- September 8, 2010 - Mental Training: A Grandfather's Lessons
- September 7, 2010 - Dan Ellis is Distracted by Twitter
- September 6, 2010 - September Scouting Journal
- September 5, 2010 - Get to Know Prospect Robin Billingham
- September 2, 2010 - School of Block: Dissecting the Niemi Deal
Posts tagged pekka rinne
School of Block: Predators Goaltending
Aug 30th
:: THE CURRENT STATE OF PREDATORS GOALTENDING ::
Another season has come and gone, and so too has another quality goaltender from the city of Nashville. With Dan Ellis ready to start the next chapter of his career in Tampa Bay, the current state of Predators goaltending sees a wide open door for Mark Dekanich or Chet Pickard to walk through in an attempt to jump-start their NHL career. The team’s well-nourished goalie life cycle simply continues to thrive in perfect balance and harmony.
Backed by spectacular coaching and consulting from Mitch Korn, dissecting Nashville’s depth chart comes with much clarity. Let it be known that Korn is considered one of the most effective teachers of all time. His ability to give each goalie – regardless of age or stage in their development – an arsenal of mental and technical tools before a season begins constantly produces positive results. Tomas Vokoun, Chris Mason, Ellis, Pekka Rinne…all very different goalies, all very successful in their own way.
As of today, the onus is currently on former Colgate goaltender Dekanich to come to training camp prepared to secure the backup role and begin his NHL career. Follow his Twitter feed at @dexshow and look at just how hard he’s working in the weight room this summer. The guy is an iron-pumping machine and he’s fully committed to winning the job. He knows there are no guarantees and his tweets are great insight to the sheer work ethic a goalie must have if they want to break into the NHL.
That being said, if simplicity continues to be the staple of Predators goaltending, having Dekanich fill the open void behind Rinne makes perfect sense. Not only is Dekanich a good fit for that 20-game backup role, it also allows Pickard to establish himself as a true AHL workhorse and gives Anders Lindback a place to play in North America, a job which he is certainly ready for.
The trickle-down effect that comes from this training camp is also crucial for the futures of Jeremy Smith and Atte Engren. Smith and Lindback will most likely duel for the backup role in Milwaukee, while the loser heads to the ECHL. Engren is slated to stay in Finland with TPS Turku for another season to defend his championship. Dissecting which goalie ends up where is not as clear as the Dekanich-Pickard duel, but our gut says “look out” for Lindback. Smith might be more deserving of the AHL gig, but it’s impossible to pass up what Lindback could bring to the organization in regards to long-term success. He’s barely scratched the surface of his potential and this is why he will probably be playing in North America this year. He can hang and thrive in the AHL.
As you all know, I love to see teams instill confidence in their prospects by showing faith in their ability to take that next step, regardless of age or experience. A team never knows what they have until they unleash a goalie’s power across the league. And in that regard, Nashville is in a special place, for they could create this positive tone with more than one of their prospects.
1. Being a bigger goalie, Pekka Rinne takes away a majority of the net. What do you see as his greatest strengths and weaknesses?
Rinne’s strengths are his quickness, mobility, footwork and active stance. His lanky presence is truly an added benefit, as this allows him to butterfly with ease while still taking away a lot of space in the upper corners. Another one of his strengths is a very straight back, which makes him very well-balanced and mobile on his knees. I love how he focuses on the puck extremely well, especially when giving up a rebound. He has great tracking ability and when you have a goalie with that core set of talents, you’ll find that he’s rarely out of position. If he does get caught off his angle, he has the foot speed to transfer his weight quickly and get his body, or a piece of his body behind the puck. He can make huge desperate saves thanks to his swiftness and lanky size.
I would say a few of his weaknesses are his focus, mental toughness, angles (depth) and hyperactive hands. I say his hands are a weakness (they are also a strength) because a lot of plays in which his hands should stay at home and tight to his body end up actively trying to grab or swat at something. He needs to show more patience and let the puck or play come to him. More specifically, I think he needs to work on making saves in a more positional manner. A goalie that is too active is moving too much, and a goalie that is moving too much is going to struggle to control pucks and maintain high levels of energy for 60 minutes. You always hear the phrase, “less is more” and this is what Rinne needs to accomplish mentally and technically in order to improve. Like most reflexive goalies, he also needs to improve his depth in the net and play above his crease more consistently. I think this is the year you will see that happen, as it comes with more experience for the skilled Finnish imports.
