Viewed by many as one of the best prospects in the Senators system, Lehner bounced around between Ottawa and Binghamton. He sat on the bench for long periods of time up in Ottawa and had a tough time when he did get starts both at the NHL and AHL level. Then in the Calder Cup Playoffs, everything changed.
When regular season starter and fan-favourite Barry Brust struggled early in Round 1 against the Monarchs, Lehner was given a chance. With his team down 3-1 in the best of seven, Lehner played some of his best hockey and helped the BSens surge out of the first round and ultimately on to the Calder Cup Championship.
Lehner was named MVP of the playoffs and with good reason. He was the team's best player on route to the league championship, posting an impressive 2.10 GAA and a solid .939 save percentage. He made big saves when his team needed him and was a rock throughout the playoffs. Not bad for a guy who will turn 20 next week.
And now here we sit, in late July, and it is a foregone conclusion that Lehner will be spending another season in the AHL. I can't help but wonder if this is really the best scenario for Lehner.
Now I know there is a ton of evidence that suggests you have to be careful with young goaltenders and with a rebuilding Sens team, there is no reason to rush Lehner. Craig Anderson will be the starter in Ottawa this year and is going to get the bulk of the games and obviously the organization wants to avoid a situation where Lehner is on the bench watching the majority of the games.
Still, I think you could make a strong case for giving Lehner a chance at the NHL level.
As a 19 year old, and a player that plays the game with a ton of confidence, it's important that Lehner stays motivated. With a Calder Cup and playoff MVP already in his back pocket, there is a risk of Lehner becoming complacent at the AHL level. For that reason, I feel like having Lehner with the big club, facing NHL shooters in practices, working with a solid veteran in Craig Anderson and starting 20-30 games would not be such a bad thing.
Keep in mind this is a kid that has been the best goaltender in training camp the last two seasons.
I understand the caution the organization is showing with Lehner but also think it's important that his future with the club is well-communicated. He is a key part of the rebuild here in Ottawa and should be treated as such. While Alex Auld will dress as the back up on a nightly basis , the team should make every effort to get Lehner into NHL games this year.
And should Craig Anderson go down with an injury for an extended period of time, I fully expect Lehner to become the starter in Ottawa.
I feel like our given schedule and all the b2bs, its not like he would be on the bench for 20 games in a row. I think the excuse of 'they didn't let the goalie develop properly', is just exactly that, an excuse most of the time.
I think the best thing to do is tell Lehner to continue to work hard down in Bingo on his game and then come the trade deadline we move Alex Auld to a contender who might want some insurance for the playoffs and then bring up Lehner permanently to backup Anderson.
We didnt sign Anderson to 3 years to split games with Lehner in year 1...
Anderson is gonna want to play 65+ games, so you cant be giving 30 to Lehner.
To a degree Lehner still has to prove himself, he came in with nothing to lose in the playoffs and made the most of it. He didnt really play all that well in the regular season and if not for Brust, they dont even make the playoffs.
Lehner will be in Bingo all year, he has to prove he can get the team to the playoffs and with alot of Bingo guys gone, that will be a challenge.
Lehner needs as much playing time as possible but I agree NHL level is where he needs to be challenged.
Auld gives lots of options to Lehner, they could swap places any time managment desires.
There could be things they want Lehner to work on and when he gets them mastered in the AHL he can come up for testing.
Hard to work on things sitting the bench.
Kind of our secret weapon, don't pull him out until we need it.
Damn faster than me!
Thats good for the lightning!
sitting the bench will not prep him for that:)
Salary
1st to 4th year $8Mil
5th year $5.5Mil
Thats why he's gonna play 60+ games in Bingo, see what he does with that team.
He add the same kind of playoff has a 19 year old in the AHL, replacing starter Halak and winning the Calder cup and playoff MVP with the Bulldogs...
