The Washington Capitals will most likely lose Philipp Grubauer in the NHL Expansion Draft, but the Vegas Golden Knights could be a blessing in disguise for him.
It’s been a lot of fun watching Philipp Grubauer grow into one of the best backup goaltenders in the NHL. Getting to work with Washington Capitals goaltending coach Mitch Korn is the best thing that has ever happened to him. He came to DC a bit raw but is now very polished. However, one can’t help but think Grubauer has gone about as far as he can in Washington.
His recent comments about his future imply he’s aware of this.
Washington Capitals
“I would like to make a push or get a chance to start as a No. 1 goalie,” Grubauer said, via CSN Mid-Atlantic. “That’s the goal for anybody. Nobody wants to settle as a backup in this league. You want to go more, you want to play your own game, not sit on the bench. Hopefully I’ve shown this year that I can be capable of doing that.”
To be fair to Grubauer, nobody can blame him for feeling this way. No kid dreams of being a backup in the NHL. Every NHLer dreams of being a star. And Grubauer has certainly done enough to prove he’s capable of being a starting goalie. In 66 career regular season games, he has a .923 save percentage.
Furthermore, this season, Grubauer ranked third among all goalies with at least 750 minutes at even strength in even strength save percentage. It’s a small sample size, but it’s one that’s hard to argue with. Over the past three years, among goalies with at least 1,250 minutes at even strength, Grubauer ranks 11th in save percentage.
There’s just one problem. Braden Holtby stands in his way and seems determined to not relinquish his starting role. He has three seasons remaining on his five-year extension. It’s crazy to think about, but Grubauer is only two years younger than Holtby. Even if he waits it out in DC, he’ll be 28 years old by the time he has a real chance of winning the starting job.
The Vegas Golden Knights could give Grubauer the opportunity to be the number one goalie. He’ll be one of the best, if not the best, goalie available in the NHL Expansion Draft. With Scott Darling signing an extension with the Carolina Hurricanes and Ben Bishop signing with the Dallas Stars, Vegas has two options off the table. Marc-Andre Fleury and Brian Elliott are possibilities, but neither has youth on their side like Grubauer.
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Hockey is a team sport, so unselfishness is the norm in the NHL. But at some point, you’ve got to start being selfish because no one else has your best interests in mind. Grubauer should be hoping to be picked by the Golden Knights. He’s earned the chance to be a starting goalie and that opportunity seems very unlikely with the Capitals.