2. For Pickard, Dekanich and Lindback, who do you see having the highest upside? Who is most likely to be a starter?
I like Lindback’s combination of size and skill and I feel he has the highest upside of the three. At the same time, he has much more work to do than Pickard. I think those two are both on track to be quality NHL starters. Pickard is more likely to be a starter before Lindback. Since Nashville churns out starters like smooth butter, both of their work ethics will go a long way in establishing which goalie is more valuable long term. It’s tough to compare Lindback to Pickard without seeing Lindback compete in North America, so I think the key is to really watch for their unique traits and characteristics this season.
3. How awesome is Mitch Korn and just how much does he have to do with Nashville’s ability to continue producing viable NHL goaltenders?
He has everything to do with the continued and consistent success of Predators goaltending. For a guy that has no pro playing experience, it’s remarkable what he has accomplished since the 1980’s. But what really sets him apart is that he’s a wizard at motivating his goalies. He truly cares about making them better, so he develops awesome friendships with each and every goalie in the system. Korn’s 20 years of experience brings a certain structured system to the team, so his ability to motivate and cultivate goalies through unique friendships puts him right up there with guys like Francois Allaire and Vladislav Tretiak.
Korn isn’t just a goalie coach. He’s a mentor and a father figure to the younger prospects. But to get more specific about his actual coaching strategies, he excels at providing instant video feedback, a regimen systematic approach to every on-ice session and drills that stress progressive skills development. His overall schematics for helping a goalie improve is custom tailored to each goalie. But one of the most beneficial aspects of working with Korn is his set of props and tools.
He takes on-ice drills to a higher level than most other coaches because of these props. Things like high shot deflection boards, low shot screen boards, mini pucks, white pucks and more help his goalies improve even when he’s not able to be there. He’ll put weighted wrist bands on a goalie’s arms in order to strengthen their glove hands. He’ll put a mesh bag over a goalie’s mask to force them to “sense” the puck instead of seeing it. He tests all areas of the mind and the body and that is what truly makes him such an effective coach. Check out his website to learn more about these tools…I personally use white and mini pucks when working with my students and they’re extremely effective.
Since Korn carries such an amazing reputation with him, every goalie he coaches or works with becomes a viable prospect. He probably has thousands of students under his tutelage over the years and has helped so many goalies in the past that Nashville will always develop prospects in the Top-100 Rankings. If you want to become a pro goalie, work with Korn. It’s simple, really. But remember, it’s not always sheer skill and ability that makes a goalie great. A lot of it is coaching and opportunity. In Nashville, you’re guaranteed to have a great reputation around the league because of Korn’s reputation. It all truly amazes me.
4. Does Pickard fit into Nashville’s long term plans or is he going to be chasing the #1 spot forever? If Rinne is the man, what is the likelihood we see Pickard traded and how far away would that be? How many years away is Pickard from entering the NHL and making an impact?
Remember that no one goalie is more important than the system as a whole. Nashville won’t change the way they manage their goalies. That being said, the book is still out on Pickard’s future in Nashville. I don’t think he will be chasing the #1 spot forever, but that depends entirely on Rinne’s ability to keep improving and performing at his best. Pickard will either push Rinne for the starting job or, similar to Ellis, play well enough to warrant interest from other teams. And since Nashville always has someone else with great potential coming up the pipelines (Lindback, Engren), trading Pickard won’t be a tough choice to make.
I see the latter happening (trade or free agency move) because Rinne is too good to lose the job, unless he gets complacent and falls off the tracks for an extended period of time. If that time frame gets to the point that Pickard can get into a good rhythm and steal a chunk of impressive starts, the Predators will have to make the same decision they’ve made many times before. One will stay, one will go. But both will be starters or 1A-1B goalies regardless of where they end up. I think Pickard would be three years away from a trade. So not the 2011-12 season, but the one after that.
