Keeping with yesterday, I present you my wish list for a backup goaltender based off of the AHL free agent list Jonathan Bombulie presented yesterday. As we all know, John Curry is off to Germany. Mattias Modig and Patrick Killeen are not, in my opinion, ready for the AHL backup role yet. So Wilkes-Barre is in the buyers market for a dependable backup.
Thiessen’s backup is expected to see 15-20 games next year in my opinion. Pittsburgh is molding Thiessen into Marc-Andre Fleury’s backup for 2012-2013, so they want Thiessen to see the lion share of work in net this upcoming season. This is because of the schedule reduction in the AHL from 80 games to 76 and the elimination of three games in three nights. If you are a goaltender under the age of 25, you aren’t signing on with WBS to sit behind reigning AHL goaltender of the year Brad Thiessen. So anyone 25 or younger was eliminated.
So here is my wish list, presented in no particular order:
| Name |
Age |
10-11 Stats |
Blurb |
| Joey MacDonald, GR |
30 |
20 GP, 10-9-1 2.78 GAA, 0.894 SV% |
Put up halfway decent numbers for a mediocre Grand Rapids team. What would have his numbers looked like if he was with us last year? |
| Barry Brust, BNG |
27 |
52 GP, 29-19-2, 2.53 GAA, 0.925 SV% |
Was really brought in last season to play backup, but due to injuries and such ended up being the B-Sens number one. |
| Tyler Weiman, MTB |
27 |
29 GP, 15-10-2, 2.26 GAA, 0.909 SV% |
Backed up All-Star Eddie Lack last year. If I was forced to choose who on this list I want the most, Weiman is it |
| Nathan Lawson, BRI |
27 |
16 GP, 6-5-4, 2.90 GAA, 0.913 SV% |
Was on a goaltending merry-go-round in Bridgeport and I think if memory serves was dinged up a bit. Would probably be my last option, but JB had him #43 on his list. |
| Matt Climie, SA |
28 |
55 GP, 26-22-3, 2.64 GAA, 0.913 SV% |
Not bad numbers considering the team in front of him finished seventh in the West Division this year. |
| Hannu Toivenen, RFD |
27 |
49 GP, 21-16-4, 2.90 GAA, 0.907 SV% |
Split time with Alec Richards in net on a bad IceHogs team last year. Fits the “backup goaltender” role to a tee in my opinion. |
| Jason Bacashihua, LE |
28 |
42 GP, 23-16-3, 2.29 GAA, 0.917 SV% |
Was Lake Erie’s number one last year on a team that took the Moose to seven games in the playoffs this year. |
My guess is that Wilkes-Barre nabs one of these guys. All the other names on the Bombulie list either don’t fit the criteria, will most probably get offers overseas or as backup with an NHL team, bad news or too old in my opinion to be included on this list.
Tomorrow I will finish off the list by splitting up centers and defensemen.
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Chirps from Center Ice 
Do you honestly expect Brust to sign somewhere else after he’s a Calder Cup champion?
I firmly expect Bng to resign him.
Yes. Lehner is going to see a ton of starts for Binghamton next year. Lehner is their #1. Brust saw all those starts due to injuries to pretty much anyone who put the pads on for the B-Sens.