Boston Bruins G Malcolm Subban Could Be On Las Vegas' Radar
Boston Bruins G Malcolm Subban Could Be On Las Vegas Hockey’s Radar in Expansion
With Las Vegas hiring GM George McPhee, it is time for management to focus on building a team that can compete in the NHL. The team’s main tunnel of talent will come from the NHL expansion draft where they will pick players from the 30 other franchises.
Las Vegas will have a lot of tough choices next June, and one of the toughest choices is to find the right netminders. There are so many directions this team could go with goalies, but their best bet might be to grab a stop-gap starter for the first year or two of their existence and find some younger guys that could potentially inherit the role in the future.
Subban Might Be The Guy
Sep 22, 2015; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins goalie Malcolm Subban (70) makes a save against Washington Capitals right wing Justin Williams (14) during the second period at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
One of the players that will likely be available for Las Vegas to select is Boston Bruins G Malcolm Subban.
Stuck behind Tuukka Rask, Malcolm Subban remains a strong prospect. His numbers took a bit of a dip this past seasons in the AHL, but at 22 years old, he remains on track to be an NHL goalie. If the Bruins can’t move him, they’ll have no choice but to leave him exposed for the expansion draft. Perhaps this will be Las Vegas’ chance to nab its goalie of the future.
The Bruins have no need for Subban with the contract length of Rask blocking the starting job, and the team is confident in another goaltending prospect Zane McIntyre. Subban’s growth last season slowed due to a fractured larynx after taking a puck to the throat during pregame warm-ups causing him to miss half of the AHL season. Despite this Subban should still be a top target for Las Vegas to be their future at goaltender.
If Subban Isn’t Ready A Veteran Can Build Bridge
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Boston Bruins G Malcolm Subban, 22, will still need a couple of seasons to develop. He may not be ready for an NHL role even after this NHL season. This means that Las Vegas will have to go after a veteran goaltender who can be a stop-gap for their first season. The player they should focus on is Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings.
The Red Wings will try to trade Howard, but it may prove to be difficult. If that’s the case, letting him and his $5.3 million cap hit go won’t be a hard decision as Petr Mrazek has taken over the net. In Vegas, he’d be a decent stop-gap starter for Subban.
Las Vegas has to select three goaltenders (minimum) in the expansion draft. So they should target another goaltender with NHL experience who can back up Howard if he falters. A couple of players that could fit into the backup role are Semyon Varlamov or Michael Hutchinson.
Las Vegas GM McPhee has a lot of decisions to make when building his hockey team. Overall the players made available via the expansion draft are solid enough to field a competitive team. Any team needs good goaltending and the drafts best goaltenders will come in the form of prospects. Boston Bruins G Malcolm Subban is the team’s best bet to having a solid goaltender in the future.
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