5. What would your prediction be for games played, wins and shutouts this year for Rinne?
I think you’ll see Rinne push for 35 wins, with a big influence on that number coming from the team’s play in October and November. Nashville’s defense has a recent history of struggling early and then coming together at the halfway point for a strong playoff push late. So if he has a really good start to the season, 35 wins is clearly in reach. I could see him pitching five or six shutouts. Expect close to 60 starts for Rinne, including almost every game in the final six weeks of the season.
6. Based on skill alone, where would Rinne rank compared to other NHL goalies?
Rinne is easily one of the top ten goalies in the NHL, but just outside of the top five. I think because he is still relatively early in his pro career, he isn’t worthy of being ranked ahead of guys that are similar in talent level, but more experienced. For example, I would say Tomas Vokoun is very close in skill level to Rinne. They have similar traits that make them successful and Rinne’s big advantage is size, while Vokoun’s is clearly his experience and ability to stay strong when facing a heavy workload. So to rank Vokoun above Rinne is fair, as mental toughness, experience and sheer “term of dominance” clearly plays a role in overall ranking. Regardless of all those semantics however, Rinne is still easily one of the best “skilled” goalies in the league. He’s flashy, he’s quick and he’s really active. It’s fun to watch and he’s only getting better positionally.

If you were to rank the best goalies that have only been in the league since 2007-08, Rinne, Rask, Price and Hiller are all very close in that regard. They are the best young studs in the league and Rinne is ready to reach for that next level.
7. What would stop Pickard from being the number one in Nashville? What are the biggest flaws that you see in his game? Is he a potential franchise goalie?
I think Rinne’s longevity as a workhorse is the only thing keeping Pickard from evolving into an NHL starter. Pickard has to carve his own path, but Nashville will side with Rinne long term since he’s already established. I think some of Pickard’s flaws are his complacency and mobility. He’s a bigger goalie that relies on his size to get body parts behind pucks. It’s the polar opposite of Rinne, who tries to go out and stop everything. Pickard likes to let pucks hit him and then react from there. He’s still capable of being a “franchise” goalie because Pickard has awesome durability and technique. When the foundation is there, anything is possible over the course of two or three seasons. So it’s impossible to judge their ability’s ceiling or floor. It really just depends on each and every game they play. I like his confidence level and his mental toughness but he needs to speed up his footwork if he wants to be effective in the NHL.
The Goalie Guild’s The Current State feature is an in-depth look at each NHL team’s goalie depth chart. It is an interactive thread in the School of Block forums that allows readers to voite on which team is put under the microscope. Once a team is determined, readers leave their questions relating to the team’s goalies and we answer them for all to see!
School of Block: Top-10 One-Year Goalies
Jul 26th
:: TOP-10 GOALIES FOR ONE-YEAR FANTASY LEAGUES ::
School of Block held a fantasy forums mailbag last week and the quality of questions I answered was just outstanding. The volume was even more impressive, as I gladly spent my entire day answering…well…almost all of them.
The only question left unanswered was a behemoth request from Leafs2010. He asked me to list the Top-10 goalies for a one-year fantasy league using the common statistical categories. I realized automatically that a question of such magnitude and importance deserved more time and focus than the others, so I pondered it for the whole week. Lo and behold, my ranking of the 10 best goalies to own for this season, if you’re playing in a one-year league that uses the common scoring categories.
Although I rarely spend time discussing statistics, there’s no escaping it in a ranking such as this. So I keyed in on one stat in particular, one that I feel speaks volumes for a goalie’s fantasy value. This figure is simply the ratio of games in which a goalie posts a .900 save percentage or higher. Divided by their total number of games played, this percentage is a strong indication of how consistent the goalie performed last season and how effective they may have been in helping their team win games.
Please keep in mind that the mission this week is to provide you with the Top-10 goalies we feel are poised to be the most valuable to own in a one-year, head-to-head fantasy league. We cannot predict injuries, trades, or free agency signings, so this is as of and up to July 26, 2010. We feel it is important to own a goaltender that effectively stops the puck and also fills you with confidence. This list reflects those factors and includes the best goalies most suited to lead you to a fantasy league title.
