Throughout the course of this week, we have been looking at backup goaltending options for the Edmonton Oilers. In one of the final editions of Off-Season Targets, we look at arguably the best backup goaltender available on the free agent market this summer.
Los Angeles Kings netminder Jhonas Enroth is not pleased with how the Kings used him this past season and he will be testing the market as a result. The 27 year old veteran has had quite a good career in the NHL and is more than proven at this level.
Why Is He Out There?:
Enroth signed a one-year deal worth $1,250,000 last July to join the Kings. He went to Los Angeles knowing that he would be the backup, but expected a larger role than he ended up getting. The veteran only appeared in 16 games this season. He was one of the least used backups in the entire NHL last season, and he did not like it.
After the season, Enroth told media in Los Angeles that he was not happy with his role and that he wanted a bigger role in 2016-17. In so many words, he essentially talked himself out of the Kings organization. He’ll no doubt be looking for a team willing to give him more starts this coming season.
What Does He Do Well?:
As I have with every goalie in this series, I turn to The Hockey News and their scouting report. The full player card is here.
Assets: Is extremely quick and agile. Has outstanding reflexes and solid instincts for the goaltending position. Has good anticipation and performs well under pressure. Flaws: Doesn’t have ideal size for a National Hockey League goaltender, and also needs to improve his stamina to better handle a heavier workload in the big league. Career Potential: Solid backup goaltender.
Even though he only played in 16 games this season, Enroth helped himself in 2015-16. The netminder posted a .922 SV% for the Kings and reemerged as one of the better backups in hockey.
In 2014-15, Enroth posted a .906 SV% in Dallas (13 games) and a .903 mark (37 games) in Buffalo. Neither team made the playoffs and both had poor defence groups. That said, it was a bad year for Enroth.
Prior to that down year, however, Enroth was very consistent for Buffalo. He posted SV%’s of .911 (2013-14), .919 (2012-13), .917 (2011-12) and .907 (2010-11, first true NHL season).
He’s not good enough to truly push the starting netminder, but Enroth is a very good safety net for any team. He is a consistent performer in the NHL as well, usually clocking in between .910 and .919 on the SV% chart. Not great, but also not bad.
Where Will He Play / Where Should He Play?:
If the Oilers inked Jhonas Enroth this summer, he would be the team’s backup goaltender behind Cam Talbot. Judging by his scouting report and career numbers, that is exactly where he should be. No real questions asked there.
In terms of workload, the Oilers are likely looking for a goalie who can play around 25-30 games a season. While Enroth wasn’t used much this past season, he did play in 50 games in 2014-15. He’s also seen games played totals of 26 and 28 during his career. He can handle that kind of workload.
What Will He Cost?:
This is interesting because he was used so sparingly last year and his role is so defined. I’d say that his one-year deal that paid him $1,250,000 per season is a good starting point, and I think something like that will actually get this deal done.
That said, I can see Enroth costing more than that, and would be prepared to spend $1,600,000 on the netminder. While there isn’t a huge market for goaltenders this summer, there is even less of a supply on the free market.
Closing Argument:
Peter Chiarelli is going to want a reliable veteran behind Cam Talbot next season. Jhonas Enroth might be the best bet on the free agent market. He’s young enough where fatigue shouldn’t be an issue, and he’s proven enough that you know what you are getting. Pretty solid deal.
Enroth should be affordable and is almost guaranteed to hit the market in less than a month. The Oilers will likely be putting in a call to this goalie in order to set the organizational depth chart a little more. This would be a very wise signing by Chiarelli.
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