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Posts tagged tyler weiman
What McLean Means for Avs Goalies
Sep 5th
On Friday, Sept. 3, the Colorado Avalanche announced that Kirk McLean was hired as the new goaltending consultant for the upcoming season. He will replace former Blackhawks and Sabres goaltender Jocelyn Thibault, who held the same position for just one season.
McLean, who had a tremendous NHL career, most notably with the Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils, retired back in 2001. Less than two years later, he was hired as the goalie coach for the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, a position he held for one season (2002-03).
McLean is currently an active member of the Canucks Alumni and co-owns a new restaurant called McLean’s, which opened on June 24 in the Gastown neighborhood of Vancouver. Along with some of his other ventures, McLean is a part-owner of the Burnaby Express Junior-A team in the BCHL. He’s an active guy in the Vancouver hockey community and actively partakes in his other passions of golfing and thoroughbred horse racing.
Although nobody outside of the coaching staff knows exactly what kind of time commitments McLean will put into his new consulting job, it has been published (by Terry Frei of the Denver Post) that he will be with the team only periodically.
To me, the word “periodically” begs the question of what kind of impact this will truly have on Craig Anderson, Peter Budaj, Jason Bacashihua, John Grahame, Billy Sauer and Trevor Cann. It will certainly be better than not having a goalie coach at all, but it won’t be as effective of a setup as most other NHL teams.
Last year, Thibault was also a part-time goalie consultant. As such, his influence on the goaltending was tough to decipher. I do know first-hand that he did an awesome job of getting to know Anderson, Budaj, Tyler Weiman and Peter Delmas in a short amount of time. As a result, all of the goalies were ready for their respective seasons. During the regular season, he wasn’t at too many practices, but I did see him in the press box at a number of home games.
Overall, by looking at Thibault’s positive impact on the goalies last season, nothing bad can be said about his work. For a part-time gig, Thibault probably crushed his goals and expectations for the goalies last season. I also have to say that his recent activity in the NHL (with the Sabres) really helped him effectively hone and coach Anderson and Budaj.
I expect McLean to have a similar influence on the goalies this season, but in different areas. He’s an old-school, stand-up goalie that probably brings that similar old-school approach to how he coaches goalies. It’s a striking contrast to Thibault, who is younger and has recent pro experience compared to McLean.
We’ll see McLean out on the ice during the week of training camp working with the goalies and maybe in the box during a few home pre-season games. Away from Denver, McLean will do a considerable amount of tracking and keeping up with the progress of Avalanche goalies. But to effectively consult, McLean must scout to the best of his ability. That means getting to know the mannerisms and emotional state of each goalie in the system, as well as the prospects.
On the other side of things, it’s quite frustrating to see every most NHL teams putting considerable energy into their goalie consulting and coaching positions. It’s the most important position on the ice, so teams like Dallas, Nashville, Chicago, Montreal, San Jose, Atlanta and Toronto ensure there’s a goalie coach/consultant working on a daily basis to hone the goaltending and aid the coaching staff on scouting and skill analysis.
I personally can’t remember a time when Colorado ever had a full-time, year-round goalie coach. Yet they never really needed one during the Patrick Roy era. But now that the team has to rely on developing goalies from within, I really wonder why a full-time goalie coach/consultant has not been hired for this season and beyond. It is one of the true keys to successful goalie development and a “must” for all NHL teams these days.
I also feel that a lack of a prospect development camp really hurt the organization’s goaltending depth this summer. The Avalanche did an amazing job of drafting two top-ranked goalies in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft in Calvin Pickard and Sami Aittokallio, but without a prospect camp and a goalie coach to work with them for a week during the summer, it held back their development just a little bit. It was a squandered and lost opportunity.
So too does the lack of a full-time goalie coach/consultant slow down a goalie’s development. Not only in the skills department, but in the more important aspects of mental and emotional development. Goalies of all ages and levels benefit from a full-time goalie coach. They are confidants, mentors and more importantly, close friends and comrades. If things go wrong in a game, the next day of practice is crucial for that goalie to fix those issues through drills and verbal feedback. Without a coach at their side, focus can be lost and things may get progressively worse over time.
