Former NHL goalies landing in the KHL usually only occurs among those born in Russia, but we have seen a handful of Canadian and American goalies who have opted to jump to the KHL instead of playing in the AHL. After being acquired by the Winnipeg Jets from the Florida Panthers last season, Chris Driedger spent most of his time with the Manitoba Moose after spending most of the previous two seasons with Coachella Valley and Charlotte. Instead of potentially signing another deal, Driedger signed with Traktor Chelyabinsk in the KHL this summer, possibly looking to get his NHL career back on track.
It was a bit of a struggle for Driedger last season. He played just 20 games in Charlotte, posting a 10-6-4 record with a 2.96 GAA and an .878 save percentage before being acquired by Winnipeg, where his time with the Moose saw him go 1-3-0 in five games with a 3.30 GAA and an .872 save percentage. Those aren’t exactly great numbers for any goalkeeper, but Driedger has played better in defense in the past. The only problem is that he didn’t show that side of his game after posting an 8-9-2 record in the KHL, where he had a bloated 3.05 GAA and a pedestrian .897 save percentage.
Announced earlier today, Traktor Chelyabinsk and Chris Driedger agreed to terminate his contract with the club, making him a free agent once again. Are there teams that need a goalkeeper?
It appears that is the case, and it could be a team that Driedger is already familiar with. With Connor Hellebuyck on the shelf for the next four to six weeks thanks to arthroscopic surgery on his knee, the Jets had to recall Thomas Milic, who had a solid season with the Manitoba Moose. In his absence, Domenic DiVincentiis will likely shoulder the starting duties, with Norfolk’s Isaac Poulter filling the backup role after being recalled from the ECHL’s Admirals.
The catch, however, is that the Moose have won six games in a row, so they don’t exactly need goaltending help right now. It can be argued that they should have a more experienced presence on their roster to help DiVincentiis, but we’ll have to see what the Jets plan to do when it comes to their young netminders in Milic and DiVincentiis. Once Hellebuyck is back on the ice, Driedger’s contract could cause a blockage in the crease.
Frankly, Driedger’s numbers over the past two seasons probably won’t land him on an NHL roster, and there aren’t many AHL teams chasing goaltenders at this point in the season. Outside of possibly Utica or Springfield, there simply aren’t many roster spots for Driedger to land. With his numbers where they were in the KHL, the Jets were able to sign him and assign him to the Norfolk Admirals of the ECHL, who could desperately use an upgrade between the pipes as Alex Worthington and Logan Stein are struggling to stop pucks.
Would the Jets want to do that, though? It seems unlikely.
There’s no doubt that Chris Driedger is a good guy and teammate, but that’s not the question here. It would be how he fits into the Jets’ plans and where he would ultimately play when it comes to their depth chart. It is believed that he would likely join the Moose, but that would only cause further problems if Hellebuyck returns. I doubt he’ll accept an offer from the Jets if they want to send him to the Admirals, so I can’t see Chris Driedger landing back in Winnipeg.
The caveat to that last statement is that I also never saw the Jets sign Jonathan Toews, Tanner Pearson and Gustav Nyqvist, so don’t lean on this blog for insightful Winnipeg Jets news. Adding more struggling talent to the roster just seems like a waste of a roster spot where someone from the Moose could be promoted and play, so my hope is that the Jets stay the course with Eric Comrie and Thomas Milic as their goaltenders while Hellebuyck recovers.
The Jets seem to like their reclamation projects, as we saw with Jonathan Toews, but they would do best to let Chris Driedger find work elsewhere. He simply doesn’t fit on the depth chart, proving the truth that you can never go home.
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
#chance #home