1. TUUKKA RASK – Not only do I think Rask is the most technically sound European goalie currently in the NHL, I was also quite impressed with his mental toughness down the stretch last year. He was very durable in a rookie season where his minutes were all back loaded in the pressure-filled second half. An astonishing 77% of his games resulted in a .900 save percentage or higher (34 total games), which was the highest in the NHL for all starting goalies. And don’t forget he posted the league’s best goals-against average (1.97) and save percentage (.931) as well. Combined with great outings in his first 10 playoff games, it was a brilliant start to his NHL career. He’s projected to start 60-65 games this season, making him that much more valuable.
Why is he #1? He’s the best combination of all three fantasy worlds – skill, situation and stats – and he’s still getting better.
2. RYAN MILLER – The 2010 Vezina Trophy winner continues to improve his ability to win behind strong mental toughness and leadership skills. He gained a ton of confidence after his run in the Olympics and clearly revealed just how good he can be when it matters most for his team. Miller is an inspired goalie, a well-oiled machine with the perfect combination of quickness and solid positioning. He rarely struggled in games last season, as he posted 41 wins in 69 outings and a .929 save percentage, which was 2nd overall in the NHL. A whopping 76% of his games resulted in a .900 save percentage or higher (52 total) and he also notched five shutouts while averaging a workable 28.2 shots per game.
Why is he #2? No other goalie has improved more in the last three years. It’s Miller Time more often every month.
3. HENRIK LUNDQVIST – When you take into account his strenuous wide butterfly style, King Henrik is one of the most durable and steady goaltenders in the NHL. Those who see him most constantly rave about his big-save ability and he displayed tons of flair in a season plagued by frustrating one-goal losses. Owning Lundqvist brings managers so much confidence that they are rarely disappointed in a game that he loses. One reason I rank him higher than others is due to shot volume. He faced the third-most shots in the NHL last year at 2109, which was 28.9 per game, but still posted a .921 save percentage (5th in NHL).
Why is he #3? Imagine his value if half of his one-goal losses from last season are converted into wins this season.
4. MARTIN BRODEUR – Although I think the next two goalies below Brodeur play a more refined and effective style, you just can’t argue against the wizard. Behind strong team defense and potent offense, especially if Ilya Kovalchuk stays put, expect more of the same from Brodeur this season. Yes he’s a year older and a little more prone to aches and pains of a 75+ game schedule, but experience and genuine leadership counts more than skill. Just like Rask led the league in two key categories, Brodeur led the NHL in shutouts (9) and wins (45). But only 65% of his games (49 total) resulted in a .900 save percentage or better, giving him a .913 mark on the season, good enough for 13th overall.
Why is he #4? He’s on a defensive team and the most reliable, experienced and mentally tough goalie in the NHL.

5. ILYA BRYZGALOV – The razor sharp Russian is coming off a true breakout season and established a dominant presence in the Phoenix crease. Behind a strong Dave Tippett defensive system, Bryzgalov cruised to many low-scoring wins on a consistent basis and posted a .900 save percentage or better in 73% of his games (50 total). Even when he was asked to stop more than 30 shots, he was there almost every single night. That compatibility is crucial in determining his fantasy value this season, as many goalies will struggle with their rhythm when facing a low volume of shots (see Cristobal Huet). Not so for Bryzgalov, as he is able to adjust and thrive in pressure-filled situations. He should experience another season of succulent statistical success.
Why is he #5? High value comes with Tippett’s territory, but he also has the elite technical skills to boot. All bases are covered.
6. TOMAS VOKOUN – With Miller stealing the show in the goalie department during the 2010 Winter Olympics, Vokoun (and Halak) was nipping at his heels the entire time. The silent assassin in the Southeast Division posted the NHL’s third-best save percentage (.925) and was fifth overall in shots against (2081). That averaged out to be 33 shots per game, which is a great number to pull in every 2-3 days. So he not only faces a ton of rubber and wins games single-handedly, but he’ll most likely be playing in front of a more competent team as well. I expect him to play even better in October compared to the last two seasons, as once again the elusive “strong start” is a self-proclaimed area of focus for him and his teammates.
Why is he #6? Has a very efficient shots-to-saves conversion rate and great mental toughness on a leaky defensive team.
