Thank you Braden Holtby, for everything.
The Washington Capitals have signed Henrik Lundqvist thus ending one of the most storied goaltending eras ever seen in these parts. The Braden Holtby era is officially over as he signed a two year contract with the Vancouver Canucks worth $8.6 million, a cap hit of $4.3 million.
What Holtby will be remembered for on the ice was the most memorable save in Stanley Cup lore as he stopped Alex Tuch’s shot with the paddle of his stick. It was a point blank play that helped the Caps to the Cup.
Or you may remember Holtby for what he’s done off the ice in the D.C. community as he’s given back and marched in numerous Pride parades. Either way his impact on the Capitals will be a lasting one and he will be missed.
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Holtby’s best season came in the 2015-16 season when he tied Martin Brodeur’s record for most wins in a season with 48 en route to a Vezina Trophy as the top goaltender in the league. That season he went 48-9-7 with a .922 save percentage and a 2.20 goals against average.
He followed that up with a league leading 42 wins the next season as he went 42-13-6 with a 2.07 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. The next season was a drop off year as Holtby struggled and needed an emotional reset.
At the same time, Philipp Grubauer was playing well and he got the starting job for the first game of the playoffs. But it would be Holtby who regained the net at the end of Game 2 of that series against the Columbus Blue Jackets and he never looked back.
That spring Holtby went 16-7 with a 2.16 goals against average and a .922 save percentage to backstop the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup. He not only made a save for the ages in the Cup final that will be talked about for years but he was the reason they even made it to the finals in the first place.
In the third round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Caps were staring at elimination down three games to two. What Holtby did was shutout the high powered Bolts offense with 24 saves in Game 6 and 29 saves in Game 7. Of course there was The Save in the Stanley Cup Final that would be well remembered in Washington and will be for years to come.
Stars and Sticks would like to wish Braden Holtby the best as a member of the Vancouver Canucks.