Of course McLean is only a phone call or e-mail away from having a similar positive influence throughout the season, but it’s clearly not the same as being on the ice and speaking to an Avs goalie face to face, eye to eye.
Ultimately, I still really like the decision to hire McLean as a part-time consultant. He’s a guy who understands the game at the highest levels, has a passion for coaching goalies and has at least a year’s worth of experience as a goalie coach. He is highly regarded and respected by pro goalies everywhere. He was an admirable goalie on the ice and an influential presence in the locker room. It’s a great addition to Colorado’s coaching staff – so great that I want him to be around every day of the season.
I don’t want to take away from the positive influence this move has on the team for this season, but I really think the time has come for the Avalanche to bring in someone that can commit to developing the numerous goalie prospects on a full-time basis. Colorado truly needs it – they have more prospects than any other team in the NHL (11 total). Without a full-time goalie mentor, there’s less structure and direction to the team’s goalie development compared to all other teams in the league.
It’s simple arithmetic, really. The more goalies you have in the system, the more time should be spent tracking, scouting and developing those goalies. I can’t help but bring up Weiman’s history within the organization and the sense that most analysts and fans clearly recognized he deserved an opportunity to play some games with the big club. But that opportunity never came, and now he’s a member of Colorado’s divisional rivals. Ironically, that would be McLean’s former team, the Vancouver Canucks.
I’m really excited to see what McLean does on the ice during training camp. Last year I thought Thibault did an awesome job getting along with the Avs goalies as a friend and someone they could really rely on as guy with recent experience playing in the NHL.
McLean may not have that same level of youthful influence, but his experiences and wisdom is still a really positive thing for Avalanche goalies. I think McLean will help less on the technical side of things, but much more on the mental aspects of the position. And everyone knows that, at the pro levels, goaltending is 90% mental.
In conclusion, having Thibault influence the goalies last year and combining that with McLean’s influence the goalies this year will be a great one-two punch that will truly boost the mental preparation and technical efficiency of all Avalanche goalies. I just wish it was happening every day of the season.
Avalanche Roster Finalized
Sep 27th
The Colorado Avalanche announced their last cuts today, ensuring that the future will arrive Oct. 1.
In their final cuts, the Avs announced the reassignment of center Chris Durno, defenseman Derek Peltier and goaltender Tyler Weiman to the Lake Erie Monsters of the AHL.
These cuts confirmed what Avalanche fans have all been hoping for: to see Matt Duchene in an Avs sweater during the season opener on Thursday. Also joining Duchene will be second round draft pick (#33 overall), center Ryan O’Reilly.
While Duchene was met with much anticipation, O’Reilly was met with curiosity. Thought to go in the top-20 in the NHL Entry Draft, O’Reilly fell all the way to the second round where the Avs management practically did an Irish jig while going up to the podium to select him.
O’Reilly has been described by NHL Central Scouting’s Chris Edwards as, “…very responsible defensively. He backchecks hard and he’s very good at identifying his check in his own end. He’s very good at the defensive end of the game.”
O’Reilly has also been noted by Denver Post writer Adrian Dater for his great stick work.
Duchene, on the other hand, is seen as the new face of the franchise alongside, and even above, Paul Stastny. Duchene has great speed, quick wrists, a hard shot and prowess in the defensive zone. Up to the draft, there was talk that the Islanders might in fact take Duchene first of all. However, after a tense couple of hours, two selections and a fist pump, Duchene was selected by the Avs.
At the time of his selection Duchene thought that he was “really close” to being NHL ready and couldn’t wait until camp to try and make the team.
While the Avs wasted little time in signing Duchene on July 16, O’Reilly had to wait a little longer to get his entry-level contract. Coming into camp, O’Reilly flew under the radar but separated himself from the rest of the pack through his play and earned his three-year entry level contract on Sept. 21.
With the cuts, it is apparent that the Avs are at least going to test Duchene and O’Reilly, both 18 years old, in the first portion of the season. Now, the Avs get ten games to look at the future of their franchise and see exactly where it is heading.