The next year, GM Bob Gainey forced then head coach Guy Carbonneau to keep Price at the NHL level has Christobal Huet backup. In hindsight this was a bad decision, Price spent the next couple of year playing sub par hockey for the most part. Even 2 playoff ago, Halak was the #1 goalie and Price was considered almost a bust. Gauthier decision to trade Halak wasn't popular and at least for this year it worked and Price finally played like a true #1 goalie.
So patience with a young goalie is very important.
The team last year, as good as it was still allowed about 30-40 shots against on a nightly basis. Expect those number to increse this year if anything. Lehner will face tons of rubber and be counted on to steal games. This should be seen as a challenge for him, rather than a "been there, done that".
I think Lehner proved that he might have even been ready for backup work this year, however I do think he's better off getting the full year (barring injury) with a full workload this year in the AHL. However, unless he regresses, I really hope he's brought up to backup in the NHL next year and then challenge to start in year 3 of Anderson's contract.
Lehner seems like he's better the more pressure is on him and I can't wait to enjoy that attribute come playoff time 2013/2014!
You bring him up too early to shoulder the load and he could struggle. There's no point we don't need him for now.
It's pretty simple.
I think Price was the right choice then, and obviously is now. He's the future in nets there, Halak and Huet were always just temporary placeholders till he was ready.
I think as fans we have to differentiate between rushing players and players just taking a normal amount of time to learn the intricacies of their positions at the NHL level and grow. Price has only 1 season that seemed negative (2009/10), and if you look at the numbers his GAA & SV% were actually acceptable, it was just his W-L ratio ... I'm sorry but that doesn't all fall on a young goalie. I think we should all be more patient with young players and realize it takes 3+ years just to adjust to the NHL for most, let alone for them to start showing the promise they were drafted for.
How many issues have teams faced when either rushing a goalie or not having a clear #1 goalie (2 guys fighting it out) Especially the Sens lol
Anderson was brought in to be the #1 and signed with us to be the #1. There is no need to have a guy as young as Lehner come up to challenge for the job this early.
Anderson hears and reads everything we do so he knows that the Org and the fanbase believe Lehner is our goalie of the future. Anderson knowing that and Lehner coming to play with the Sens knowing that and knowing how confident he is that he is ready right now has goalie controversy written all over it.
That is the last thing we need in a rebuild year. Let him get a full season in Bingo as the clear #1.
However, this is just my opinion- Ottawa while a Canadian city, is not as difficult to play in as say Montreal, Pittsburgh, or Detroit. We have been burned by both players, and management in the past, that still now has had quite the negative effect on Ottawa's market. We obviously don't have the illustrious history as those organizations- hence much less pressure to perform lights out, year in, year out in the playoffs. Can you imagine just how much pressure Howard has on his shoulders knowing how successful Detroit has been the past two decades?
Winning our first championship may take a few more years, but I think Lehner will most definitely be in net when we lift Lord Stanley. We have the pieces, all we have to do now is wait.
The Sens got a look at how he will perform behind a lot of inexperienced players... and he did very well.
Lehner needs 1 more year in Bingo playing 60 games or more. With Brust gone... he will now get that chance.
He will be in Ottawa in 2012/13 as backup to Anderson and fighting for the #1 job he will eventually inherit. I personally can't see Anderson in Ottawa for the 4 yrs. Once Lehner is proven... Anderson will be dealt.
As for Vokoun -- there is no way in hell he would sign in Ottawa (a re-building team) for the 1.5M he did sign for.
May be headed down that road. Gotta do something to get through August. Contest coming up too!
Theres going to be alot of good swedes joining us next year: Silfverberg, Lehner, Zibanejad(Assum ing he only plays a couple games here if that.) Maybe Petersson but i think hes more of a project.
Spend a full season as starter in Bingo, then, maybe, come backup at the big leagues
Yep you can definitely make a strong case for keeping him down there. My only concern is him having that feeling that he has already accomplished all he can down there and becoming frustrated.
This is why I think it's important he get regular starts up here to keep him hungry and motivated.
