Petr Mrazek’s Road to Becoming the Carolina Hurricanes #1

After a season spent splitting time with Curtis McElhinney, Carolina Hurricanes goalie Petr Mrazek has made the most of his starts early on.

It’s funny the way things work out.  A few years ago, current Carolina Hurricanes’ goalie Petr Mrazek seemed poised to pry the starter’s job in Detroit away from Jimmy Howard.  Things didn’t go as planned, Mrazek’s play suffered, and he was eventually dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers a week before the 2018 trade deadline.

I was a little disappointed at the time, since I had hoped the Hurricanes would make a push to acquire the Czech netminder.  Remember, the 2017-18 season was Year One of “The Scott Darling Experiment”, a season that saw Cam Ward reclaim the #1 spot due to Darling’s struggles.  Alas, it wasn’t meant to be, not yet, and Carolina rode their slipshod tandem to another year without the postseason.

Unfortunately, the change of scenery did nothing to help Mrazek’s play.  In fact, his play declined to the point that he made only one playoff appearance for the Flyers before hitting the free-agent market.  With a chip on his shoulder and the desire to prove that he was an NHL-caliber goalie, he signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Carolina Hurricanes.

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Things have worked out pretty well for both parties, but let’s take a look at what led Mrazek to his current role.

Detroit Red Wings

Mrazek first saw NHL action with the Red Wings late in the 2012-13 season, seeing action in 2 games while spending the rest of the season with Detroit’s AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.  The following season was much the same with Mrazek getting into 9 games with Detroit.  His stats were good, but he got a little unwanted help in making the jump towards being a full-timer.

On November 5, 2014, Jonas Gustavsson suffered a dislocated shoulder that kept him out until mid-February.  With the door open, Mrazek appeared in 29 games and made a solid impression on the coaching staff and fans alike.  Howard, still Detroit’s top dog, saw the lion’s share of playoff time but Mrazek had made great strides in establishing himself.

The 2015-16 season would be Mrazek’s coming out party as a legitimate NHL goaltender.  With Howard’s play showing a decline, Mrazek saw action in 54 games and put up a career year for the Red Wings.  His stellar play continued in the playoffs, though Detroit’s sputtering offense enabled the Tampa Bay Lightning to dispatch them in a five-game first-round series.

As quickly as Mrazek had risen to the top of Detroit’s goaltending heap, he began to fall back.  Howard had earned more playing time towards the end of the 15-16 season and was named the starter for the playoffs before yielding to his younger counterpart.

Mrazek was the number one heading into the 2016-17 season, playing 50 games, but his numbers suffered across the board.  Behind the scenes were murmurs about attitude issues, a cocky, young goaltender who wanted to be the man in Hockeytown.  Despite the confidence and talent, the writing was on the wall for his time in Detroit and, in the summer of 2017, everything came to a head.

With Las Vegas becoming the home of the NHL’s 31st franchise, the league held an Expansion Draft in June of 2017.  Existing teams could protect one goaltender, making any others up for grabs to the new team.  Even though Mrazek was almost eight years younger than Howard, he was left exposed.

In the end, Vegas didn’t claim Mrazek, and he came into Detroit’s camp to battle for playing time in the 2017-18 season.  He got into 22 games, his goals-against average and save percentage rebounding somewhat.  Nevertheless, Mrazek’s time in Motown was at an end.

Before we move on, let’s take a look at the stats from his time in Detroit:

Regular season (GP; W-L-OT; GAA; SV%; SO)

• 12-13: 2; 1-1-0; 2.01; .922; 0
• 13-14: 9; 2-4-0; 1.74; .927; 2
• 14-15: 29; 16-9-2; 2.38; .918; 3
• 15-16: 54; 27-16-6; 2.33; .921; 4
• 16-17: 50; 18-21-9; 3.04; .901; 1
• 17-18: 22; 8-7-3; 2.89; .910; 3

Playoffs

• 14-15: 7; 3-4-0; 2.11; .925; 2
• 15-16: 3; 1-2-0; 1.35; .945; 1

Carolina Hurricanes

After a 2017-18 season that was derailed by goaltending, the Carolina Hurricanes were ready for a change.  Franchise mainstay Cam Ward was no re-signed, leading the veteran to sign a one-year pact with the Chicago Blackhawks.  Scott Darling, who had dedicated the offseason to training, was gearing up for a comeback.  GM Don Waddell‘s task was to find a suitable platoon mate who would be able to perform.

It was a perfect coalescence.  Mrazek signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract which gave him the opportunity to prove himself.  Waddell got an affordable goalie on a low-risk contract.  A preseason injury to Darling led to McElhinney being claimed from the waiver wire, setting what would be the Hurricanes’ tandem for the year.

Unlike years past, this duo not only performed well but seemed to push each other.  By season’s end, the pair had combined for 43 wins and 6 shutouts while helping lead the Hurricanes back into the postseason for the first time in a decade.

The playoffs were a bit of a mixed bag for Mrazek, including a shutout that opened the door for McElhinney to man the crease.  Ultimately, the Hurricanes were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals but, after years of mediocrity, the fans had genuine reason to hope.  The fiery Czech goaltender played a very large role in that.

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Now, with McElhinney gone and James Reimer filling his spot, Mrazek’s play has established him as the number one early on.  His play hasn’t been flawless but he has given his team a chance on most nights.

Mrazek and his teammates now face the heightened expectations that last season’s success created.  Anything short of another strong postseason showing will largely be viewed as a letdown and, as of now, it’s Mrazek’s job to lead them there.

Regular season:

• 18-19: 40; 23-14-3; 2.39; .914; 4
• 19-20*: 12; 8-3-1; 2.51; .907; 2
  • *through 11/13/19

Playoffs:

• 18-19: 11; 5-5-0; 2.73; .894; 2

There’s still work to be done and, so far, Reimer hasn’t pushed Mrazek the way that McElhinney did last season.  The good is that Mrazek has been up to the task thus far.  The bad is that the Hurricanes are going to need a dependable backup.  Reimer has talent but has struggled at times this year, leaving more pressure on Mrazek’s shoulders.

The one, undeniable fact is that the Hurricanes will go as far as Mrazek can carry them.

Do you think the constant push that McElhinney provided last season will be missed by Mrazek through the course of the season?  Will Petr Mrazek develop Cam Ward syndrome, being overused because of an unreliable backup?