This is a great step forward for the Avs, as they are giving their two brightest center prospects a chance to make the club for the entire season and try to make a difference that will allow this team to escape the cellar of the NHL.
Aaron Musick covers the Colorado Avalanche for HockeyBuzz and will be providing insight on The Avalanche Guild all season long!
Blogger RoundTable [Day 7 - Part I+II]
Sep 27th
On a day where most sports fans in Colorado are watching FOOTBALL, we’re proud to be talking HOCKEY. And thanks to the kind RoundTable leaders at Mile High Hockey, our wish to be the hosts of “goalie day” in the third-annual Blogger RoundTable has been granted.
So before we begin, we want to thank everyone over at MHH, especially David. Managing a RoundTable that has seen so much growth in just one (tough) year is not a simple task, especially combined with all of the other duties in life. But David has done an admirable job, so be sure to support his website and the rest of the RoundTable websites, for together we make a mighty solid crew of Avs informants.
But for those that know us best, you know we just simply couldn’t allow anyone else to host the juicy topic of goaltending. Just take one look at The Goalie Guild and you’ll see that…well…it’s kind of our thing. And through all these years of scouting the post-Roy era of Avs goaltending, after seeing this team play three pre-season games at Pepsi Center, there’s really a lot to be excited for when you check out the final roster in a few days.
PART 2: Should Tyler Weiman get called up AT LEAST ONCE this season, regardless of Anderson & Budaj’s play?
JUSTIN - I literally lost my voice a few times last year trying to explain my frustrations behind Tyler Weiman’s lack of opportunity in an Avalanche uniform. He has been one of the best goalies in six Avalanche Training Camps in a row and was more consistent in the last two camps than both Jose Theodore and Peter Budaj. I don’t want to be long-winded (har-har), but to give you a better idea of just how good he is on a league-wide scale, Weiman currently ranks #18 on my Top-50 Prospects list.
The biggest issue with not giving Weiman a chance is the negative impact it has on his development and the Avs’ goalie depth chart. Regardless of his age, Weiman needs to be playing at the NHL level in order to reach his highest potential. The more time Weiman spends playing in the AHL, the less chance he has at turning into a true NHL starter. He has the capability to be this team’s undisputed starter, but without giving him a chance to play some NHL games (meaningless or not), the Avs are losing traction with one of their most valuable prospects.
This also happened with Jason Bacashihua. He was an excellent goalie prospect that had legitimate NHL skills and even played 38 games over two years with the Blues a few years prior. But the Avalanche didn’t even give him a chance to play a single minute in the NHL. The result? Bacashihua was not given a qualifying offer by July 1 and just a few weeks later he was scooped up by the Capitals…with zero compensation going back to the Avs. So they basically gave away a quality goalie prospect, all because they couldn’t even give him a few games. If they did, maybe he plays well and maybe a team actually trades a draft pick for him.
Simply put, if the Avs don’t give quality goalie prospects a chance to show their stuff at the NHL level, they’ll never develop starting goalies within their own system. They’ll always be stuck trading for one or trying to draft the next Roberto Luongo.
SEAN PAYTON - No, not unconditionally. Barring injuries or trades that change Colorado’s goaltending situation, he should get called up if 1) Anderson and / or Budaj are struggling and 2) if his play in Lake Erie is strong enough that Sacco has the confidence to play him. If the goalies are white hot and Weiman has a .855 save percentage in the AHL, how can Sacco justify to the team that Weiman deserves to play?
That being said, I didn’t agree with the decision not to call up Weiman last year in garbage time in a year where Budaj and Raycroft’s play was clearly sub par. I think it’s likely that Budaj (who’s confidence comes and goes) struggles for a stretch at some point this season. As long as Weiman is solid in net for the Monsters, he should be called up.
MIKE - Yeah, I’m going to go ahead and disagree with Sean on this one. The Avalanche are rebuilding. The only way you find out what building blocks you have to build with (whether it’s trade fodder or guys you want to retain) is to get some time in the NHL. Especially at goaltending. I think he needs and deserves a hard 4-6 game look at some point this season. He’s not coming in to replace whoever the starter is at that time. He’s coming to ride the pine for 3 weeks and take the back-up’s starts.
