10. MATT CLIMIE – The Phoenix Coyotes continued to build their goalie depth chart on Friday by signing former Stars prospect Matt Climie to an unspecified one-year deal.

Climie’s run with the Texas Stars in the AHL playoffs is well documented, as he came up huge in a number of tough situations against the Chicago Wolves and Hershey Bears. Here’s a solid readon what transpired for Climie in his post-season run, including his failed hopes for staying with the Stars.

Unfortunately, the Stars only wanted to pay ~$750,000 for a backup to Kari Lehtonen, which was probably established when the team signed Brent Krahn back in mid-June to a two-way deal.

As such, Climie did what was best for his future and found a new home that allowed him to fight for an NHL job. That new home could have been one of probably 10 or more cities, but it ended up being red-hot Phoenix. The deal creates a very competitive AHL tandem with Al Montoya, but signals the exit of Josh Tordjman’s reign with the Rampage.

Why was Phoenix a high priority for Climie? Former Stars head coach Dave Tippett established a great friendship while they were together in Dallas, so Climie’s loyalty was a major aspect of his decision to stay in the deep south.

If Montoya comes to training camp healthy, it will be quite a battle for the starting gig in San Antonio. In fact, a starter will probably not be named, as both goalies will keep playing, if they can keep winning. With this situation in place, the entire season could be considered by both goalies as one giant fight for the right to be Ilya Bryzgalov’s backup in 2011-12.

For those unfamiliar with Climie’s season in Texas, he posted a 21-17-3 record with a 2.46 goals-against average and .919 save percentage. He was extremely clutch in the AHL playoffs and his style and game is similar to goalies like Jon Quick and Yann Danis. He has a small frame, but a very fluid butterfly and covers the net very well.

Because Climie has been called up to play a few games with the Dallas Stars at the very end of the last two seasons, his reputation for having legit NHL upside is still very strong. As such, he’ll receive plenty of opportunities to lead the Rampage into the playoffs and then re-up with the Coyotes again before July 1, 2011 hits. 

9. JASON BACASHIHUA – The Colorado Avalanche addressed their lack of goalies in Lake Erie by bringing back Jason Bacashihua. The former Stars, Blues, Rivermen and Monsters goalie signed a one-year deal worth $500,000 and paired him up with the veteran Ron Grahame, who re-upped with Colorado for one season as well.

Bacashihua was very solid for Hershey last season, going 17-3-1 with a 2.48 goals-against average and .911 save percentage. But the writing was always on the wall, as he was the odd man out a number of times during the season. Whether it was Neuvirth coming back from Washington or from an injury, or it was the streaking Holtby garnering more interest, Bacashihua was considered the older guy that gets the role of coming off the bench when needed.

For his entire professional career, Bacashihua has performed well under the radar. In his previous stint with Lake Erie, he played 39 games behind Tyler Weiman and helped a weak Lake Erie remain a respectable AHL club. But with Weiman no longer restricted by the Avalanche, a giant void needed to be filled.

And what better way to do that than with a guy that has seen just about everything. Together with Grahame, Lake Erie has a veteran tandem that will spread a strong work ethic throughout the locker room and bring stability to a team that has lacked consistency for years.

Bacashihua carries with him little to no fantasy value, but at least he has a solid and steady responsibility in the NHL. He’ll get to play a lot of games and he’ll thrive on a team that gives up a ton of shots. As we saw in the 2008 Training Camp, he will compete hard through pre-season and push Peter Budaj to work at winning the backup job. 

Until we see him again in September, here is a link to our podcast interview with ‘Cash’s long-time goalie coach, Stan Matwijiw from Bandits Goalie Schools! Stan had nothing but good things to say about his student, who also developed his game in the Stars’ organization. No surprise there, folks.

8. DANY SABOURIN – The Washington Capitals took the final step towards their youth goalie movement on Friday by signing former Penguins and Canucks backup Dany Sabourin. The 29-year-old from Val d’Or, Quebec agreed to a one-year deal that has an NHL cap hit of $525,000.

With this move, the Capitals solidified a great tandem in Hershey that also includes the bright and talented Braden Holtby. As such, Jason Bacashihua has headed back to Lake Erie, a team that lacked any goalies under contract. There is no longer a three-headed monster in Hershey, which opens up a few windows of opportunity for both Sabourin and Holtby.

