Top-3 Free Agent Goalie Options For San Jose
With the NHL Draft looming and free agency right around the corner, the San Jose Sharks will have plenty to think about when it comes to selecting their starting goalie.
Alex Stalock, the only goalie on the roster as of now, may not be at the level the coaches desire, so the team may look to a free agent or trade. Here are three possible free agent signings the Sharks should consider:
1. Antti Neimi
He's a proven starter and just two seasons removed from a Vezina-caliber year. The Sharks know him and his agent, they have paid him well during his five seasons in San Jose and he has been pretty good despite a shaky defense in front of him. He posted a .914 save percentage last season, but yielded a league average 2.59 goals per game.
He's a risky signing at age 31 (he turns 32 before next season) and may be the most expensive free agent option, but he could surprise some people next year.
2. Thomas Greiss
Another former Shark, Greiss was drafted in the third round by the Sharks back in 2004 and served four years as the back up to Evgeni Nabokov and Neimi before signing with the Coyotes for a year and spending last year with the Penguins.
His career numbers are 31 starts, .912 save percentage and 2.52 goals against per game. Not great, but not bad, either.
He has been a career back up, but this year he may be looking for a starting spot. Is he better than Stalock? Not sure. He's 29 years old and could be entering his prime - all he needs is a shot to prove it.
3. Jhonas Enroth
This option is a stretch, a guy with more experience than Greiss - yet worse numbers. His career GAA is a morbid 2.92 and with his busiest year being last year, he posted an even worse 3.07 GAA with Buffalo.
He is cheap, however. He would cost around $1 million and could platoon with Stalock for a cheap, competitive 1-2 punch. Much like Nabokov and Vesa Toskola battled for the top spot in 2006-07 - both of them posted career-best numbers.