JAY VEAN - I think the only way Weiman gets called up is if either Budaj or Anderson gets injured. Even if Budaj struggles, I just can’t see the organization sending him to Lake Erie. There just aren’t that many former number one goaltenders that become full-time backups (unless they’re towards the end of their careers), let alone get sent down for extended amounts of time. That doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t like to see Weiman with the big club though. I’ll welcome anyone that can stop pucks on a consistent basis. That would be a welcome change for sure.
ANGELIQUE - Tyler Weiman should receive a real opportunity to compete for the backup spot in Colorado, but considering Peter Budaj’s salary, that is unlikely to occur. Weiman is unlikely to see a recall unless both Craig Anderson and Budaj struggle, or either succumbs to injury. I believe Weiman is talented enough to be a NHL backup, but I’m beginning to wonder if that opportunity will ever come in Colorado.
Weiman will be the number one goalie for the Lake Erie Monsters this season, whereas he split time with Jason Bacashihua in 2008-09. The heavy load should prepare Weiman if he does get the opportunity to play for the Avalanche this season.
DAVID - I thought last season presented a good opportunity to bring Weiman up, but it never happened. As Angélique mentioned, he’s going to be the #1 guy in Lake Erie this year – a club that could really use its first ever playoff berth. With that in mind, Weiman will probably only get called up this year if there’s an injury to Budaj or Anderson.
GRANT - Weiman *should* get called up, but I am almost certain he won’t. The real question is whether Weiman will clear waivers after he gets sent down. If he does get picked up, it will hopefully be with a team that will give him the NHL opportunity he deserves (and didn’t get last year).
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PART 1: Is Craig Anderson capable of playing 55-60 games and winning 30 for the first time in his career?
JUSTIN- Although I could go on for pages and pages about Anderson’s abilities and how quickly fans will no doubt rally around his great work ethic, that’s honestly something for you to experience once the regular season starts. I have been scouting Anderson since his days with the Chicago Blackhawks and to be quite frank, it’s not only a legitimate argument to make that Anderson is the best goalie the Avalanche have had since Patrick Roy, it’s downright obvious.
The biggest point we can make about Anderson is this: he is primed for a break-out season and from a long-term perspective, he could easily become regarded as one of the best U-S born goaltenders in the game. He has great size combined with excellent foot speed, making him one of the most efficient goalies around. His save percentage over the last two years is the highest in the NHL and his presence in the crease is noticeable and intimidating. He also displays one vital trait that we all know Peter Budaj struggles with - rebound control.
So we not only feel that Anderson will easily play 55-60 games, but we think he’ll have a shot at winning 30 games. Like most responses below, the 30-win plateau is pretty unrealistic, but not because of Anderson’s lack of skill or effort. Sometimes a goalie can only take a team so far, right?
But hey, at least Avalanche fans are finally guaranteed to see a starting goaltender that has the confidence and poise to win a lot of game, no matter how many shots he faces or where the shots come from.
Click to read about the design on Anderson’s new mask!
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JIBBLESCRIBBITS - I think Anderson is capable of playing more than 55 games, but I’m not sure he will. I think the coaching staff is going to try and play Budaj some to try and prop up his trade value. He needs to have a good season for anyone to be willing to take him on, so I expect to see Budaj on the tail end of back-to-backs and against some of the weaker competition.
That said I think Anderson will be good. I don’t think he’ll win 30 games though because the Avs are going to struggle to win much more than 30 games total. I see Budaj picking up about 5-10 and Anderson with 22-27 or so.
NIC FROM AVAHOLICS ANONYMOUS - Sure Anderson is capable of playing 55-60 games and he definitely should. Winning 30 is also a possibility. Last season the Avs were at the top of the league in 1 goal games. A large part of that was because the goalies could not make the big save in the big moment. If Anderson could make those same stops that Budaj and Raycroft failed to make last season, GA should go down and lead to more wins. From what I’ve seen in Anderson, he plays big in net and brings more confidence than Budaj has in his game. If that same confidence spreads to the rest of the guys on the ice, 30 wins is definitely a possibility.