Sabourin put together a very solid AHL campaign last season with the Providence Bruins, going 28-27-0 with a 2.67 goals-against average and .915 save percentage. His best stretches came in December and January, where a combined 9-9-0 record was no reflection of how good he actually played.

In December, Sabourin went 4-4 with a 2.11 goals-against, a .928 save percentage and one shutout. In January, he went 5-5 with a 1.94 goals-against average, a .939 save percentage and two shutouts. Remarkably, Sabourin went the entire season without losing one game in overtime.

Although it made no waves in the media, the significance of the move is monumental. It not only guarantees Washington’s commitment to Michal Neuvirth and Semyon Varlamov as their tandem for next season, it also boosts the long-term value of all four goalies.

For those wondering who might prevail between Neuvirth and Varlamov, be sure to read our School of Block article The Great Deceiver. But be sure to notice the date, as it proves just how strongly we believe in Neuvirth’s skill.

Sabourin has legitimate NHL skills and makes a perfect backup for just about any team, so Washington did a great job of bolstering their depth and securing some insurance behind the two youngsters. He will also make a great mentor for Holtby, who has excellent upside and high levels of confidence thanks to a brilliant rookie season. Good move all around by the Capitals, as they made it quite clear that their goalie future is here today.

7. ANDREW RAYCROFT – The Stars couldn’t come to terms with AHL playoff hero Matt Climie, so they found an unrestricted free agent that was willing to sign a two-way deal. Sure enough, Andrew Raycroft readily answered the backup call by signing a two-year deal worth $1.3 million total. The first year of the contract is a two-way deal and the second year is a one-way deal.

I like this move by the Stars because it allows them to continue their successful blueprint of developing good young goalie prospects. Similar to former prospects Dan Ellis and Mike Smith, Dallas builds them up and then releases them at a point when their perceived value is very high. Climie is hopefully on his way to bigger and better things, which means it’s time to turn the page and get started on the next one.

That next one seems to be Brent Krahn, as the two-way deal ensures Raycroft can be sent down and Krahn could be sent up at any point in the season. So not only can Dallas give a promising prospect a chance to gain some valuable NHL experience, they can also save a good amount of salary cap space, as Raycroft’s AHL salary is only $105,000.

Overall, the move makes Raycroft a potential low-risk, high-reward gem in the sense that he’s only one injury away from holding down the starting role in Dallas for a good stretch if needed. Everyone knows that both Kari Lehtonen and Krahn have had nasty injuries in the past, so the elephant in the room can’t and won’t be ignored. It allows the Stars to create a healthy competition for the backup role, as Raycroft will have to win the job in camp first. If not, all of a sudden Krahn’s fantasy value holds some merit as well.

6. JOHAN HEDBERG – With New Jersey’s decision to let Yann Danis walk today, they quickly lassoed the Moose by signing Johan Hedberg to a simple one-year, $1 million contract. The deal includes a no-trade clause and ensures that Martin Brodeur will have a more experienced backup filling in for the rare nights he doesn’t start.

Although this deal leads many to believe that Brodeur is expected to start less games, I wouldn’t be so sure of that just yet. The Devils lost promising and underrated defenseman Paul Martin, but made a huge splash by signing the truculent Anton Volchenkov (Ottawa) to a six-year deal. Volchenkov is not only a physical presence in front of the net, but was 8th overall in the NHL with 172 blocked shots. This is just some theoretical number-crunching, but you get the idea.

Brodeur played 77 games last season and faced 2,004 shots, which is an average of 26 per game. If you were to take those 172 blocked shots from Volchenkov and say he’ll block at least 150 shots next year, you could imagine that Brodeur’s workload would be close to five or six games less over the course of a whole year. And if Brodeur is facing a few less shots every game, the odds are good that he’ll be able to start a few more game than expected.

Nevertheless, Hedberg is tied down for a year thanks to this no-trade clause, and that keeps both Jeff Frazee and Mike McKenna in the AHL for another season. In that regard, I am glad Hedberg’s deal is for one year. I’m hoping that this time next summer, the Devils will realize how beneficial it would be to give either McKenna or Frazee the backup role in order for Brodeur to mentor them and teach them the ropes.