What should keep him Hungry and motivated is the thought of being called up if some one get's injured.
He needs to be ready for that as it can happen at any time.
Also, if his agent is smart...He should be telling him that once he has a strong year down there, they won't have a choice but to promote him next year.
We didnt sign Anderson to 3 years to split games with Lehner in year 1...
Anderson is gonna want to play 65+ games, so you cant be giving 30 to Lehner.
I think we signed him to four years actually. Either way, Boston has the same kind of situation with Rask waiting for Thomas to leave and I don't think their having any issues yet! Lehner, like Rask knows that the job is his to take when the time is right. Lehner will benefit from playing 60 -65 games this year, and then he will be pushing Anderson the following year. Both goalies know their roles and I see no issues.
This is why I think it's important he get regular starts up here to keep him hungry and motivated.
But at such a young age he needs show he can put the team and organization first and prove himself with a full workload in the AHL.
We don't need egos a la Ray Emery or controversies like every year they've boggled the goaltending situation.
Mentioned that in the blog above. No guarantees he plays there though. Still plans to come to Ottawa camp.
I was looking at various 2011 mock drafts. Thought I'd share this comment on Zibanejad that was selected 7th overall for Winnipeg. Comment is taken from http://www.thegoodpoint.com/hockey/jun11/thegps-2011-nhl-mock-draft2.html
TheGP Hockey Staff:
As a franchise in a new town, Winnipeg should not pass up on the opportunity to select Zibanejad, a game breaker and the potential second coming of Daniel Alfredsson, plus size.
Expert's Take:
"Mika's NHL translation is a power forward with scoring ability. His compete level is high end. His skating stride is far from perfect but should not hold him back."
- Mark Edwards, Founder/Head Scout, HockeyProspect. com
http://dansallows.com/player-profile-mika-zibanejad/
"While hockey scouts scour North America trying to find the next Sidney Crosby, they may want to consider looking in Sweden first, as 17-year-old Mika Zibanejad could be the next best thing."
He got a taste in the NHL last year and knows what he has to do. If he works on those things, he will be ready in case there is an injury. Bryan Murray even hinted that, in case of an injury, Lehner may be the one playing the games in an extended trial run.
Lehner needs to play. I might have agreed with Chirp if Lehner played the whole year in the AHL last year, but, in my mind, he still has a lot to prove.
I think what we'll see the organization do is something in the middle. Give Lehner starts in the NHL when they can but make sure he gets the bulk of the starts down in the AHL.
Like many have said, it's all about maximizing his playing time. My only concern is that he personally, tires of the AHL experience. That's why it's crucial that the organization communicates with him and makes it clear that he will get his shot.
As talented as Lehner may be, in my opinion, one more year as a full-time starter in the AHL is more beneficial to him then 10-20 games in the NHL. Remember what happened to Marc-Andre Fleury in his early years? He was one of the most touted goaltender prospect in recent history, however he did not come into his own until only recently. Given that he did play for a horrible team, it still took a long time for him to mature.
And I agree with "sben", this does not seem like Chirp writing. Must have been one of those days I guess!
I just think it's important to give Lehner starts at the NHL level when they can.
Guess the opinion piece threw people off a little? Haha this is definitely my writing.
You're right, but he may get killed in the AHL too - the BSens will be dressing alot of rookies next year...
http://tsn.ca/nhl/story/?id=371987
If you look at the second part of it, there is a chart that shows the amount of even strength goals scored by defensemen/the amount of ice time they are given and Erik Karlsson was ranked 6th in the league...tied with Nicklas Lidstrom!
with that being said, i don't think there is any evidence of that being the case. he has been nothing but focused since arriving to the sens organization. The Sens are doing the right thing here.
with that being said, i don't think there is any evidence of that being the case. he has been nothing but focused since arriving to the sens organization. The Sens are doing the right thing here.
with that being said, i don't think there is any evidence of that being the case. he has been nothing but focused since arriving to the sens organization. The Sens are doing the right thing here.
