The most debated names in Oil Country for a new goalie include Antti Niemi, Craig Anderson and Cam Talbot. That said, there are some solid under the radar options that could fill the hole for Edmonton this summer. One of those is free agent Michal Neuvirth, who split this past season between Buffalo and Long Island.
Neuvirth isn’t a sexy name, but time after time he has proven to be a solid option for NHL teams. For Edmonton, he represents an improvement over current options and a high ceiling potential wise. He’s not as proven as Niemi or Anderson, but he’s an established NHL’er.
Why Is He Out There:
Neuvirth is the back-up to Jaroslav Halak for the Islanders, and didn’t start for the team in the post-season. Halak is under contract, and has the vote of confidence from the coaches and management of the Isles. He’s the guy that led them to the playoffs, and he’s the guy that started when they got there. Neuvirth is likely looking for a bigger role, and as a result will probably look elsewhere for work.
What Does He Do Well:
Neuvirth has been solid throughout his NHL career. In five games with the Isles this year, he struggled, posting only a .881 SV%, but before that he was solid. In 27 games with the Sabres this past season, hockey’s worst team, he posted a respectable .918 mark. In 2013-14, he had a .949 mark in two games with the Sabres and a .914 mark with Washington in 13 tilts.
Neuvirth had a .910 SV% in 13 games in 2012-13 with the Caps, and prior to that posted .902 (2011-12, 38 games) and .914 (2010-11, 48 games) marks, both with the Caps. None of the above numbers are stellar, but they are solid. The Buffalo numbers can be taken with a grain of salt too, because he posted those numbers in front of a bad hockey club, like he would be playing for in Edmonton currently.
That said, there is no breakout season here for Neuvirth, no year that he busted through and played lights out. On top of that, the largest workload that he has seen was just 48 games, coming all the way back in 2010-11. He’s been a solid back-up in the NHL, but hasn’t taken that next step.
Neuvirth is a good option as a goalie at the NHL-level. He’s not stellar, but his numbers are usually average. That represents improvement for an Edmonton team that was simply terrible in net during the 2014-15 season. Neuvirth also has some room to grow, and some real potential too.
Where Will He Play / Where Should He Play:
If the Oilers sign Neuvirth, I’d imagine he starts the season in tandem with Ben Scrivens in a 1A/1B situation. Due to his relatively unproven track record, I don’t think the Oil would just hand him the top job, but he certainly would be the favorite going into camp. He’d get a shot, for the first time, to take the ball and run with it.
Where should he play? Likely as a 1A/1B goalie. He’s shown promise, and probably should be given the chance to win a starting job at this level. That said, he’s a risk.
What Will He Cost:
Neuvirth is an under the radar name, and likely won’t get a major contract this summer. I could see a one or two year deal around $2.5 to $3.0 million per season. It won’t break the bank, and seems like a fair market value contract. He could get more, but I think the attention will likely be elsewhere, aka with Antti Niemi.
Closing Argument:
Michal Neuvirth is a decent goalie at the NHL level, there is no real debate about that. That said, he has not proven that he is a starter, and his track record doesn’t have any stand-out seasons on it. Neuvirth represents a risk, the same risk that both Ben Scrivens and Viktor Fasth represented a year ago.
If Edmonton had a starter that could handle 50 games a year, I’d say get Neuvirth signed, but they simply don’t have that guy. Neuvirth is a high-level back-up option at the NHL level, but nothing more at this time. He’d be a solid fallback plan, but if I’m Peter Chiarelli, I’m shopping elsewhere for a goalie this summer.
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