The Devils could have done that today by passing on any UFA goalies, but obviously they felt strongly about Hedberg’s presence in the locker room and his ability to step in and win games off the bench when needed. Hedberg’s fantasy value goes way down with this move, but if Brodeur does happen to play a few less games, you can bank on the Moose posting efficient stats by playing pressure-free hockey in New Jersey.

5. CHRIS MASON – The Atlanta Thrashers bid adieu to the Moose when the clock struck noon today, but quickly came to terms with Chris Mason on a two-year deal worth $3.7 million total. This is a solid move by the organization, as they lose one veteran spark-plug goalie and replace him with another goalie with many similar traits.

Not only do Mason and Hedberg have similar body frames, they also have similar styles. Mason is listed at 6-foot-0 and 195 pounds while Hedberg is listed at 6-foot-0 and 190 pounds. Hedberg is 37 and entering his 10th NHL season, Mason is 34 and entering his 9th.

On the ice, Mason will be a perfect replacement in the sense that he’s a goalie who compensates for a lack of size by having a strong work ethic and excellent positioning. Both goalies are experienced enough to read plays well and square up to most shots, and they both have the ability to sustain energy for long stretches during a season.

Mason played in a career-high 61 games last season, going 30-22-8 with a 2.53 goals-against average and .913 save percentage. Hedberg tallied a ton more minutes than usual as well, playing in 47 games and going 21-16-6 with a 2.62 goals-against average and .915 save percentage. Similar stats, similar styles, similar seasons. Yes, the correlations continue, as both goalies played very well down the stretch last season but barely missed pushing their team into the playoffs.

With all of these striking similarities rising to the surface, this deal brings the Thrashers another confidence-boosting backup with the ability to be a 1B, 1A or starting goalie. That role, of course, depends on what happens with restricted free agent goalie Ondrej Pavelec. If Pavelec stays, Mason will probably still see close to 35 games and maybe more if he is once again able to elevate his game late in the season.

If Pavelec falls from grace in Atlanta and moves elsewhere, the sky would be the limit for Mason’s role. It’s always a feel-good story when a mentally tough goalie gets a fair reward for his dedication and professionalism, so regardless of what happens, Mason brings positive energy and a tremendous work ethic to the Thrashers locker room heading into the new season.

4. DAN ELLIS – The Tampa Bay Lightning replaced Antero Niittymaki by signing Dan Ellis to a two-year deal worth $3 million total. This is a tremendous move for Tampa Bay, following up a great move by Steve Yzerman to re-sign Martin St. Louis. All of a sudden, the Lightning is an enticing and interesting team to play for.

As such, this is a glorious day for Ellis. He’s been waiting very patiently to have this kind of opportunity, as he enters a situation where he can easily take over the starting job in training camp. Not only is Mike Smith an injury-prone goalie, he had a lot of issues with his composure and didn’t have the focus needed to hold down the starting role for an entire season. His expectations stay the same, as he’s expected to take the starting role, but with the rust and the prior injury issues, I don’t expect him to fend off Ellis for very long.

Therefore I feel that Ellis is the perfect signing for Tampa Bay. He was the best compliment goalie available, with a great combination of veteran experience and tremendous skill, durability and work ethic. He gets along very well with Mike Smith, as they are long-time friends and former prospects with the Dallas Stars. Because they are friends, Smith will benefit from having a guy to look up to, both on and off the ice.

Tampa Bay did a great job bringing in a goalie with some intangibles that will boost their ability to transition from defense to offense, which was a major issue last season. Ellis is a brilliant puck-moving goalie, as is Smith, so now they have two goalies that can activate from their crease and get pucks up the ice in a real hurry. This is something that many Stars prospects bring to the table, especially when they are older and more experienced.

Overall, I love this move and Lightning fans should be very excited for the future. Ellis’ fantasy value is much higher than it was at the start of last season, as he should have no problem getting 55 starts, maybe even 60 if he plays well. Like many solid butterfly goalies, Ellis is even better when he’s in a rhythm. And signing with Tampa Bay guarantees he will get more than a few opportunities to find that rhythm early and often this season.