TAPELEG – He’s going to have to. The Avalanche fans are getting tired of waiting for the Peter Budaj of a few years ago to resurface. After seeing him flail, and every other goalie that has come through after Patrick Roy either do poorly or move on, Craig Anderson needs to be a solid number one. I’m not saying he needs to be the second coming in net, but he was hired to be the number one goalie, and he will have to step up to that challenge. No one else is going to take the job away from him (unless Budaj remembers what worked for him a few years ago).
MIKE @ MHH- So the question is basically “Can Anderson win as many games this season as Budaj and Raycroft won all of last season? Ummm, no. Not with the team that has been assembled in front of him. I think he’ll be more likely to keep the Avs in more games, but I don’t honestly expect the outcome to be all that different. I figure him for the 23-27 win range at most with Budaj getting 5-8 wins too.
DAVID @ MHH – Can Anderson play 55-60 games? Sure, although he’s only played 50+ twice in his career – 59 one year in juniors and 58 in 2003-2004 between the AHL and NHL. Will he win 30 games? On a team that won just 32 games last year? Not. Very. Likely.
Starting tomorrow, you can also find more of our in-depth Avalanche analysis on KCKK 1510 AM, Mile High Sports Radio. This is our second year providing color commentary and hockey insight on the official radio partner of the Avalanche (and our fifth on KBPI’s Uncle Nasty Show), so join us every Monday from 6-7pm for Avalanche Weekly, the show that’s all things Avalanche from the week that was and will be. The show will also be streamed on www.milehighsports.com.
Tyler Weiman and Peter Budaj
Sep 16th
The 2009-10 Colorado Avalanche Training Camp closed yesterday (Tuesday) and I was fortunate enough to soak in a few more drills with Peter Budaj and Tyler Weiman.
Personally, today was a very cool experience. I noticed that on Sunday, none of the nets were equipped with Edge ProTech skate blade protectors. I’m pretty sure a ton of NHL equipment managers are using them on a consistent basis, so I made sure to bring a pair with me.
When Weiman was heading on the ice, I caught him before he hit the ice and asked if he wanted to borrow them. He gladly accepted of course, so I’m proud to say that The Goalie Guild helped Weiman and Budaj save the edges on their blades throughout this mini-practice session with Jocelyn Thibault.
This first video is pretty straightforward. Anytime a goalie works on their lateral movement while in the butterfly, it’s actually more beneficial for me to watch upper body positioning. Pretty much every NHL/AHL goalie is solid at pushing off in a strong and efficient manner, so the main thing I key in on is their upper body, including the shoulders, chest and arms.
(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)
Budaj was definitely more relaxed than he was on Sunday, but his rebound control still left something to be desired. But the one thing that really stuck out through this second set of drills was his slight leaning to the left (glove side).
It’s not a major defect or anything like that, but to me it’s a noticeable difference compared to Weiman’s upper body positioning. Budaj’s shoulders are broader, but his left arm and glove is so tight to his side that he looks too tense. Weiman’s shoulders to me are much more relaxed and parallel to the crossbar.
(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)
The first thing I’d point out right away from this third video is Budaj’s body language. The first four seconds he’s caught hunched over with his head down. Now I can’t tell if this is from fatigue or if he’s trying to focus, but regardless, I think the key for a goalie is to always stand up straight. Not only is it easier to breathe, it’s just overall much better body language.
The first shot he faces results in a juicy rebound and the puck being roofed over his glove (by Adam Deadmarsh). I was not very impressed with Budaj’s body language after he allowed that goal. Once again his head was buried and he was all hunched over. On the rest of the shots, his shoulders are noticeably slanted and he barely leans to his left. This isn’t a major thing, but it’s noticeable.
(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)
Overall, I’m still very impressed with Weiman’s composure, confidence and body language. He’s a little bigger in the net than Budaj thanks to a slightly wider stance and butterfly and he has a tremendous attitude. Budaj was not nearly as rusty as he was on Sunday, but I still wasn’t that impressed with his body language and rebound control.
And yes, Tyler was very nice in returning my Edge ProTech’s back. Thanks Weims!!
