#Goalie start nhl pro#

These two goalies are lumped together here because they’re in a similar boat with the question of: what are the Blackhawks going to do with them?īoth goalies are 27 years old and, while not ancient by any means, this is around the time when pro goalies either emerge as starters or begin the nomadic life that usually accompanies existence as an NHL backup. His in-season development will be key for the bigger picture in Chicago, with Fleury in the final year of his current contract. A season of apprenticeship behind a future Hall-of-Famer in Fleury may help Lankinen find that extra gear to make him worthy of the starting spot. Still, there’s plenty to like about the 26-year-old Lankinen, who could still improve his game enough to be the future starting goaltender in Chicago. 1 goalie spot for the long term - hence the offseason acquisition of Fleury. Decent enough numbers considering the young, inexperienced defense he was playing behind, but perhaps not quite strong enough of a performance to bestow the No. In his first NHL season, Lankinen started in 37 games with a 17-14-5 record. Chicago doesn’t have the benefit of a second goalie as good as Robin Lehner, but the aforementioned Lankinen/Delia/Subban trio should be able to spell Fleury enough to his legs fresh for the entire season. Fleury started 36 of Vegas’ 56-game schedule last season, which projects to roughly 53 games over an 82-game schedule. The most interesting part of the equation will be seeing how many games Fleury plays this season, as any pro athlete in their mid-30s would probably benefit from a slightly lighter workload. Through his brief appearances in the preseason, Fleury showed he still has the trademark athleticism that’s carried him throughout his career:įLOWER POWER.

His 20.1 goals saved above average trailed only the ‘17-18 season total of 20.8. 928 save percentage and 1.98 goals-against average - both the best season-long marks of his career. He won the Vezina and Jennings trophies while posting a.

Marc-Andre FleuryĪfter joining the Blackhawks in a late July trade from the Vegas Golden Knights, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner slotted in immediately as Chicago’s starting goalie for the ‘21-22 season.įleury isn’t getting any younger, as he’ll turn 37 in late November, but he’s also coming off of perhaps his best season in the league. Thanks to an offseason trade, though, there is no such competition happening for the starter’s net this season, although some intrigue remains with the backup spot.

Collin Delia, Kevin Lankinen and Malcolm Subban all vied for that role, with Lankinen jumping out to an early lead that he never relinquished, remaining atop the depth chart for the pandemic-abbreviated season. 1 goaltender spot vacated by Corey Crawford after the 2019-20 season. Last season, the Chicago Blackhawks had a trio of contenders for the No. With the first game of the 2021-22 NHL season just three days away, it’s time to start examining the players who’ll be taking the ice for the Blackhawks this season.