3. ANTERO NIITTYMAKI – The San Jose Sharks found their new goaltender by signing Antero Niittymaki to a two-year deal worth $2 million each year. It’s an excellent move by the front office, as it proves their faith in their top two prospects, Thomas Greiss and Alex Stalock.

This is not a move to make Niittymaki fill the traditional “workhorse starter” role that Evgeni Nabokov held for so many years. Rather, this is a move to create a much more competitive 1A-1B tandem. Niittymaki will be considered the starter and will probably start close to 50-55 games total. Thomas Greiss will not only push for more than 30 starts, but keep Niittymaki on his toes and competing hard on a nightly basis.

For $2 million a year, the Sharks have a veteran starter that has tremendous situational awareness and mental toughness. Niittymaki was much better than his statistics showed with the Lightning last season, and witha more competitive team in front of him, he will post even better numbers. For fantasy owners, both Niittymaki and Greiss’ short-term and long-term value just went way up.

This is a tremendous move by the Sharks and although it will bring a lot of heat from casual fans or those that are not familiar with Niittymaki’s upside, they should all take a moment to learn about his performance in the 2006 Winter Olympics. Niittymaki has the ability to steal games, to play with poise that radiates through the lineup. He’s not as well-oiled or as durable as Nabokov, but he can bring the same confidence to the lineup and play with focus and composure in the playoffs. 

2. ALEX AULD – The Montreal Canadiens made a surprising move by signing former Rangers, Stars, Canucks and Senators goaltender Alex Auld to a one-year, $1 million deal. During his tenure with the Stars, Auld competed well as Marty Turco’s backup and posted a 9-6-3 with a 3.00 goals-against average and .894 save percentage. The stats don’t dictate how well he competed, but it does say a lot about where his career and value currently stands.

Similar to my thoughts on Biron going to the Rangers, I see this as a somewhat questionable move. For $1 million and for just one year, it’s a good low-risk move. But does Auld really fill the role of a backup mentor to Carey Price better than some of the other goalies available? Does he fill the role of a 1-A goalie that can push Price to play at his best? I personally think he kind of hovers in between the two roles, and therefore it seems to me like another move with circular logic. 

My question posed to the Rangers is the same with Montreal: what role does Auld fill that Cedrick Desjardins could not fill? Desjardins was spectacular in Hamilton last season and could have competed very hard for not just the backup role, but put a little pressure on Price to play at his best and work harder in practice. Can Auld bring that same compete level in a Canadiens uniform? Can he be a mentor for Price and really bring him some guidance on and off the ice?

I’m sure Auld has the ability to step up and fill one of these roles and play well in spurts, but I think there were some better options out there. I hope that the Habs open the door for Auld to battle Desjardins to win the backup role. Otherwise, it will be a questionable decision in my mind.

Expect Auld to be nothing more than a backup to Price, playing around 20 games total. He’ll post some decent stats and maybe post a record like 11-7-2 and a goals-against average around 2.4 or 2.5 with a good save percentage as well. Auld plays much better when he’s getting consecutive minutes, so with Price being the man in Montreal, rust and rhythm will be hurdles for Auld to overcome.

1. MARTIN BIRON -The Rangers started the goalie carousel by signing journeyman backup Marty Biron to a two-year deal at a very affordable price of around $900,000 per year. Biron will do a good job handling the role of playing behind Henrik Lundqvist. Because he’s on a stronger team, expect him to post close to a .500 record and a goals-against average of 2.5 or 2.6 and around a .905 to .910 save percentage. Last year with the Islanders, Biron posted a 9-14-4 record with a .896 save percentage and 3.27 goals-against average.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of this deal. Why? Because it does nothing to improve the overall goalie situation. Biron is not a goalie that has upside, so even though he signed for ~$900,000 per year, the Rangers could have filled the same exact role with Chad Johnson as a backup. Biron might be asked to play 20 games and probably won’t post anything better than a .500 record, but Johnson was a really bright spot for the Rangers when he was called up and would have pushed Lundqvistto compete harder. With Biron as a backup and expected to be nothing more than that, Lundqvist will probably go through some phases of complacency next season. Overall, the Rangers didn’t do anything with this move.