NHL Rumor Mill – April 15, 2025
What will the Flyers, Blue Jackets and Kraken do about their goaltending during the coming offseason? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
THE ATHLETIC: Kevin Kurz recently examined what went wrong with the Philadelphia Flyers’ goaltending this season and how they might attempt to fix it in the offseason.
Kurz noted the Flyers have the worst save percentage (.879 as of Apr. 14) among the 32 NHL clubs. Their goals-against average (3.44) is the fifth-worst. Their three goaltenders (Aleksei Kolosov, Ivan Fedotov and Samuel Ersson) are among the bottom six in save percentage among the league’s 65 goalies.
Ersson is likely to remain as the Flyers’ starting goalie given the number of consistent stretches this season where he looked like a competent goalie. Fedotov could become their No. 3 while Kolosov’s future is uncertain.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s rumored Kolosov could return to Belarus at the end of this season.
General manager Daniel Briere will find slim pickings for goaltenders in this summer’s free-agent market. The best options there could include Jake Allen of the New Jersey Devils (who could be re-signed by the Devils) and the oft-injured Frederik Andersen of the Carolina Hurricanes.
The pickings could be better in the trade market. John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks has been a fixture in trade rumors. He’s also battled injuries but put up solid numbers this season on the rebuilding Ducks. Gibson is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $6.4 million.
Could the Philadelphia Flyers pursue Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko? (NHL Images).
Kurz also wonders about the availability of Vancouver Canucks netminder Thatcher Demko. He’s got a year left on his contract (with a salary-cap hit of $5 million) and the Canucks recently signed Kevin Lankinen to a five-year extension.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson has a 10-team no-trade list and wants to go to a club where he’ll be the starting goalie. He’d get that opportunity with the Flyers if they’re willing to move Ersson into the backup job. However, Gibson could also prefer going to a playoff contender instead of another rebuilding club.
Demko lacks no-trade protection and also has an injury history. However, the Flyers could be a suitor if he becomes available. When healthy, he’s among the league’s elite goalies, finishing second in voting last season for the Vezina Trophy. They’d also have the trade capital in draft picks, prospects and young players to make a competitive bid to the Canucks.
THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline believes the Columbus Blue Jackets will spend major resources overhauling their goaltending.
A buyout of starter Elvis Merzlikins must be considered because his inconsistency makes him almost impossible to trade this summer. He has two years left on his contract with an AAV of $5.4 million.
Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason has lost faith in backup Daniil Tarasov. How management handles him as a restricted free agent this summer will be worth watching.
Portzline expects the Blue Jackets will pursue a goalie through trade or free agency. Jet Greaves is making the case to become a full-time member of the Columbus Blue Jackets roster. It remains to be seen where he fits in next season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets will face the same problem as the Flyers and any other team seeking a goalie upgrade this summer. They could sign someone like the Devils’ Jake Allen or the Hurricanes’ Frederik Andersen or pursue the Ducks’ John Gibson or the Canucks’ Thatcher Demko if he’s available.
Greaves was the NHL’s first star of the week with a record of 3-0-0, a 1.00 goals-against average, a .968 save percentage and a shutout. However, that’s just a small sample size. He’s yet to prove he can perform well consistently at the NHL level, which means he’ll likely be penciled in as their backup for next season.
THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kate Shefte reports this season could be Philipp Grubauer’s last with the Kraken.
Grubaur has two years left on his contract with an average annual value of $5.9 million. However, the 33-year-old goaltender has struggled, losing the starter’s job to Joey Daccord, raising speculation the Kraken could buy out the remainder of his contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A buyout for Grubauer would be at two-thirds of the remaining value for twice the remaining tenure of the contract. His deal is structured in such a way that it would count as $1.983 million during the first year of the buyout, $3.083 million in 2026-27, dropping to $1.683 million annually for the final two years.
With Daccord as their starter, the Kraken should find it easier to bring in an affordable backup on a short-term deal. Grubauer could find another NHL home as a free agent but his difficulties in Seattle will hurt his value.
Add Alex Lyon into the good BU goalie equation. He could fetch a 2-3 year of about $2M per year.
Dear Danny Briere,
Please bring in Devon Levi to be your goalie of the future.
Thank you!
Signed:
All Shellshocked Flyers fans!
Levi should be #1 in BUF next year. In any trade, would not come cheap especially since he was the centerpiece in the disastrous Sam Reinhardt trade.
This goalie shortage is a condition of a watered down talent pool due to over expectation. It seems there isn’t at least 64 NHL caliber goaltenders in the world so a handful of teams will be with subpar goaltending. Mind you, goaltenders are always in short demand, good ones that last over five years that is. I have no idea how some of these teams will cope with this shortage. These teams will have to take a risk of losing a decent asset for a chance of having a goalie that might be able to help the team going forward. Not a great option for many struggling teams.
Philly and goalies. Been the same talk since Pelle died.
Isn’t it spectacular!?!?
All this gives me hope that if not jarry at least ned can be moved to make room for murashov to get more starts.
