There has been more action on the AHL front, as the Colorado Avalanche have finally signed the first of two goaltenders to play for their affiliate, the Lake Erie Monsters, this season.

Cedrick Desjardins Signed
Former Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Cedrick Desjardins has been signed by the Colorado Avalanche. The terms are unknown at this point and the team has yet to issue a statement but this signing is a really big deal for both Erie and the Avalanche. Desjardins has only played two NHL games, both wins, and allowed merely two goals on 63 shots total. His career goals against average is currently 1.00 and his save percentage is .968. He spent most of the season with the Norfolk Admirals of the AHL, sporting a decent 15-6-1 record through 24 games where he owned a 2.59 GAA and a .905 save percentage.

Included on The Goalie Guild’s 11 Prospects to Watch in 2011, Desjardins saw his first NHL game against his former team, the Montreal Canadiens. Playing supremely well in his 4-1 victory, Desjardins was given an additional start the very next game against the New York Rangers, which he also won.

From the Desjardins scouting report at The Goalie Guild:

“In what was a very impressive debut and victory against the Canadiens, Desjardins displayed a number of positive technical elements that leads me to believe he has a bright future in the NHL. His energetic attitude and presence in the crease makes him a true catalyst for the Lightning. He’s an energetic read-and-react goalie that relies on his quickness and agility to make tough saves look easy. He’s extremely flexible and has very active hands and quick feet. This quality foot speed allows him to scramble very effectively and push effectively, both low to high and laterally as well.
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Although very few weaknesses were revealed in his NHL debut, Desjardins will need to work on limiting and economizing his footwork and movements as time goes on. This will go a long way in making him even more durable at the highest possible level and help with areas such as rebound control and absorbing shots on deflected, re-directed and tipped shots.”

Unfortunately, Desjardins is coming off of shoulder surgery, so it will be imperative that he recovers effectively before the pressures of the season begin. With worries that both Avalanche goaltenders Semyon Varlamov and Jean-Sebastien Giguere are injury prone, it is possible that Desjardins might see some time in the NHL, though that would be a departure from Colorado’s methods over the last few years.

“Desjardins is a high-energy goalie that has had terrific success at both the QMJHL and AHL levels,” said Justin Goldman, independent goalie scout.  ”He proved he has NHL upside back in January with Tampa Bay and makes a terrific starter for Lake Erie. He’s an aggressive goalie with very quick hands and has an outstanding work ethic. I am very excited to see Cedrick compete in training camp.”

There is no word yet on who will be joining Desjardins with the Monsters and whether or not prospective keepers Trevor Cann and Calvin Pickard will remain with their respective teams for another season. Also, although Varlamov mentioned working with Kirk McLean, there has been no official word as to the goaltending staff’s status for the upcoming year.

All of the club’s previous AHL signings, with the exception of Patrick Bordeleau, were also confirmed by the club today. Stick tap to Brennan Klak for the news.

What do you think? Are you excited to have Desjardins in the system? Concerned for his development with lack of a strong coaching staff?

 

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