I think the idea of the big money goaltender took a real hit the day that Antti Niemi won a Stanley Cup. The Blackhawks didn’t even try to keep him and let somebody else overpay. Sure, they’ve paid Crow over the years but nowhere near guys like Lundqvist or Quick. I still think Quickie earns his paycheck but, sure, you wonder what would have happened had they moved that salary and went with a guy like Martin Jones who still hasn’t been able to get it done in San Jose but would have had a better defense in front of him in LA.
Good point. A great goalie can help elevate a mediocre team. A great team doesn’t need much more than a slightly better than average goalie.
Look back over the years and notice how rare it is for a team to win the Stanley Cup with a goalie that won the Vezina Trophy the same year. I think it’s only happened 3 times since 1980.