Judge the Blood
Sep 14th
A prospect can improve at an incredibly fast rate when someone that mastered the position at the NHL level is constantly providing that prospect with feedback. Especially with a position like goaltending, one that relies on non-stop progression and refinement, having a goalie consultant that understands the nature of the game (especially in 2009) and can relate to today’s elite puck stoppers is the most important factor in developing the goalie depth chart.
Jocelyn Thibault, just one full season removed from his 14-year NHL career, was quietly named the new goalie consultant for the Colorado Avalanche last week. Sure enough, Thibault was on the ice Sunday morning for the first day of Avs Training Camp and did some remarkable work that I’m proud to share with you today. It was a beneficial morning for me in a number of ways, none more important than learning what kind of an instant impact Thibault had on some of the Avalanche goalie prospects.
But before we dig into the nitty-gritty, let’s go through a few other notes I had from the first day of Avs training camp:
PETER BUDAJ – Budaj was extremely rusty throughout the first hour of camp. He simply never got into much of a rhythm. He was playing a half-step deeper than usual and struggled with his rebound control. He never seemed comfortable and his upper body seemed tight. His body language reflected a lot of tense frustration as he reacted late to some shots and dropped early on others.
It was fairly obvious to me that Budaj was feeling the heat in a number of ways. In fact, one could argue that he’s facing more pressure than any other Avalanche player. Not only is he set to be dethroned by Craig Anderson, but he’s also constantly being pushed by a confident Tyler Weiman.
From a fantasy perspective, I wouldn’t put much value in Budaj’s stock heading into the season. Between Weiman and Anderson, Budaj has the least amount of confidence and is also under the most scrutiny from the media and fans. Unfortunately, the biggest enemy Budaj will face all season will be himself. And until he comes to an internal realization that he has to show more composure, Budaj will struggle to play consistently and run hot and cold.
TYLER WEIMAN – With even better footwork than before, Weiman is still consistently progressing. Even on a horrible Lake Erie team last year, Weiman was one of the steadiest performers in the AHL. He looks sharper than usual and skated with a lot of confidence, like he was totally bulletproof. He’s no longer fazed by anything or anyone, nor should he, for this is his seventh consecutive Avs training camp. His mindset and body language was terrific.
To be blunt, Weiman is so solid that Budaj seems to be hanging on by a thread. I don’t mean to take away from Budaj’s game, but it’s getting to the point where even the casual Avs fan is wondering why Weiman has only played half a period in the NHL. This is a question that has to be asked over and over again because there’s simply no excuse for not giving him at least one opportunity this season.
So it’s my conviction that Weiman will be called up at least once and play extremely well in his limited chances. In the meantime, at least we know he’ll get plenty of work and minutes in the AHL.
BILLY SAUER & PETER DELMAS - It’s amazing what a young goalie can do when they actually take a little time to think about what they’re doing. It also helps when the team’s goalie consultant is on the ice to make adjustments. Most skaters are there to battle against one another for a spot on a roster, but for some goalies, it’s more about impressing the coaching staff and absorbing every little piece of information that comes from the goalie coach.
Sauer, a big goalie with great coverage down low in his own right, does not have the best mobility or quickness. In fact I worked up a scouting chart on him back on Wednesday, which was the first day of Rookie Training Camp. It’s not hard to see that Sauer is a good step slower than Weiman, Budaj and Peter Delmas.
But all Thibault had to do was run two drills, make one minor adjustment to Sauer’s footwork and everything totally clicked. This not only turned a pressure-filled training camp experience into a mini semi-private lesson, but it also improved the organization’s depth while at the same time allowing the scouts to do their job. Overall, it was a great display of pure development straight from Thibault’s mind, something every GM wants to see on a daily basis.
(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)
In the first video, Thibault uses four pucks to explain a basic system for tracking the puck around the crease. It splits the ice up into six zones – four behind the net split up from end board to end board and two out front, one on either side of the ice. David Marcoux, the former goalie coach in Calgary, actually taught Kiprusoff and many other pro goalies this exact system (It’s also the one I was taught five years ago). The drill Thibault runs with Sauer is just about setting your feet quick enough so that you can control your body’s movement and therefore the rebound.
