Flames take quality over quantity

CALGARY, Ab. – For the Calgary Flames, it’s all about quality, not quantity when it comes to goaltending depth. With only four netminders currently making their way through the farm system, it’s vital to the organization that these goalies develop properly and to their fullest potential.
After signing Miikka Kiprusoff to a lengthy contract extension that will keep him in Calgary through the 2013-14 season, GM Darryl Sutter not only secured one of the top goaltenders in the NHL for seasons to come, but also bought his younger netminders plenty of time to develop into the impact players the Flames hope they become. Often times, young goalies can’t immediately handle the spotlight and the pressures of performing for the big club. Having Kiprusoff under contract for five more years will undoubtedly aide the development of these young goalies, and will hopefully prove beneficial for the Flames down the road. Despite the lack of depth in numbers between the pipes, the future looks very bright for Calgary. Currently, of the four goalies in the system, three stand to make a significant impact on the National Hockey League at some point in the future. Not many teams can boast quality depth of this caliber at the goaltending position. Without further ado, let’s look at the Flames top four goaltending prospects. 1) Leland Irving (AHL)

For the Flames, Leland is the product of a mediocre-at-best 2006 NHL Entry Draft, but there is most definitely nothing mediocre about his game. Of all of the goaltending prospects currently climbing their way up the organizational ladder, Irving stands atop the charts as the most promising and most likely player to live up to his draft-day billing. Taken 26^th overall out of Everett in the Western Hockey League (WHL), the former Silvertip netminder posted five stellar seasons with the team. Scouts raved at his butterfly-style lateral ability. Agile and well-balanced, Irving is very tough to beat down low, but also boasts a superior glove hand. Despite being predominantly a butterfly-style goaltender, he has a knack for staying square to the opposing shooter and remaining upright when need be. Perhaps Irving’s greatest strengths are his durability and hard-working attitude. After amassing just shy of 10,000 minutes played in three seasons for the Silvertips from 2006 to 2008, Leland has brought his game to the Quad City Flames of the American Hockey League (AHL) for the 2008-09 season. Although fellow prospects such as Matt Keetley and Kevin Lalande have garnered their share of playing time in Quad City, it’s been Irving’s hard work that has made the transition from major junior to pro so easy for himself. Any goalie will tell you that it’s tougher to stay game-ready and deliver your best performance when you’re sharing playing time. Despite the circumstances, Irving continues to impress, posting a goals against average (GAA) of 2.35 in 24 games thus far. Barring any unforeseen setbacks, Irving should suit up as the number one goalie in Calgary in the not-too-distant future. In the meantime, you can find him honing his skills for Quad City. However, when the Flames eventually part ways with Kiprusoff, expect it to be Irving who gets the call between the pipes. He’s the cornerstone of the Calgary Flames franchise for years to come. 2) Kevin Lalande (AHL) Drafted by the Flames in the 5^th round (128^th overall) in 2005, Lalande may prove to be a draft-day steal for Calgary if given the opportunity to strut his stuff in the National Hockey League. The 6-foot, 175-pound native of Kingston, ON possesses the skill-set of a solid NHL goalie: Strong skater, above-average positional play and lateral ability, top-notch rebound control, lightning-fast reflexes, solid poise in the net. After starting the season playing for the Las Vegas Wranglers of the East Coast Hockey league (ECHL), Lalande – with help from an under-performing Matt Keetley – earned a ticket to Quad City just this month. Posting a solid record of 9-8-2, a GAA of 2.39 and a save percentage of .925 at Las Vegas, will certainly do nothing to hurt his stock. At this point, Kevin’s ceiling is sky-high. A solid AHL performance could grant him a crack at the parent club by the end of the season. In Calgary, it’s the Kiprusoff show, as backup goalie Curtis McElhinney, Lalande has barely seen the ice this season. With that being said, it may be a better idea to let Lalande refine his skills in Quad City in order to get as much playing time as possible. Lalande figures to land in the NHL at some point soon. He may take a year or two to stick, but he will get his opportunity sooner than later if he continues to perform so well in the AHL. It appears that he’s leap-frogged Keetley at the top of the depth chart, but it will be tough to remain ahead of both he and Irving, with both players nipping at his heels. Expect Lalande to accept the challenge and rise above it. He may be Kiprusoff’s full-time backup in Calgary next year. 3) Matt Keetley (ECHL) Drafted just thirty picks after selecting Lalande, the Flames decided it best to stockpile goaltending prospects at the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. It’s hard to fathom, but there’s potential here for two draft-day steals at the same position in the same draft year. Keetley put together a notable junior resume that was capped off by a President’s Cup win, as he led his Medicine Hat Tigers to a Western Hockey League (WHL) championship in 2007. Keetley was actually rated higher than Lalande by many going into this season, but Keetley’s sub-par efforts at Quad City have slightly tainted the outlook on his immediate future. His struggles have earned him a demotion to the ECHL. While it’s jumping the gun to assume that he’ll struggle making the transition from major junior to pro, he will have to prove himself once again to raise his stock to where it was prior to the 2008-09 season. Keetley could end up a solid NHL goalie, but it may not be with the Flames. There is a logjam between the pipes in Calgary for the foreseeable future. At this point, it’s hard to believe that he will outplay both Irving and Lalande to snag the starting gig in Calgary in the post-Kiprusoff era, but it’s certainly possible. Only time will tell. 4) Jimmy Spratt (NCAA) The fairly unknown Spratt was a gamble pick in the seventh round of the 2004 Draft by the Flames that has yet to pay off. He showed promise playing for Sioux City of the United States Hockey League (USHL), but after making the jump to the CCHA in college hockey, has struggled to adapt to the better, faster, more mature game. It’s really tough to envision Spratt playing a significant role in the Flames’ future, especially considering the roadblocks he has in front of him. While Spratt may catch on somewhere, he will most likely never see NHL ice time in a Flames’ jersey. Contact the author at Michael.Paul@ProHockeyNews.com