I might add that the days of 70 regular season starts are long gone. 52-30 split range
You need two goalies you can rely on with all the back to backs
Look what it took to land Knight for the Hawks .
Allen is not a #1 by the way .
Once again, there’s a thread about the upcoming goalie “market” without even a mention of Anton Forsberg of the Senators. OK, so he’s a back-up to Linus Ullmark while those mentioned above are all so-called “starters” – but in several of those cases that’s purely through necessity and not performance. And Forsberg has started or been in as many games as any of them this season. Let’s compare:
Jake Allen NJ – turns 35 in August – UFA coming off a cap hit of $1.925,000 – 30gp 12 16 1 with 4 SO – 2.54gaa 0.011 save %
Frederik Andersen Carolina – turns 36 in in October – UFA coming off a cap hit of $3.4 mil – 21gp 13 7 1 with 1 SO – 2.29gaa 0,907 save %
John Gibson Anaheim – turns 32 in July – cap hit of $6.4 mil with 2 more years to go after this – 29gp 11 11 2 with no SO – 1.73gaa 0.912 save %
Thatcher Demko Vancouver – turns 30 in December – cap hit of $5 mil with 1 more year after this – 23gp 10 8 3 with 1 SO – 2.90gaa 0,899 save %
Philipp Grubauer Seattle – turns 34 in November – cap hit of $5.9 mil with 2 more years to go after this – 26go 8 17 1 with no SO – 3.49gaa 0.875 save %
Anoton Forsberg Ottawa – turns 33 in November – UFA coming off a cap hit of $2,750,000 – 29gp 11 12 2 with 3 SO – 2.67gaa 0.904 save %
I just think he deserves to be in the conversation as any of the others, some of whom are frequently injured and/or are under contract with limiting clauses on if and where they can be moved.
John Gibson – should read “2.73gaa ….”
George O, I would take all those guys on that list as being better than forsberg; especially Jake Allen. Forsberg, seen him on tv play a lot in the past, not all that great. Should have kept korpisalo. Now they have ullmark so dosen’t matter anymore. Ottawa looking good
Ersson, from what I can tell is definitely the flyers best goalie but adding Allen or someone similar I would think would be a good idea for them?
Avalanche v Dallas should be one hell of a series. I think the Avalanche can be at them, if we’re healthy. The stars missing Miro H will be big loss for them. Landeskog can’t believe he is even playing, the guy is unbelievable. GO AVS!!!
I’ll make a little prediction here, tommy boy. If and when Forsberg is available on UFA Frenzy Day (and he likely will because they have to make room for Merilainen), he’ll be the first goalie to find a new home ahead of any others mentioned above, including the only other UFA, Andersen.
Maybe call Sweeney for Korpi. Think Korpi was a bit un happy with so little starts especially with Swayman stinking up the place. Probably could get on the cheap IMHO.
Well you may very well be right, I am saying that those guys are all at least as good or better. I saw Allen play a lot against the Avalanche when with St. Louis and he was unbelievable. That was 2018-19. And watching him play now in NJ and on other teams, he is very good. Demko and Gibson are better. Grubauer, too. Anderson, Gibson and Demko all have injury histories!
But the comparative stats don’t bear that out. His are as good – or better,
Vancouver should try and resign Demko while trying to make him see that a tandem with Lankinen is a good idea. Give him a slight upgrade and while it would mean maybe having 10,5-11m in goalies it might be a good idea as both are best playing below 50 games.
Getting Allen to Philly with Ersson sounds like a good idea
And if I was Columbus I would look at Andersen and Forsberg as a tandem
As you can see there are no number ones that can play 60+ games and stay healthy available so getting a tandem seems a good idea for these teams and if Demko is available get him and a gut like Forsberg
Nobody ever mentions Dan Vladar, who is also a UFA goalie. He has been a career back up. Platooned with Wolf in Calgary this year. He is looking for more starts and with Cooley in the AHL on a 1 way contract next year. Dan could be available. He has played solid especially considering he got the back half of back to backs all year this year on a Flames team that is “rebuilding”
I think he’s very underrated
Agree Ash75, if I was Edmonton, I would be talking to both Vladar and Forsberg.
Vladar has been healthier, is younger, and seems to be more athletic, or at least that is why the B’s took a shot at him at the draft even though he was green/raw or whatever term you want to use. But can’t say I’ve watched many of Forsberg’s games.
That’s who I would target if I was hoping to have a guy who could become a 1A vs a backup or 1B.
George is also right, Forsberg seems as good an option as the other UFA’s. Vladar just seems like he might be the guy that turns into a steal like Stolarz looks to have been.
And, as with several of the so-called “back-ups” Forsbeg has played a lot of the second of back-to-backs ,,, and has posted 3 of his 4 SOs in those games. Yeah, he has moments of “inconsistency” but so have every one of the ones listed.
Do we have a shortage of quality goaltenders, or do we just have a shortage of defenseman who are qualified to play in their own end?
I see a number of keepers getting left out to dry these days, because their defenseman are not doing their jobs.