Anyways, if anyone is interested in playing a Yahoo fantasy football league, let me know.
blind_side_boarder
I also think it would be neat if Chrip or I could start a hockey one, possibly sometime in September. I can throw in a prize for the winner. I do understand how far away October is. hahaha
Thanks guys!
I am a fan of Lehner and can't wait to see him in the NHL, like the rest of you. I'm also a goalie (not a very good one) but I've learned that plenty of playing time does help build experience and it won't be a bad thing for him.
On the plus side (as already mentioned) he will be the go to guy if something should happen to Anderson. let's just be calm and let the season ride out. Remember, it's a rebuild, don't put your future goalie in net in that situation cause it won't be a confidence builder by any means.
just nitpicking here, but the comment count under the article is still way off. looks like not much is going on here with only '3 comments' when there are in fact over 50 comments.
As for the report on Butler having a break out season this year I beleive it. He impressed me in the pre-season with his penalty shot goal and as soon as he scored his first regular season goal he did'nt stop producing. His stats this year are respectable for a rookie coming out of the NCAA but when you consider it took him about 10 games to get started his stats are actually much more impressive if you start his season at his first point.
I agree about Butler, I think he performed above expectations at the NHL level last season in his limited playing time on the RW where he is most comfortable. He tore up the AHL and when you do that your first year in, you're going to be a pretty damn good player. I don't want to set my expectations for Butler too high, but I think top line minutes with Spezza, he could very well hit 35 goals or more this season.
Thanks for the heads up. I've noticed a few things that are still a little off. Will pass that along.
Good luck to all who submitted an entry. I hope alot of you sent something in. I have seen alot of well expressed opinions in the short time I have been coming here, and another (starting) point of view will be a welcome addition to a great site.
And you shouldnt, hell, Butler hasnt even played enough games in the NHL to have hit the rookie wall, and he will, trust me. For Butler to hit 35+, the team would have to firing on all cylinders, you have to take into consideration that teams will be focusing on Butler now that he's a bit more well known. Can he be a 35 goal scorer, I thinks so but it wont be next year, it will be hard, especially with our lack of scoring on other lines. Puts more pressure on line 1.
Agreed, but without a doubt he has a goal scorer's mentality which he finds himself to be in position to score more often than not. I know it's not the same caliber of players, but don't you think opponents in the AHL tried to shut Butler down too.
If Filatov pans out too, thats a big time dual threat playing with Spezza. This is all relying on Spezza staying healthy, but you can almost bank on Spezza being a PPG player, so that top line will produce.
I really also expect our PP to be night and day difference from last year.
My realistic expectation of Butler is to put up 20 goals. There should be a multitude of 20 goal scorers at least from our top 6. As much as we worry about our lack of talent in our top 6. Am I overreaching when I say that 5 of our top 6 players could be 20 goal scorers, given that they all stay healthy? I doubt we'll be even close to the bottom of the league with goals for.
Agreed. People need to taper their expectations a bit for next year. Sure...he COULD...but not likely...why does tookie always get shat on for being a bit more realistic?
If Anderson gets hurt, Lehner will be up with Ottawa in a heartbeat, and starting.
The kid needs to play games, not sit on the bench.
P.S. I like the critical thinking of the blog though.
Well to say "IF they stay healthy" is a cop-out, I mean injuries happen all the time, you have to take injuries into the equation and unfortunately our top 6 is riddled with injury prone players and unknowns. Most of the good team know what they have in their top 6. We cant even say we have a top 6.
So saying "if there healthy" doesnt work for me because chances are they wont be all year, and that will affect their preformance.
With health issues factored in, first number is low end and second is top end.
Spezza 20-30
Butler 18-25
Michalek 16-24
Alfie 16-24
Filatov 15+
Foligno 15+
Greening 10-14
Condra 10-14
Regin 10-12
By injuries I mean prolonged injuries as in 20+ games missed. I also think our D is going to accelerate our offense big time. Those are pretty accurate assumptions on goal output tho imo. I expect a few players to surprise and a few to disappoint. We'll have to wait and see how it all plays out, but I believe this will be an exciting team to watch, even if we lose. Anything will be better than last year's effort.
