Minnesota Wild Goaltending Prospects

SAINT PAUL , Minn. – Much ado has been made about the goaltending success in Minnesota due largely to the defensive system. While it easy to understand just how that conclusion could be reached, with the numbers Wild goalies have put up in the past, the premise of that conclusion is mixed.
The truth of the matter is that a solid goaltender is the basis of any defensive minded scheme and the Wild have always had some of the top goaltenders in the league.
The tandem of Manny Fernandez and Dwayne Roloson took the Wild to the Western Conference finals. The tandem of Fernandez and Backstrom won the William H. Jennings Award for the leagues lowest goals against average. Now, Backstrom has put up numbers that compare with the best in the business while holding down the number one spot in Minnesota.
Backstrom has put up 27 wins, 1232 saves, a .927 save percentage, and a 2.18 goals against average. Even Wild GM Doug Risebrough publicly has shared his doubts that the goaltending is as good as it seems by issuing a post on the Hockey Ops blog near the All Star break by saying that the goals against are down this season, as are the shots against. This logic concludes that with fewer shots, the defense must be doing a better job, and thus the goaltenders must not be the source of the success.
While this all may be true, Risebrough has his own motives in limiting the credit given to Backstrom since he will become a UFA (unrestricted free agent) at the end of the season. It also takes credit away from goaltending coach Bob Mason, who is one of the best in the business. It is difficult to believe that the Wild could throw anyone off the street and into the net and get the same success, regardless of the number of shots they face.
Backstrom has made the role of goaltender in Minnesota his own, and has made it very difficult for any of the Wild’s goalie prospects in the system to do something other than stagnate on the bench or play in the AHL.
Should Backstrom sign elsewhere, we may finally get a look at whether or not the theory of strong defense is true, and get a good look at some of the goalies in the system. Though the rumors floating around are that if Backstrom does not re-sign, the Wild will be in the market for a backup to Josh Harding since they do not believe any of their prospects are ready for that role.
Here are the goaltenders currently in the Wild system.

Josh Harding – Hardly a prospect, true, but Harding looks to be the goalie of the future for the Wild. If Backstrom is not signed, Harding will be the guy called upon to fill in between the pipes.
Harding has shown to be less than perfect in the starts he does get, but it has been reported before that he would likely benefit for consistent time in the net. He has 1-5-0 record this season, which is less than reassuring. His record when filling in for an injured Backstrom last season was a sub-par 11-5-0. Harding has shown the ability to keep the puck out of the net with a 2.03 GAA, and .933 save percentage, meaning that his record this year could be due more to the lack of offensive help.
Nolan Schaefer – Schaefer has taken back the number one role in Houston, though Coach Kevin Constantine tends to go with the goalie of the moment. With the season nearing the end, and the Aeros battling for a playoff spot, look for Schaeffer to stay the main man.
Both Barry Brust and Schaefer have suffered at times due to the lack of offensive output from the Aeros, particularly in shootouts. Though, it is not surprising, being the Wild’s main affiliate. Schaefer is also reported to being put in cold when games go to shoot out to fill in for Brust who is weak in that area. Schaefer has a 15-14-5 record this season to go with a 2.46 GAA, and .907 save percentage.
Barry Brust – Brust has posted a 8-8-3 record for the Aeros, and as noted above, has struggled in shoot outs, something that does not bode well for his chances of making an NHL roster. Brust has a 2.54 GAA, and a .912 save percentage.
The fact that he and Schaefer have comparatively high goals against averages disputes the reports of goalies putting up huge numbers in defense first systems. Constantine is reported to be even more defensive minded than Jacques Lemaire. It should also be noted that neither Brust nor Schaefer are listed on any of the top prospect lists for the Wild.
Anton Khudobin – Currently playing for the Florida Everblades (ECHL), Khudobin has posted 18 wins (including 4 shut outs) in 30 starts, a .912 save percentage, and a 2.59 GAA. The next move for him would be to move to Houston, and the AHL, but as of this report, there were no plans to do so this season.
Niko Hovinen – The 6’ 7” Hovinen is far from your prototypical goaltender. He currently plays in the Finnish National League, and is far from being ready to jump the pond to play in North America.
The Wild were successful with their last foray into unknown Finnish goaltending with Backstrom, but there has yet to be reason to believe they hit the jackpot here. Stats are difficult to come by for Hovinen. According to the Minnesota Wild, even they have issues getting numbers on him as well, and don’t even include him in the prospect reports. Due to the lack of IIHF agreement, the Wild own the rights to Hovinen indefinitely.
Contact the author at bryan.reynolds@prohockeynews.com