Goalies
Petr Mrazek – Alex Nedeljkovic
Given the choice between Mrazek and James Reimer, I’m taking Mrazek. It’s my opinion that when Petr is in top form, he’s harder to beat than James.
I know I said that I wasn’t considering salary in this exercise, but I simply cannot see a scenario in which the Carolina Hurricanes don’t attempt to save cap in the crease this coming season. They do that by bringing up Nedeljkovic who will be entering the one-way year of his two-year, two-way deal.
I’ve seen a lot of people saying they don’t think Nedeljkovic has NHL chops based on his games this season. But, his numbers don’t fall squarely at his feet. The fact of the matter is that this kid has demonstrated he has NHL-quality tools. Namely, his athleticism, puck playing, and recovery. All of that makes up for his size.
Honestly, we’re still in goaltender limbo while we wait for some of the other prospects to develop. Our best goaltending days are still ahead of us. Could the Hurricanes bring a different goalie in? Maybe. But for now, this feels like the most realistic projection for 2020-2021.
While we wait for our goaltending to shake out and to be released from quarantine, maybe check out Ned’s stream for your source of entertainment! He does things other than tend net, guys.