Your numbers are reasonable, kick in Karlsson Rundblad and Gonchar.
There could be injuries to some players but they all should be healthy starting the season, not always the case in the past. We are going to be well rested and healed.
That I agree with you! I couldnt stand the deadwood we had on that team.
You just mentioned stats that would equate to between 130-173+ goals just in our top 9 forwards. This excludes all our D, our 4th line and any surprise prospects/4th line players. Given that you'll admit our goals against should be at least a bit improved, how do u not think the team will be better? (last year we had 192 GF and 250 GA)
Just curious, are you really expecting it to be closer to your worst case scenario then your best case for these players? Even an average between your best and worst would still bring us to last year's goal total, which was an anomaly.
I agree with you that 35 for Butler this year is way too much to be predicting, but it seems like even u allow for the realistic scenario of a good competitive season from the sens! Tookie a true sens fan, who knew ;)
Spezza 20-30
Butler 18-25
Michalek 16-24
Alfie 16-24
Filatov 15+
Foligno 15+
Greening 10-14
Condra 10-14
Regin 10-12
Interesting estimates. They happen to be very close to what I would have said (which, in itself, should give you second thoughts) but there's only one guy on the list who I think has a chance of blowing the number out of the water - just a chance, mind you. I'm not going to ask you to guess...I think Filatov is the only high-end wild-card...
Rundblad 10-12
Gonchar 10-13
fourth line and the rest of our D 20-25
Good... hopefully he prefers North America. I think he can make the NHL... just needs the opening. Question is... too many forwards now and even too many more next year with Silfverberg & probably Zibby making it... then the questions come in who is out. Does this year make or break a couple of 'veteran' players in the Sens lineup as to who would be back in 2012/13 -- ie Winchester, Foligno, Regin?
Agreed... but that leaves Bingo void of goaltending. Sens had better start drafting at least one next year to re-build it up in about 3 yrs...
Don't know about that Chirp. He seems to have a level head on his shoulders in knowing what he has to do to get to the NHL. A bad season -- will earn him an extra year in Bingo -- which he will not enjoy. I think he will be at his best to get to the NHL as soon as he can.
Spezza's injury came from a hit from behind that separated his shoulder... at least it was not his back this year (for the most part).
At least the defense should have a little more confidence in goaltending this year. They should not be so scared to make a mistake that it will end up in the net. I think that had a lot to do with the way the D looked so bad up to the trade deadline.
I'm still having issues with this site.
If I make two comments back to back on this site.. on the 2nd comment -- I get an error message that said I already made a comment -- try again later.
I have to quit out of the comments and go back in again.
I don't know if it's just me or if anyone else is still having issues.
It's time delayed so people won't flood the site with comments.
There is a time limit in which you can make another comment, especially when posting back to back comments. I'm sure that is to prevent someone from flooding posts. It happens to me from time to time, but I don't consider it to be a problem.
Thanks for letting me know. Will pass this along.
Thanks for the info guys... I guess I'm too fast a typist...LOL
I say Chirp makes you the only one exempt to this stipulation. That way we can have access to your vast knowledge whenever we need it!
Bingo!
Just wait a minute and you should be good!
He's gonna be a great goalie, why rush him, Im pretty sure the Sens arent in a hurry, so why are you?
are you on new meds? This new Tookie seems more rational and far more pleasant. Not trying to stir anything up, its just surprising and welcome.
I assume that Lehner will eventually be a very good & therefore a very expensive goaltender down the road. Anderson & Auld will be fine in Ottawa for this coming season & Lehner can move to Ottawa for the 2012-2013 season when the team is expected to be much better. He will be able to grow with some of his fellow Swedes in Zibane, Silfverberg & Rundblad. Should be fun to watch these guys soon.