7. MIIKKA KIPRUSOFF – Many fans might get frustrated with his nonchalant demeanor, but no matter how hard his pundits try, his fantasy value cannot be disproven. Despite Calgary’s failure to make the post-season, Kiprusoff was a bright spot for most of the season. He posted a .900 save percentage or higher in an impressive 72% of his games (51 out of 72) and in only 10 games did he post something below a .850 save percentage. That’s quite consistent for a team that missed the playoffs. With a .920 save percentage, 35 wins, four shutouts and a 2.31 goals against average, Kipper was very valuable across the fantasy board.
Why is he #7? His complacency could finally be eliminated thanks to Henrik Karlsson. Kipper should be on fire again this year.
8. ROBERTO LUONGO – Although last season was filled with frustrating nights fighting off the puck and traffic in front of his net, Luongo persevered and still found a way to win at least 40 games. He had to hack his way through a lack of rhythm and the pressure of the Olympics, so it wasn’t always pretty to watch. Without the Olympics clouding his mind and Roli Melanson acting as his new full-time goalie coach, Luongo should have no problem shaving .25 off his goals-against average and improving on his .913 save percentage. He battled hard mentally and posted a .900 save percentage or higher in 65% of his games (43 total).
Why is he #8? The giant is under a lot less stress this season and will thrive in a more competitive tandem with Schneider.
9. JAROSLAV HALAK – Many of you will see Halak on this list and once discovering Jimmy Howard is not in the Top-10, instantly wonder why. But when you look at the likelihood of either goalie being more consistent or enduring more off-rhythm stretches, it’s hard to go someone who is so cool and composed under pressure. The Olympics, combined with what he had to go through in Montreal, proves Halak has been to hell and back. Solid steel is strengthened when forged in fire, so managers should feel quite confident in his ability to play at least 60 games and still post similar (or better) stats as last season.
Why is he #9? Posted a .900 save percentage or higher in 29 of 45 games and flat out stole at least eight wins last year.

10. PEKKA RINNE – Although he’s clearly an elite Finnish talent with great size, the question as to how he handles workhorse minutes will linger like stale firework smoke in the Nashville air. But Rinne’s potential is untapped. He was quietly very good in the playoffs against Chicago and similar to Rask in Boston, displayed mental toughness down the stretch to keep the Predators in the playoff hunt. He only posted a .900 save percentage or higher in 58% of his games, or 33 of 58. That’s well below the league average (around 65%), but 32 wins and a .911 save percentage overall can’t be overlooked heading into your draft.
Why is he #10? He still has untapped potential and a very solid combination of size, durability, skill and mental toughness.
The Next Five…
Here are the next five goalies to own, but I listed them below in alphabetical order. What do YOU think the ranking should be??
CRAIG ANDERSON – It will be extremely hard to match the same break-out run he put on display last season, but he’s still valuable in the workload, saves and save percentage categories. He is not a very polished goalie, but has great size and desire and plays the blocking style extremely well. He displayed awesome durability last season, but is expected to have a smaller workload this season. But with Brett Clark no longer blocking shots, he’ll probably face more shots per game than last year.
MARC-ANDRE FLEURY – Although he backstops one of the most potent offenses in the league, he was very inconsistent last year. Other than logging 37 wins, the stats do not warrant Top-10 status. He only posted a .900 save percentage or better in Relies too much on skill, lacks mental toughness and is prone to inconsistency on an offensive-minded team.
JIMMY HOWARD – The sophomore jinx is more probably with Howard compared to Halak or Rask. As mentally tough as he is, his technique has a lot of refining to undergo and therefore doesn’t have the same untapped. Nevertheless, he still posted a .900 save percentage or better in a stunning 76% of his games, which tied Ryan Miller for second in the NHL.
CAM WARD – Never underestimate an elite talent with great size, plenty of experience and a Stanley Cup ring. It would help if he played in front of a better team, but if he stays healthy and continues to improve, it could easily be a Top-10 season for him. Despite his injury, he posted a .900 save percentage or higher in 65% of his games (30 of 47) and rarely had a weak outing.
CAREY PRICE – Just like Halak is a legitimate young talent ready to play more NHL games than ever before, Price (still an RFA) is also quite capable of being a Top-10 one-year goalie as well. When you peel back the layers of all his frustrating losses, his record of 13-20-5 doesn’t explain how 63% of his games resulted in a .900 save percentage or higher (26 of 41 games).





