Peter Budaj proved last season that he was one of the best young goaltenders in the league. He didn't get the Avs into the playoffs, but his 31-16-6 record shows that he can win games. He won the starting position over Jose Theodore, who continues his fall from stardom. Budaj is far from perfect though. He has below-average rebound control, and must continue to work at getting stronger. Avs fans should see Budaj improve these next few seasons behind an improved 
D-core, and improved team itself. Jose Theodore on the other hand looks as if he's not able to be fixed. Theodore is making a hefty $6 Million , and is clearly not earning that with his play. Avs fans can only run down the clock until his contract expires, or pray to the Hockey Gods for a miracle.
The two starters for Colorado's new AHL affiliate Lake Erie will likely be Mike Wall who saw some time with the Ducks this season, and Tyler Weiman who was the starter in Albany last season. Both are relatively young, and either could fill in admirably if needed for a call-up. Wall would likely be the first to be called up, mainly because he has NHL experience. The Avalanche's main prospect is an Oakville, Ontario native by the name of Trevor Cann. He is somewhat small at 5'10, 199, but was a workhorse for Peterborough of the OHL, playing 62 games, all as a 17-year-old. He is a typical butterfly goalie, and the future only looks bright for this young stud. With the improvements the Avs have made this offseason, the tandem of an improving Peter Budaj and a puzzling Jose Theodore should be enough to get them into the post-season.
4 comments:
Yeah, Budaj doesn't need to be a game saver, but he does need to be an above-average goaltender for us to make a serious run. I've got faith in him that he can be at least that. As for Theo, well, his contract doesn't end soon enough.
Theo got his knee scoped this week. They say it's not serious but with that guy who knows. The Av's will live and die with the play of Budaj. He doesn't have to be great but he does have to be steady / solid and just make the saves and plays he should make. If that happens, the Av's will be a contender.
So how many wins do you expect out of Budaj this year?
Depending on the workload they give him, 35-40.
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