What I noticed in this drill (starting at 1:30) is that Sauer covers the lower portion of the net in impressive fashion due to his great size. But his feet aren’t the quickest and because of that, he doesn’t have very good body control. He hunches over and leans forward when he drops into the butterfly, which causes some bad rebounds and takes away from an efficient recovery. His body is not in great alignment and that causes him to lose speed and not generate as much power getting back to his feet. He also doesn’t take up as much space up high because his shoulders are hunched and his back isn’t completely straight. Overall his inefficient footwork leads to some juicy rebounds and you can see Thibault most likely explaining some of these aspects to him at the end of the video.
(video removed per 72-hour NHL Media policy)
This second video totally hits home the importance of a quality goalie coach to the prospects in this system. On Sauer’s first three shots, he’s still leaning forward like before. He flies out towards the shooter because his body’s momentum carries him forward. He was a little sharper going to his right, but his shoulders were still hunched over.
But at 1:05, Thibault does a remarkable job of giving Sauer some great feedback about the path his skates travel. Instead of sliding out towards the shooter to cut down the angle, Sauer is better off setting his feet sooner and cutting off the angle deeper in his crease. This is a luxury a big goalie can afford, as this adjustment will allow him to drop into the butterfly in a faster manner and control the rebound with more ease.
At 1:10, you see Thibault show Sauer exactly how to adjust his movement. To paraphrase, stopping on a dime instead of sliding out past the top of his crease will come from setting his feet sooner. The result will be better body control, better balance and then an ability to recover just a little bit quicker than before.
At 1:50, Delmas steps in and shows Sauer how it’s done. Delmas is flat out a terrific skater. He moves in a more efficient manner when it comes to shots in tight and his feet are very quick and get set sooner than Sauer’s. Even though Delmas doesn’t have the big body (listed 11 pounds lighter than Sauer), he’s much quicker going post to post.
Delmas doesn’t exert nearly as much energy even though he might need to travel a further distance because he’s a smaller goalie, which allows him to get the knees down quickly and have better rebound control. Another positive to Delmas’ game is that he has a very straight back and takes away a large portion of the top of the net. That straight back means a lot, because it allows for better alignment and quicker recovery time.
Then everything clicks when Sauer goes back in the net at 2:40. The first shot to his right, he’s in a little more control of his body. The second one was excellent and the third one was even better. As my comments point out, he was set sooner and was in much better control of his body. The fourth and fifth shot to his left were a little off-balanced but he finishes with a strong one. And did you notice his rebounds were placed in much better areas?
Now this is all pretty straightforward stuff for a goalie to absorb in a few hours, but what happens when Thibault isn’t around to keep providing Sauer with that feedback? This is where goalies must show a lot of mental strength. Sauer has to train his mind to be consistent with what he just learned. He’s a bigger goalie – he doesn’t need to come out as far as a smaller goalie does. So there’s more advantageous things he could be doing with his feet that end up saving time, energy and most importantly, bad rebounds.
In conclusion, this was just a few minutes of basic goalie drills, but as you can see, a good goalie coach can turn it into something beyond valuable. Every moment a prospect gets that type of feedback, the stock of that goalie rises by leaps and bounds. But without the constant feedback, goalies have to work even harder at being mentally tough enough to retain the information and execute correctly on a consistent basis.
Thirty goalie coaches in the league work on hundreds of prospects in an effort to improve the organization’s depth. But as I’m often found saying, goaltending is 90% mental. So no matter how much a goalie learns in a single day, if they don’t apply themselves and stay focused, it’s all for naught. This barely scratches the surface of the goalie consultant’s impact, but as you can see, it’s a vital and invaluable aspect of developing players at that position.
What impact does a goalie coach have on your fantasy team’s goalies? What kind of adjustments to a goalie’s game did you see or hear about over the summer? And most importantly – how consistent is the goalie playing? These are questions you should be asking in order to not only understand the position better, but to give you an edge from a fantasy perspective. Having the answers will make drafting goalies less of a headache and more of an opportunity.
