out and when DiPietro was ready there was no reason to start him, he got a few days in Bridgeport to tune up and after DiPietro got the flu before the break he got to play on 2/9 and won a few games.
After the break he was back to splitting games with Roloson and this time he emerged as the number one at the end, getting the majority of the games and playing acceptable but you could see poor rebounds/sloppy play even in the wins that were not there with Roloson.
No doubt a good interview/character player, but the depth chart (see DiPietro review) speaks for itself. Don't want to hit this very hard but teams were not rushing out to sign him and inconsistency in play has defined a great deal of his career.
Moving Forward:
Good idea behind signing him, did not work.
Grade D
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Rick DiPietro
He was back for a month and was consistent enough to beat Ryan Miller and Martin Brodeur back to back, he also had some expected rust.
Moving Forward:
Future actions by team doctors and general manager Garth Snow will speak to the future status of Rick DiPietro or if he can get past his knee swelling and return or not. That is something no one knows or disclosing to the public. DiPietro feels he has proven he can play but only he knows along with the doctors/trainers what happens next and it's day to day depending on how his knee reacts.
If his knee swelling goes into a third year it's fair to speculate the doctors are going to advise him and the Islanders he can no longer play. If he can return he's one of the top goaltenders in the NHL but it will take time to shake the rust.
Garth Snow last summer took the first goaltender in the draft when he selected Mikko Koskinen, he picked Anders Nilsson in the third round, he gave Dwayne Roloson a second year and he has what is looking like a player in Kevin Poulin who has to be signed by June 1st along with Nate Lawson, who is developing well in Bridgeport.
Beyond that there is Stefan Ridderwall, Scott Munroe on the depth chart along with Jase Weslosky, who apparently did not play hockey this year at Bemidji State.
Botton line, Snow has already taken some actions to prepare if DiPietro cannot return.
No grade:
On Wednesday defenders will be reviewed.
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