@General:
The Miller trade should be a cautionary tale for contenders “going all-in” in the future. Unless you’re getting someone like Domenik Hasek, don’t bother overpaying for a veteran goalie. It’s not like Miller ever carried a team very far in the postseason. He’s had some Olympic moments, but those do not equate to the North American game.
Well, I do agree… however, Miller’s olympic performance (assume you are referencing 2010) was on North American ice, if not NHL rules, but I think that matters less. While the pressure factor is still present in the olympics, I don’t think it is the same as NHL playoff pressure (at least for an American player). I am not saying the olympics are less or more pressure than NHL playoffs, just that they are different.
@Young:
Best way to shore up the organizational strength of the goal position is to draft and develop. The Flyers always trade for other team’s goalies and are well know for their failures in net, the Leafs have traded Rask, Scrivins, and are about to ship Riemer, all of whom were draft products of their own organization. On the other hand, Montreal stuck with Price when some wanted the Habs to trade him and keep Huet, or Halak. Montreal most recently drafted the #1 goalie in last year’s draft, and the chances of Montreal trading Fucale even when they have Price is next to zero, because they understand the importance of not only strength in the position, but also the power of a young player’s loyalty to a team that drafts them.
Agreed. Shopping for big name goalies is hazardous… they are being let go by their team for a reason after all. Goaltenders are inherently unstable and I believe the only real stability comes when they find a niche where they are drafted. The Wings have had experience doing both, buying and drafting. Even though they won two cups with the buying method, they were temporary fixes. Osgood and Howard are better routes than Vernon and Hasek… even though Osgood and Howard are fairly average goalies when compared to Vernon and Hasek in their prime.